Artist Spotlight with Local Indie Pop Band, Caxton

I absolutely cannot wait to hear Caxton play at Local 622 this Thursday, February 12th at Birba!!  They are an alternative indie pop band based out of Palm Desert who have been gaining a solid following for quite some time!  Please do yourself a favor and check them out on itunes (Something Human and Do I Know You? are two of my faves!)  They have played countless venues across Southern California including The Viper Room, House of Blues, Glasshouse and the Roxy, just to name a few!  If you aren't familiar with our Local 622 live music showcase it is every Thursday night at Birba from 7-930 and it is not to be missed!  So come join us for some cocktails, pizza and great music!  Learn more about Caxton below!

photo by Jon Perlo

Your Name - Christina Reyes
Band Name - Caxton
Band Member Names - Adam Surdin (guitar), Brett McLaughlin (bass/vox), Brian Pelletier (drums), Christina Reyes (vox/keys)

How did you get started? 
Adam, Brett, and Brian started playing music together in the desert during middle school and continued through college. In 2005, Adam and I met while studying music in Los Angeles. By 2008, Adam wanted to move back out to the Coachella Valley to reunite with Brett and Brian. He asked if I would be willing to do the same and the rest is history.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your music?
That's a tough one since it's constantly changing. Musically, I'd say we're mostly inspired by the artists we grew up listening to (classic rock, punk, jazz, etc). Lyrically, we draw from stories in pop culture, social issues, and personal experience. We share a lot of the same influences but we also have such diverse tastes and interests that I think explain our eclectic sound.

Do you have any loves other than music?
Music is definitely in the foreground for us but we have some other hobbies, for sure. I'm big on reading books and traveling as often as possible. Brian is really into camping and fishing, he digs being outdoors. Adam has a keen eye for art. Whether he's at a gallery/museum or framing it himself, he definitely knows what's good. Brett was a film major in college and super artistically gifted. In fact, he's responsible for most of our flyer and posters. You can catch him splicing up vintage footage and even drawing full blown cartoons for our music videos. As a group, we're all also really into trying new/local beers, watching weird shows on Netflix, and being probably too into our pets. 

What do you think about when you're performing?
I can't speak for everyone, but for the most part, I think we're all just in the moment. We feed off the energy in the crowd so when they're hyped, so are we. After almost 7 years together, I'm still so humbled by the love and encouragement we have out here. Sometimes when I look out and see people dancing and singing along, I'm overwhelmed by the constant amount of support. Plus, it never gets old playing with your best friends. We honestly just have a blast every time we get together. 

What else can we expect from you in the future?
We're currently in the midst of writing our new album. We've released a few singles and EPs in the past year so now we're working on another full-length record. Most exciting, however, is our race to play Tachevah this year. We made the finals again and are hoping to go all the way this time. Our showcase is Wednesday February 25 at The Hood in Palm Desert and would love to see everyone there for support. 

What’s the best advice you've ever been given?
We've been given a ton of great advice over the years. I think what stands out most often for us though is to never give up and always remember how great those small victories feel. This isn't an easy industry by any means and that isn't lost on us. We are so grateful for all the amazing opportunities we've had so far and we use all the support we receive to fuel our drive even further. 

Who are you currently listening to?
It's constantly changing but for me, it's The Pixies, Devo, and The Smiths. Other artists we're hip on right now are Dr. Dog, Tame Impala, Jack White, and The Strokes. 

What is your secret food craving?
Nothing too secret. I'm a total sushi lady and we're always up for a good za (pizza that is for us less- hip folk, yes I asked just incase maybe it was some super awesome new food I had been missing out on!)

Do you have any hidden talents?
90s trivia. Nobody can touch us on that.

Is there anything else you’d want us or readers to know?!  Tachevah! That's really where our immediate focus is right now since our chance to play is coming up in just a couple weeks. Beyond that, we have acoustic shows at Wolfgang Puck's (Feb 11), Birba (Feb 12), Schmidy's (Mar 6), and Plan B (Mar 12). We're stoked on writing this new record and can't wait for everyone to hear it. Thanks to everyone for the awesome support over the years, we seriously appreciate it.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?!
instagram - @caxtonmusic
official caxton facebook
  itunes / reverb nation