Biography

While writing this record, I was inspired by several stories from both my family's history and strange events that happened in the 1940's and 50's. Stories usually involving death, but also what happens after death, and how the living continue on. The music that would accompany these stories came from new geography I wanted to explore; what if the reverb-soaked sounds of surf rock from California was to meet up with Fender twang of country in Texas with some Latin percussion from South of the border. I wanted to write what would be in my mind a very Texas sounding record. In Elva I ask, "What happened to my Uncle John?" John Vega was my father's oldest brother who drowned in Lake Medina, west of San Antonio. This tragic event naturally caused a strain on my grandmother Elva Vega, and lead to my father moving to Monterrey, Mexico, where he would eventually meet my mother. Events are never isolated; they are ups or downs on a continuous wave. The question, "where do they go when they're not gone" acknowledges that wave. This album wouldn't be possible with out our families, Brooke, Brett, Grant, Taylor Thomas, Taylor Hughes, Juan Lopez, Harmon Li, Charlie Krampsky, Jon Niess, Justin Taylor, Kevin Butler, and a lot of other people.