At the 40th annual Sun God Festival, student rock band The Arkangels performed on its biggest stage yet.
Flanked by two large screens bordered by pulsing purple and hot pink lights, the ensemble released a torrent of deep bass, shredding guitars, pounding drums, and belting vocals. As students gathered at the barricade, bobbed in rhythm, and reacted to each choreographed crescendo, The Arkangels reveled in the infectious energy.
In 2024, Associated Students Concerts and Events and A.S. Spirit and Athletics started selecting student openers through the Battle of the Bands. This year, the competition to decide Sun God’s opening act was held on April 8. In an act of stubborn determination, The Arkangels used its three previous Battle of the Bands losses to refine its act and achieved victory at the 2025 Battle of the Bands to cement its spot on the lineup.
The band developed its live performance prowess over two years through at least 30 on-campus gigs and finally unleashed its ultimate exhibition of rockstar artistry on the RIMAC Field.
Four days before the Sun God Festival, I had the opportunity to film an interview with The Arkangels. Inside The UCSD Guardian office, I met the band’s five members: Arion Starks on lead guitar and vocals, Asher Kai on bass, Isaias Marin on rhythm guitar, Jerson Rivas on drums, and unofficial member, rapper Kate Halperin.
When I asked how they achieved their success, the band members credited their robust synchronization that developed over two years of performance and practice. On a technical level, this manifests through Rivas and Kai’s connection of drum and bass, which acts as the sonic backbone of its music.
“When Jerson and I are locked in, that’s what really drives the show together,” Kai said. “That’s the glue that’s making sure that all the songs, all the music, is hitting as hard as possible, you know, so that Isa and Arion can clutch up and do all the other cool stuff that they do.”
The Arkangels have also developed harmony as a band by collaborating on a common vision, leaving each other space and agency to rely on the member’s own expertise.
“I love that everyone’s really talented, everyone knows what to do, everyone is really responsible, because we all love music,” Rivas said. “Here, everyone is always like, ‘Dude, do whatever you want. I trust you,’ and I have the freedom of incorporating new things that I’m learning on the way.”
This freedom facilitates the natural blend of each artist’s personal style, culminating into a cohesive and distinct sound. Starks draws inspiration from Pink Floyd’s guitarist David Gilmour and the voice of Iceland’s Jökull Júlíusson from blues rock band KALEO. Kai derives his taste from heavy metal, grunge, and alt-rock legends like Metallica, Nirvana, and Paramore. Marin has an ear for The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Gary Moore, an eclectic guitarist who played blues, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz. Rivas incorporates heavy metal, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and Latin influences like Alex González from Maná into his percussionist repertoire. Halperin’s verse on the band’s song “Challengers” infused a hip-hop flare inspired by Doechii, Doja Cat, and Eminem. With such a wide breadth of genres, this menagerie coalesces into a dynamic and fresh composition.
Each instrumental informs Starks’ lyricism, resulting in divergent themes from perseverance to love to dystopia that permeate the group’s discography. The band composes every setlist to tell a unique story; its enthralling tunes channeled through the members’ captivating stage presence immerses the audience in these curated narratives.
During Sun God, each band member’s distinct stage presence converged into a concerted energy. Marin loves sharing the stage with his bandmates, and Kai noted his affinity for engaging the fans directly.
“This is where I get to be myself utterly and completely,” Kai said. “I get to move around like a maniac and play music that people enjoy. I give to [the audience], and they give back to me. It’s just a very fun experience for both myself and other people, and it just also revolves around music.”
For The Arkangels, performing at Sun God was a pipe dream come true. After notching such a significant concert in its belt, the band intends on sticking together in San Diego to further its legacy, even after Starks, Rivas, and Halperin graduate this year. The exposure has drawn in a wider audience for its music, so the members hope to satisfy their new and existing fans by releasing more songs soon. The heights it reached this year are just the conclusion of one chapter; together, The Arkangels plan to soar further into the future.
