Los Angeles-based band Private School aren’t interested in fitting neatly into anyone’s box—and that’s exactly the point.
The band’s foundation came together in a way that feels appropriately chaotic. “I met Breno at a studio we both were interning at and Agodd at a party where the mf was stealing my vape,” vocalist Khaki tells No Echo. What started off on the wrong foot eventually turned into something real. “We initially didn’t like each other… until we ran into each other outside my old job in Santa Monica,” he says. From there, the collaboration slowly took shape. “I was doing things mostly solo for a long time, but once everyone was fully invested, the rest was history.”
That DIY, anything-goes mindset still defines Private School’s sound. While they often get lumped into hardcore circles, Khaki sees it differently. “The band’s sound is more hip-hop influenced than even really rock influenced,” he explains. “I don’t think we aren't hardcore, but I also think it would be wrong to call us only hardcore.” Instead, the band thrives on contrast—a mix of rap, hardcore, and even reggae backgrounds that collide into something uniquely their own. “It’s a melting pot, and that’s what I love.”
That approach is front and center on “BACK OUTSIDE,” a track recorded the same way the band builds everything else—on their own terms. “It was made in my bedroom (as are all of our songs),” Khaki says. Lyrically, the song reflects a shift in mindset, pulling from his own experiences navigating insecurity and comparison. “I was getting anxiety about people’s perceptions of me… making them bigger in my mind than they actually were,” he explains. “I’m just tryna stunt and have a good time like everyone else but also trying to stay focused.”
That tension—between confidence and doubt, lifestyle and substance—runs through the band’s identity as a whole. “I don’t fucking know where we fit, I don’t know if we do,” Khaki says bluntly. What matters more is the connection they’re building. “I’m feeling a connection with people all over who are connecting with what we’re doing… I would like to think we are cultivating our own movement right now.”
That mindset extends to their live shows, which Khaki envisions less as scene-specific gatherings and more as a release. “I hope a PS show just looks like a bunch of mf’s who are there to let go, have a good time, and hopefully support someone else trying to do the same thing,” he says, adding, “If your scene is void of substance, I don’t think we belong there anyway.”
Even with momentum building, Private School aren’t easing up. “We’ve been working our asses off,” Khaki says, pointing to plans for live recordings, new material, and continued growth as a band. “The new music just keeps getting better and better… I think the progression will be very, very cool.”
Next up, the band heads overseas for a European run in June, including an appearance at Download Festival, with plans to hit the East Coast later in the year.
For Private School, it’s not about where they fit—it’s about building something that doesn’t need to.
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Private School on social media: Instagram
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