On April 25, student band Read Receipts won Battle of the Bands — a showdown between five student bands bidding for a spot on the Green Key mainstage — for the second year in a row. Read Receipts opened for Jay Sean and A$AP Ferg on Gold Coast Lawn this past Friday.
The Dartmouth sat down with two band members, Anell Paulino ’25 and Jackson Yassin ’26, to discuss their win and their preparation for Green Key.
Congratulations! You won Battle of the Bands again. What was going through your heads when you heard that you won for the second year in a row?
AP: Honestly, just a lot of gratitude. It was nice to feel like this time around, people really rallied to have us on stage. Last year, there was a lot of campaigning and pushing. This year, we won with the majority, which means that more than just our friends voted for us. Other people who enjoy our music voted for us too. I’m grateful to be performing again on this Green Key Friday for my last Green Key.
JY: It really felt like a confirmation of all the hard work that we’ve put into this band. I joined two years ago, and with each successive term, I think we’ve only gotten better performing [as a] group. Having the material confirmation of that is a gratifying feeling.
Tell me about your preparation for Battle of the Bands. How did this year’s performance feel different from last year’s?
AP: Last year, we were really nervous about a lot of the nit-picky stuff, especially because it was our first time performing together for something as big as the Green Key main stage. This year definitely felt different because we walked in knowing the goal and what to expect. We became so much more confident within our own musical talents and with each other throughout the remainder of the year. The creativity of music flourishes when people not only know each other, but know each other sincerely and know each other’s musicality sincerely.
JY: Our performance this year featured the strengths of the band in a very different way. Last year, we were really trying to go for songs that we thought everyone would know and love. And you know, it’s a fine strategy, but we have a lot of talented members in the band, and I think we did a much better job of showcasing that this year.
You’ve now played Green Key two years in a row. What does it mean to be back?
AP: It means a lot to me to be back at Green Key again. It means that the Dartmouth student body trusts me with their fun which is always exciting. It also means a lot to me this time around because this is my last Green Key mainstage performance with Read Receipts as a senior. This Green Key also lands on my birthday; I turn 22. So, it's really just this massive celebration of, not only the last time and an end, but also a new year of life and growth.
JY: I’m so excited to be back! I don't know how deep it is that we’re playing two years in a row. I am excited to do it again, it was such a fun show last year. I don’t expect it to be any different. This year, I’m excited to help support Green Key as an event. It’s a great weekend that all Dartmouth students really get behind and excited about.
As a senior and a junior, how are you thinking about the future of Read Receipts?
AP: I’m really grateful to have been part of a group that has been part of my becoming for the last two years, and I am excited to see where Harley, Witt and Jackson take the rest of the group in the future. Jackson is definitely the spearhead of the legacy of Read Receipts — I like to call him ‘Father Jackson’ — but I have no doubt in my mind that the group will be just as great and amazing after Nathan, Zara and I are gone. I can’t wait to visit and see what the group is up to next!
JY: As far as the future of Read Receipts goes, I’m just excited to see how things end up. I remember joining and knowing nobody. It ended up being such an incredible group of people and something I care about so deeply. I couldn’t have asked for a better combination of people. Zara, Anell and Nathan [will] pick who they want to replace them. In the coming years, I expect it to work out just as well. So I’m excited to see the fifth or sixth iteration of Read Receipts next year, to see how it’s different, what stays the same and where we go.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
