BOTB 24’ - Santa Cruz
Artist Spotlight
Exclusive FTY Interviews by Emma Speicher
Five Northern California bands battle to the death (not really) on the second sold out stop on the Free the Youth x Shabang Battle of the Bands Tour. Mom Cars rock and rolled their way into a set at the Shabang Music Festival in San Luis Obsipo, May 3-4th. Take an insider look into the bands who competed in Santa Cruz!
Winners Evermore:
Brendon Le
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Jacob Thrasher
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AJ Derise
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Cole Winters
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Brendon Le ⋆ Jacob Thrasher ⋆ AJ Derise ⋆ Cole Winters ⋆
Sacramento melodious minivan maestros, Mom Cars, absolutely stole the Catalyst stage in Santa Cruz with their energetic hits “Sweaters,” “Evermore,” and “Artificial.” Known for their outstanding stage presence and genuine drive, Mom Cars is the perfect addition to the next Battle of the Bands cohort.
“The best part of playing music is the community and experiencing this band thing together. Coming from where we live and from playing in my garage, to playing the shows that we’re playing now - it’s so motivating.”
From playing shows with the likes of Small Crush, Rain on Fridays, and Field Daze, to embarking on a multi-city tour with Trestles and Career Woman, Mom Cars has garnered an extensive following, earning thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok in the span of a few short months. They’ve graced the stages of the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, The Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz, and The Holland Project in Reno (to name a few of their favorites), and to Mom Cars their community is what matters the most:
“We keep each other grounded, the scene keeps us grounded. It’s all about where we grew up and where we came from. It’s a very small town and so community oriented - no one is self-centered, it’s refreshing.”
Mom Cars is on the rise, with a string of summer shows and a second studio album in the works, this is just the surface of Mom Cars’ future schemes. Hop on the Mom Cars minivan and follow along on their next adventures…
Adrian Marquez
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Dylan Thomas
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Leo Diaz
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Jesus Ayala
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Chris Ayala
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Adrian Marquez ⋆ Dylan Thomas ⋆ Leo Diaz ⋆ Jesus Ayala ⋆ Chris Ayala ⋆
Salinas based live-wires, Odder, bring the energy to every show. It’s no question that Adrian, Dylan, Leo, Jesus, and Chris have that special powerhouse energy to whip the entire crowd into a frenzy.
Their Battle of the Bands set featured large volumes of stage-diving and moshing that was an instant favorite of the night. Odder is a local favorite, playing bills with The Moondrops, Narrowhead, and Milly and creating a one-of-a-kind sound that causes a strange case of intense stage diving and passionate head-banging.
Odder is dipping their toes into the tour life, possibly to a city near you…
Arushi Chandra
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Miles Mancinelli
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Dean Meiman
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Lucas Tung
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Arushi Chandra ⋆ Miles Mancinelli ⋆ Dean Meiman ⋆ Lucas Tung ⋆
Universe’s origins in DIY are intertwined in their DNA. From classic UC Santa Cruz forest shows, to packed living room sets, Universe knows how to throw a galactic shindig.
Their beginnings at elaborately themed house shows, the SubRosa Space in Santa Cruz, and playing for a doting university crowd at Slug Life Production Board’s “Homesick Slug Jam,” have evolved into a continual gracing of sold-out stages at the Atrium of the legendary Catalyst Club.
Universe is a genre-breaking, genre-bending, non-conforming band that is consistently experimenting and evolving their genuine sound, drawing on inspirations of alt-pop and EDM.
Melody Caudill
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Joey Chavez
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Al "Mad Dog" Moreno
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Jackson Felton
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Melody Caudill ⋆ Joey Chavez ⋆ Al "Mad Dog" Moreno ⋆ Jackson Felton ⋆
Career Woman, proponent of cathartic musical journal entries, is a four piece indie band from the mind of Melody Caudill. After moving to Santa Cruz for college and a legendary off-the-cuff show in Berkeley at 924 Gilman, the Career Woman we know today was assembled.
“I’m kind of a quiet person. But being on stage is the only place where I don’t feel that at all. When I started performing, I unlocked this whole version of myself that I’ve never been able to do before. It’s so cathartic to write the songs.”
For Melody, writing is a pure reflection of her internal thoughts and experiences:
“It’s definitely emo, it is one of those things that mixes upbeat songs with sad lyrics. I would say for the writing, it’s very much confessional conversational vibes, a diary entry, whatever I’m thinking through in my consciousness. ”
The best and most rewarding part about playing shows to Career Woman is the strong community and familiar faces at every show, all singing along and losing themselves in the music. Don’t be Unfun, keep Career Woman on your radar and become a new familiar face.
*Note: Plumskin put on an amazing performance and opted out of being included in the article, check out their music here.
Huge thank you to all the bands who played and applied for the Santa Cruz Battle of the Bands and everyone behind the scenes.
Special thanks to our lovely photographers, Trevor Castillo, Mario, and Henry Ludlow
