Musician Interviews
Pink Army began as a trio of Tween girls in 2008 — Charisma Kain, Alicia Randolph, and Lia Johnson. The group is modeled after Disney Channel/Nickelodeon stars such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. “Our …
Drummer Bill Ray has played with dozens of local groups (Tubby, Playground Slap, the Wild Truth), though he’s probably best known from Ike Turner’s band, having appeared on the late rocker’s Grammy-winning 2006 album Risin’ …
“The Nervous Wreckords started out as a production company that I had when I worked with other artists as a producer,” says singer/guitarist Brian Karscig. “As my own music started to take precedence over producing, …
Oceanside’s Nathan James became a blues guitarist by mastering the Piedmont fingerstyle, which produces a complex ragtime sound and is created by thumbing the bass string while picking out a syncopated melody with the fingers. …
David Rinck’s local ties date back to 1981, when the singer/guitarist/sax player cofounded the original Wallflowers. Somewhat punk, a little mod, and always rockin’, the band wrote songs about dangerous San Diego locales of the …
With a name inspired by their role models the Jackson 5, the brothers of the Garcia 3 were age 7 (Angel), 9 (Hector), and 11 (Juan) when they founded a band last year. The boys …
“Our music intertwines upbeat reggae riffs with fist-pumping, melodic rock,” says Jet West singer/guitarist Scott Floquet. “We pull influences from blues, funk, country, and we’re even starting to experiment with techno.” Jet West’s debut Dropping …
The current Serious Guise lineup has been around since 1996, but the band’s roots go back to 1986. Serious Guise includes founding guitarist Dennis Gonzales, Rick Williams on drums and vocals, guitarist-vocalist Mark Griffin, and …
Having held residency at the late Radio Room, the Flame, and Tijuana’s La Mezcalera, Club Purple recently put on their first night at Bodega Aragon a few blocks from the heart of Tijuana’s happening Sixth …
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, ‘You’re like a female Johnny Thunders,’” says singer-guitarist Diana Death. “If I have to be compared to somebody, it may as well be him. His talent …
"Being in a band is like being married to four or five very different people at once,” says singer/songwriter Amanda Waggener. “And, let’s face it, being married to just one person is tough enough. I’ve …
Haley Allen started playing drums at age nine. As alumnus of the Hollywood School of Rock, she says Kevin Fig (drummer for Extreme and Perry Farrell) showed her the ropes. Allen, now 22, says she …
Charlie Imes first earned local notice while playing guitar with local classic rockers Signs of Life and Against the Grain. For his 2008 solo debut, On an Island, he gathered nearly a dozen locals — …
Mandy Gasparich — aka Miz Mandy — is one of several female singers from the local pop band Liquid Blue to go from BlueGirl to solo recording artist. “Historically, my music has been pop and …
When he realized I was at Eleven to cover that evening’s show, Mark “Harpo” Delguidice’s face lit up. Although the Myspace for Harpco, his “folk/rock/blues/Americana” band, waxes wise-ass (“We vowed to forge ahead to become …
When A.J. Croce was a week past his second birthday, his father, singer-songwriter Jim Croce, died in a September 1973 plane crash. A few years after A.J. and his mother Ingrid arrived in San Diego, …