Serendipity: A Whimsy Music-Loving Girl’s Dream
- Lauren Juillerat
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Caydie Tampac
Photography by Ellyn Pillers
With a blend of electrifying, edgy pop punk and the mellow nostalgia of indie rock, the Truckee band Serendipity is for every whimsy, music-loving high school girl who loves nothing more than spending time with friends.
Inspired by the sounds of The Backseat Lovers and the Riot Grrl genre, the origin of the newly-formed band Serendipity started out like any other: when best friends Dani Mason and Ruby Makoutz had the idea to create their own band at just 15 and 16 years old.
“One day, Dani just kind of texted me up, and she’s like, ‘Do you want to start a band with me?’” Makoutz said, “and I’m like, ‘I can’t imagine anything better than being in a band with my best friends.’”
As admirers of indie and punk, Serendipity is heavily influenced by Worm Shot, an all-girl Riot Grrl band based in Reno. They have leaned into the aesthetic themselves, covering several Riot Grrl anthems at their shows. Similar to Worm Shot, they sought out to form a woman-led band due to the lack of female representation in the music scene, especially in punk and indie rock.
“Even if we’re not a full all-girl band, we are still getting the representation that we want out of there, especially in the scene,” Mason said, “We want people, especially younger girls, to feel empowered.”
With Mason as the lead vocalist and Makoutz as the guitarist/back-up vocalist, the duo found it challenging to form a band in the sparse music scene of Truckee, Nevada, where there are few teens.
They spread the word of forming a band among their peers, and it wasn’t long before August Stepper soon reached out to be their drummer. After the previous bassist had graduated and moved, Cali Zimmerman joined the band last summer. With that, Serendipity was born and ready to rock and roll.
At almost 18 years old, Mason emphasized that “it’s a great idea to start a band young.” She has always aspired to pursue music, and what better time to chase your dreams than the bliss of your youth, especially backed up by your best friends. Early in their lives, they discovered their forever love of friendship and music that they value deeply.
“We now know something so dear to our heart, something that we never want to let go of.”
Their first gig as an official band was at The Holland Project Fresh Meat show on Sept. 6 2025, a showcase for new bands. Having been formed for only about a month, they realized that they now had to compose original songs for the first time.
Makoutz shared, “It’s kind of tricky to write original music when you’ve never played together.”
In a few months, however, the weeks of practicing and lyricizing soon paid off in their debut performance as Serendipity, which Mason described as the “best experience of our lives.”
Since then, Serendipity had a packed schedule of gigs at The Aspen Collective, Midnight Coffee Roasting, Pizzava and at Dawghouse’s Last Run, performing over ten shows since the band’s formation in the summer of 2024. As a new band from Truckee, Serendipity was initially hesitant and anxious about stepping into the thriving Reno music scene. Now, Mason said the Reno music scene “is not here to judge” as they were embraced with support.
”I think the most important thing is to know that they’re just wanting to see us have fun.”
Serendipity’s first song, “Slow Motion”, was written by Makoutz. In contrast to its bright, mellow mood, the debut single centers around a state of confusion. The lyricist shared that the song depicts a disarrayed period of life in which it seems as though everything is falling apart.
This is captured by the lyrics, “So unsure that you come undone / Oh my god, is this supposed to be fun?”
A favorite song of the band, “Pictures of My Past”, symbolizes the pain of a push-pull relationship: when you are attached to someone who turns you away, but they want you back as soon as you give up.
“It’s just that kind of anger of ‘we could’ve had something, but you messed it up.’ So it’s just about shitty men,” Mason explained.
Serendipity is not only about being a band, but it’s also about bonding and creating fond, teenage memories to reminisce upon with a warm smile. As budding musicians, they blossom together side by side. Makoutz shared how being together serves as motivation to practice and nurture themselves with the love and support that they offer each other.
”I get to practice with my friends because practicing by yourself, it’s fun, but it just doesn’t hit the same as hanging out with your friends and just having a good time.”
Stepper smiled, “I love performing, and I love playing music, and it’s with the best people in my life. So, pretty great.”
After over a year and a half of performing on stage as Serendipity, they uncovered a form of self-expression that gave them confidence and self-acceptance through their music. In the disharmony of chaotic high school hardships, Serendipity’s music drowns everything out.
“It kind of stops all the hecticness of life for a second, so I could just play music,” Stepper shared, “Serendipity has helped me through my hardest times in life.”
As Serendipity evolves, they hope to hop back in the studio and one day record an EP.
What Serendipity cherishes is the sweetness of playing gritty melodies with their best friends and with the sensational people that they meet along the way. The music scene is lush with extraordinary passion that embraces all who adore tuneful notes and explosive chords, and it is here that the band discovered their serendipity.
The band is still young, with even more head-banging anthems and jam-packed gigs that await them.
You can find Serendipity on Spotify and Apple Music.
Edited by Malory Shaw.
