Bands can make their listeners feel many things, but have you ever wanted to see a band that makes you feel as if you’re watching a sunset, taking everything in? A band that brings the soul back into your heart? Pomegranate, a newly created high school jazz band that came together in November 2025, aims to do that.
Though Portland’s large music scene is filled with many genres, student-led bands often stick to indie rock, punk, or metal. Jazz sticks out, being less popular among the youth music scene. However, Pomegranate champions the genre and their goal to be “the biggest jazz band in the city,” according to its members.
The band consists of six members — Theo Papavasiliou, the guitarist; Zane Stanley, the drummer; Elle Vermeys, the vocalist; Max Schultz, the pianist; Finnbar Miskow-Malone, the bassist; and their newest member, trumpeter Tommy Blize. Ranging from high school freshmen to juniors, the band was created because of Schultz, who met all of the members throughout 2025. Feeling they were all great musicians, he thought it was the perfect opportunity to start a band. The band tries to practice once a week, according to Papavasiliou, who adds that during these practices they “take breaks and discuss literally anything,” allowing the members to form a strong connection with one another.
The name “Pomegranate” came from the pianist, Schultz. Stanley admits Schultz “suggested a lot of really bad names at the start, and we all thought Pomegranate was a bad name.” Soon, their perspective on the fruit moniker shifted: “As Max continued to suggest bad names, we started to like Pomegranate,” says Stanley. Now, Stanley and Papavasiliou feel that the band name matches them perfectly, describing the band’s energy as “watching a sunset and you’re taking in everything around you,” with each member bringing a different personality to the band. Stanley “brings the goofiness to the band,” Papavasiliou explains, while Vermeys and Stanley say Papavasiliou “brings the sort of craziness.” They continue, saying that Miskow-Malone “brings the chill,” and Stanley believes Schultz and Vermeys “bring the soul to the band.” The combination of musicality and personality creates Pomegranate’s unique, jazzy, and soulful sound.
The band gets inspiration from other artists, specifically Australian band Hiatus Kaiyote and singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. Vermeys, the primary lyrical songwriter of the band, draws influence from the other members and various jazz artists. From this inspiration, they create their music, incorporating influences and perspectives into a cohesive track. “We all sort of connect when we’re writing music, and it all kind of just comes together,” according to Vermeys. Each member of the band brings a different approach to how they create music. Vermeys remarks, “Max brings a lot of enthusiasm when it comes to making the music,” which brings energy and life to Pomegranate, and can even fuel their performance and creativity. She continues, saying, “Finnbar is a talented musician and goes with the flow,” adding, “Zane has a lot of cool ideas, and Theo also brings a lot of great ideas as well, with very creative guitar pieces and parts.” Papavasiliou explains that Schultz “comes up with the most intricate and beautiful harmonies that I’ve had the pleasure of playing,” adding, “We’re [six] great musicians having fun, and it’s like a really beautiful puzzle.”
The band has big aspirations, including releasing an album by the end of 2026. Papavasiliou states, “We already have a bunch of songs, we just need to get them down for the album,” adding, “None of us are graduating relatively soon, so we have a good amount of time to think about what we want for the band.” Another goal of theirs is to perform at numerous places around Portland. Stanley says, “It’s a pretty open market for this kind of jazzy, jammy band,” and the band hopes to fill that gap in Portland.
Along with these hopes, one of Pomegranate’s biggest goals is to remind people of the importance of jazz and its influence on culture and young artists in the Portland area. Papavasiliou feels “the jazz genre has been in a sort of downtrend recently and I think it’s important for people to realize how great jazz artists were like,” adding, “I think it’s really important that when we get our music out there, we want people to feel, ‘This is what I need.’” The jazz genre is how the band desires to differentiate themselves from other bands and allow people to feel their music in their souls. Vermeys explains how she wants the band to have a unique sound, so people can recognize their band when they perform.
All bands start with a group of people with a collective passion for music, and Pomegranate was no different. Their experience of growth as a group allows them to give advice to people who want to start their own band: They have learned that the most important thing is to have fun. For people trying to start their own band, Vermeys advises to “find people for a band that you can really connect with,” adding to “know what you guys want to make and what kind of music you want to put out there.”
Papavasiliou explains that the band is successful because they have consistent rehearsal times: “They are the biggest part to get a band going.” Beneath that, it all comes down to the soul. “Act on that passion that you really want to pursue,” Vermeys encourages prospective bands. Pomegranate plans for their music to be available online for fans to listen to and connect with the music on a deeper level. For now, Pomegranate can be found on Instagram at @pomegranate_band, or maybe even jamming out at a local venue near you, as they usher in a jazzy new vibe to Portland’s scene.
