July 21, the group Side/Reel released their first single, “Kick It”. This upbeat pop song may remind you of a boyband from the 80s, giving listeners a mix of nostalgia and a new sound. After the success of “Kick It”, the group released their second single, “Make Luv” in August.
Side/Reel consists of four members: Jack, Jonah, Isai, and Malakai. The member that stands out the most is Malakai, who is a West High Alumnus.
Also recognized as Tristan Dumo, he was incredibly involved in music-related activities before graduating in 2021. “Without the music program, I’d have no idea how to do half the stuff that I do today.” he says. “Thanks to the music program, I taught myself how to play piano and guitar, and I got more familiar with songwriting and composing.”
When asked to talk about how Side/Reel came to be, Dumo responded, “Me, Jack, and Isai met last year in July through an audition for SM Entertainment. We passed the first round and had to go to L.A. for the second round. We kept in touch while waiting for our results. Once we found out that we didn’t pass, I proposed the idea of making our own group since we had prior experience in writing, composing, and dancing. Jonah ended up joining the group a few months later.” Since then, the four boys have worked remotely to bring their musical ideas to life.
“My favorite teacher was easily Mr. Raman,” he answers, when asked the question on every staff member’s mind. “Not only did he encourage me to take music more seriously, but he also empathized with me when my mom went through health problems. He became a much-needed parental figure for me at that time. I’ll always appreciate his guidance.”
Tristan says, “All of my favorite memories associated with West have to do with choir and performing in the rallies. It’s been my dream ever since I was little to be a performer, and dancing with multiple clubs helped me get comfortable with performing in groups,” adding on to a description of his time in high school.
What’s next for the band? “The future of Side/Reel definitely looks promising,” He responds. “Our main focus right now is working on choreography and writing as many tracks as possible in hopes of dropping an EP in the upcoming months. Anything can happen with this group. We really don’t know what’s in store. Maybe dropping merchandise, getting some gigs, new members, it’s up in the air right now.”
If you’re interested in checking out Side/Reel’s music, they have both of their singles available anywhere you stream music, and you can find them at @reelsidereel on Instagram. Go support our Legendary Wolves!
