The High Curves will begin their North American tour at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on Friday, June 21. (Photo courtesy of the High Curves)
For The High Curves, the rugged DIY music scene of suburban Southern California wasn't just a launching pad, it was a proving ground for self-discovery and artistic growth.
“We started playing in backyards, garages, little places in the suburbs. The DIY community nurtured us; it's where we began and where pretty much everything was shaped,” says lead singer and founding member Eduardo Moreno, sipping a large glass of iced tea at a coffee shop about 15 minutes away from their warehouse practice location in Upland, California.
“We've watched each other grow in real time and a lot has changed. But fundamentally we've always remained the same when it comes to why we love what we do and giving back to this community.”
Comprised of Moreno, Aaron Kolbe, Alberto Alvarenga, Kenny Huerta and new member Taylor Hecox, The High Curves began playing impromptu backyard gigs on weekday nights in 2013. Gradually, they built a reputation as one of the Inland Empire's most exciting and raucous bands.
Their style is characterized by gritty guitar riffs, punchy rhythms, and a lo-fi aesthetic reminiscent of the earlier days of punk rock. They draw subtle influences from artists like The Clash to more contemporary acts like Fiddler and Waves, but retain an originality that can only be attributed to the Latin indie rock space that began in the Inland Empire cities of Pomona and Chino.
But it wasn't without its challenges. Guitarist Alvarenga recalls that in the early 2010s, he and bassist Huerta would play backyard shows in Moreno Valley to sold-out crowds. At the time, playing next to a suburban swimming pool was akin to playing a rough-and-tumble punk watering hole, but the scene had an unspoken rule: If you didn't play soft punk, you weren't considered cool. Bands that didn't conform to the scene were often locked into the worst set times, sometimes making as little as $5 for a 2 a.m. slot, knowing the show might be cancelled before it even started.
“It was a time when if you didn't fit the mold, you weren't included in the cool crowd in music, and I think that really affected our lives growing up,” Alvarenga says. “We really wanted it, so at some point we were like, 'OK, let's do it our way,' and that's exactly what we did. We had to create our own scene, our own way. Meeting the guys from The High Curves was like a breath of fresh air. We never knew we'd be creating a new world in a DIY space. It was just natural for us to do something different.”
To this day, the skate garage punk quintet remains true to their roots and adheres to the rules they created. They've made their mark on nearly every notable alternative rock festival in Southern California, from Tropicalia to Nothing Fest and even a live session with Jam in the Van. But despite their success, they were looking for something more, something completely their own: Happy Daps Fest.
“It was really hard to get into Los Angeles, even though we only lived 40 minutes away,” Moreno says. “For a long time we tried to get small shows in certain venues in LA, but we never could. Honestly, no one was going to help us. So we started thinking, 'Okay, let's just do it ourselves.' So we had to create our own shows and festivals.”
In 2023, The High Curves launched Happy Daps Fest to celebrate their 10th anniversary, marking an important milestone for them as they seek to create something unique for the Inland Empire DIY community. Faced with uncertainty about a venue, the band insisted they needed a place that felt like home. Luckily, the Observatory in Santa Ana opened its doors for a one-day festival. Although a limited budget meant they couldn't book all of the artists they wanted, the event was a huge success, nearly selling out. The lineup was purposefully crafted to showcase emerging talent in the local scene, with all of the bands featured being Latinx, celebrating the rich diversity and cultural heritage of the region.
Happy Daps Fest made a spectacular and sold-out return to The Observatory on April 6th. This year, The High Curbs made it a priority to make the festival financially accessible to younger audiences, allowing those who previously couldn't afford a show or who just needed a break from their everyday lives to attend.
The festival also unveiled several new songs, including “Couldn't Hold Back a Smile,” “Breathe In,” and their latest Spanish-language single, “Besos,” from their latest album, “THC,” which was released on May 24. Moreno says the 10-track album marks a departure from their previous work, offering a more cohesive sound rather than a collection of garage-born tracks. This time around, they collaborated with producer Zach Tuck, known for working with notable punk and garage rock bands such as Movements and Touché Amoré, to bring a sophisticated edge to their style.
“We see this album as us coming of age,” Moreno says. “It's still us, but we've completely grown up musically and as guys, and you can hear that from start to finish. We're in our late 20s now, and we've learned so much from our time being on the scene, touring, performing, and experiencing some really good and bad things, and now this record is a reflection of that.”
With growth comes expansion, and this year is proof of that as The High Curves embark on a North American tour to promote “THC.” The 18-date tour includes a highly anticipated show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on June 21st, marking the band's ultimate homecoming.
The Troubadour show symbolizes the band's grit and tenacity. Not only did they finally have a venue in Los Angeles, but it also gave them a chance to reconnect with the fans who supported them when they were playing backyard shows in Chino Hills. They turned a dusty backyard into a historic venue, but these humble beginnings are an important part of their legacy. They want to inspire young Southern California bands and show them that anything is possible if you make it your own.
“At the end of the day, we do a lot of this for the younger generation,” Moreno says. “If I could go back and tell myself not to do this or that, I would, but I can't. That's life. So for me now, it's important to share wisdom with young people and emerging artists. Some of them have been following us for years and are always asking us for advice. We'll never stop, and that's what we have to do.”
High Curves: Troubadour Los Angeles
when: Friday, June 21st, 8pm
where: Troubadour, 9081 N Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood
Tickets and information: Tickets are available for purchase starting at $20 at seetickets.com.