Published: November 24, 2025
The Battle of the Bands has been a longstanding tradition on school campuses, and USM is no exception. On November 18, WMPG has hosted this competition on campus for several years, with two events across the school year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The event was put together by a group of student volunteers and supported by Monaco Studios in their work with Equal Measure Arts to bring affordability of music production to students and those who don’t have the money for equipment and studio time. Caelin Limerick and Moinca Withee were the emcees for the evening, interacting with the crowd in between sets, telling jokes, and announcing the prizes at the end. There was a free raffle that anyone could enter to win some WMPG merchandise, with four winners. Starting at 7 PM, the show concluded at 9:30 PM with four acts that performed throughout the night. After the sets have finished, there will be judges who reconvene to discuss the winners.
The first act of the evening was a pop-rock band called Picnic Ants–who had rebranded from a punk rock band–that played a mix of original songs and covers. With 6 members, interchanging vocalists, and a smooth sound, they started off the night on a good and interesting note. The band had a vocalist and multiple instruments: guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, keys, and even a tambourine. Half of the members of the band are USM music students, and the others are locals. They previously won second place at the last Battle of the Bands hosted by WMPG.
Next up on the docket was an afrobeat rapper named Haga Sweetch, who performed all original songs. Despite his music being almost entirely in Lingala (and a little English), he had the entire crowd in his hand with his rapid-fire lyrical performance. He brought a completely new sound to the event, and everyone loved it. Even though he was a one-man act, he’s an energetic performer with a good sense of stage presence. Haga Sweetch is also a student within the USM community, living in the dorms, where he records his songs and then sends them to New York to get mixed and mastered.
The third act, Reliquary, brought a much more lyrically reserved alternative rock sound to the venue. Despite their drummer not being able to make it, they still played a solid set that seemed almost tranquil and relaxing. You could feel the absence of the drummer, but they still played their hearts out, albeit at a slower pace. The members had great energy and some funny interactions with the crowds, and brought more variety to the event. Only one member is a student at USM, but the band is local to the area.
For the final act, a soulful duo by the name of Madelynn and Payson busted out some chairs and guitars to end the night on some beautiful vocals and a mixture of electric and acoustic guitar. They each live in Portland and collaborate consistently, which is why they entered the competition together. Ending the setlist with a folk sound, every act brought a different sound to this competition.
Now that the performances had finished, it was time for the judges to come together for a verdict. Each act will win something, but that first-place prize is a big one. Fourth and third place will each get a chance to perform live on the WMPG radio show, Local Motives. Second place will also get to lay on the show, but they also receive a $200 gift card to Buckdancer’s Choice Music Company. First place will receive a free six-hour professional recording session at Monaco Studios in Falmouth. The studio’s owner, Sam Moncao, is opening another recording studio in Portland, called The Square, with its grand opening on November 22nd, which will have a performance from another previous WMPG Battle of the Bands winner, Alma June and The Persian Cats.
Congratulations to all the performers at this semester’s Battle of the Bands!
4th Place – Reliquary
3rd Place – Picnic Ants
2nd Place – Madelynn and Payson
1st Place – Haga Sweetch
For more information on future WMPG events, visit wmpg.org
