UT’s School of Music has produced numerous musicians and artists. However, one can find a rising star in the university’s independent music scene.

VOLT is a fully student-run a capella group, founded in 2015 by UT student McKinley Merritt. While not funded by the School of Music, the group has continually practiced and competed in their craft.

After five years of practice and passion, the group has released its first extended play (EP). Lily Hardwig, junior in English, Spanish and global studies and VOLT’s alumni coordinator, expressed hope that listeners will enjoy the group’s work and the passion that went into it.

“I hope people really love what we’re putting out, because we loved making it. It was so much fun, and everybody’s doing it just because they love it. We want to see Volt do amazing things,” Hardwig said.

“Genesis,” as the EP is named, is currently available on Spotify, iTunes and all other music streaming platforms.

While only released this year, the songs originate from one of the group’s competition sets. The group competed at the Boston Sings A Capella competition in 2019. Their set, the basis for the EP, centered around the provided theme of “magical realism.”

To this end, VOLT opted to retell the Biblical Adam and Eve story through song, with each piece representing a different perspective within the tale. Their rendition of Fall Out Boy’s “Church,” for example, represents the serpent character. “Only Forever” by Demi Lovato represents Eve’s perspective. “Hmm?” is an original composition by McKinley Merritt, introducing the Adam and Eve story.

The EP also features two of the group’s other renditions — covers “Don’t Belong” and “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monae.

Though the group values the meaning behind their chosen songs, this was the first time the group told a narrative with their music.

“This was our first set where we were telling a really specific story. All of our sets have meaning, but this one we were trying to get something specific across,” Hardwig said.

The EP comes five years after the group was originally formed. In that time, they have gathered singers of many different stripes and have performed at multiple Knoxville venues.

While a musical organization, the group prides itself on the diversity of its singers. None of the group’s 10 current members are studying music. Recalling her own experiences, Hardwig described the group as united in a mutual passion for music and support of one another. One doesn’t need a musical education to join.

“I didn’t do any singing in high school, and I knew when I got to UT I wanted to do a capella. I met the founding members, and it was very much about ‘do you like to sing, and would you like to sing with us?’ I have no musical knowledge at all, and they were very open about that fact,” Hardwig said.

“Volt was more than happy to get people from lots of different backgrounds, as long as they were passionate and willing to work hard for it.”

After placing third at the local International Championship of Collegiate A Capella (ICCAs) in 2019, the group opened for DCapella — the official a capella group for the Walt Disney Company — at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville. They then competed in a small competition in Memphis.

However, their big break came with Boston Sings. Hardwig describes the opportunity’s importance, as it gave them multiple new experiences within the a capella scene.

“That opportunity was so many opportunities in one. We got to travel all the way to Boston, we got to perform in this amazing theatre, it was the coolest show that we had ever done and later we still get to use the recordings,” Hardwig said. “It’s just cool … everything it’s done for Volt.”

The vocals for their Boston Sings performance were recorded and given to them, vocals that they then turned into “Genesis.” Moving forward, the group hopes to continue their break into the larger a capella scene by recording and releasing more music.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected these plans. Music Director Nick Notranto, junior in linguistics, described the current group and the changes the year has brought. These changes include lowing the number of members from 13 to 10 and limiting in-person practice.

The group will also not be competing in the 2020 ICCAs, as they do not currently have the funds to do so.

“We’re keeping the group small and limiting how much we see each other in a week, trying to prioritize learning as much music as possible. We’re not going to be competing this year. That would be a lot of time lost,” Notranto said.

“(The) ICCAs are online this year; everything has to be video and audio recorded. That takes money, and we are fully sponsored by ourselves and donations. We don’t get any money from the Music School.”

However, they still plan to record and produce music.

“We’re spending a lot of time this year getting ready for next year. We’ve been really getting things done,” Notranto said. “We have plans to get into a recording studio and get things recorded. We will have content to be released, and people will get to hear what Volt 2020-21 sounds like. Be on the look-out.”

In the meantime, the group hopes that people will listen to their EP and recognize the passion behind it.

“When we’re doing this much, it’s completely outside of school. None of us are music students and nobody’s getting (class) credit. All of it comes from loving a capella,” Hardwig said.

One can find the EP on all known music streaming platforms. One can also follow the group’s social media on Instagram and Facebook.