April 17, 2026
Albany-based indie rock band Passing Grade’s genuine friendships and ability to collaborate from different parts of the country set them apart. With their third album on the way and a new single out, the band is continuing to evolve while holding on to the sense of community that defines them.
The foundational members include Asher Hall (keyboard and production), Wolfgang Balga (rhythm guitar), Henry Powers (bass and vocals), Nick Rogers (lead guitar), and Kaiden Goddard-Hathaway (drums). The band members all met in high school, forming thanks to their mutual love of music and natural fit as collaborators. Together, they were having fun, building what Balga described as a “friendship community vibe.”
Now, split up between colleges around the country, Passing Grade operates largely online and is what Powers called a “Discord band.” After writing songs together, each member records their instrument individually, digitally combining their parts in post-production.
Though this isn’t the traditional setup, they make the most of it, with Powers detailing that this workflow benefits the band members’ individual expression.
“Having that liberty is pretty cool. When we're passing it back and forth, there's nobody there to tell you no,” Powers said. “If they send me a file and they're like, ‘Record bass to this,’ I'm the bass player, and they're not here to really walk me through anything. So it's like I've got pretty free rein to kind of just fuck around a little bit.”
Their passion for music inspires their own creations, as they consider themselves both consumers and creators.
“As much as we like making music, we're also just fans of listening to music together,” Balga remarked. “Whenever we're working on something, we'll make a playlist or just a list of certain songs or certain artists that we either want to replicate their sound or their songwriting style or just the structures of the songs.”
Among many, Wilco, Mac DeMarco, and Big Thief were listed as artists that inform Passing Grade’s sound, specifically the work they’ve done on their newer releases.
“MJ Lenderman's a big tonal influence. I think the writing and melodies have been inspired by that kind of weird modern '80s spin stuff of Dijon and McGee. That kind of writing has influenced it definitely, but with a lot more Beatles-esque stuff where there's very strict and direct forming of the verses and choruses,” Hall said.
When they can, the members of Passing Grade travel and connect to play live, frequenting Syracuse University’s basement show scene and performing at local venues. They have what Powers called the “PGCU” (Passing Grade Cinematic Universe): other musicians who fill in during live gigs when they’re short of a position. This rotating ensemble speaks to the band’s adaptability; their live presence remains the same regardless of who’s on the stage with them.
“No matter what configuration of people we have, it's always a palpable energy,” Hall said. “There's an excitement for the music. And you can really tell about our friendship chemistry on stage. It translates well to musical chemistry.”
With two albums Melba and PG.pg in their current discography, Passing Grade will soon release their third. Their latest single, “Madrid,” was dropped on March 28. While the band is committed to the music they create, they are sure to keep having fun in the process, not forgetting their beginnings.
“We're a community band. Music is always around us. So it's really the love and friendship in music that drives us the most,” Balga said.