Acid Pie

Not just your average pastry-based rock machine, local quartet Acid Pie will give a face-full to Tricky Falls Saturday, Aug. 8. They’re low-down ‘60s style rock’n’roll at modern day speeds – sing ‘em loud dance tunes, shiny and happy as a ’56 Chevy. They’ve been around since 2005 and are currently signed to El Paso label Electric Social. What’s Up and singer/guitar player Rolph Zehntner spoke via Facebook about the new single and creative block.
Q. Talk a bit about your new single.
Well, the song is called “Don’t Forget About Me.” It’s been around for a while and it’s part of our self-titled album. We are releasing it in a special edition 7” vinyl this August, backed with “Come and Get It (If You Want It).” It’s our first time doing vinyl, and we’ll celebrate by headlining a show at Tricky Falls. Another first for us.
Q. Seems like things are starting to pick up.
The project started back in 2005, but it wasn’t really until late 2011 when the band as it is right now really started - with the current lineup and sound. Lots changed between ‘05 and now. We’ve learned a lot. We put out our debut EP in 2012.
Q. The first EP must have been a major milestone.
Yeah, we recorded some demos way back when, but the EP is when everything really clicked together. And it was a quick recording, basically done live. We took more time on the full-length, though.
Q. Do you think that helped?
Well, it was different - with the EP we really didn’t know what we were doing, how it was going to come out and what we were going to do with it. It was 6 songs, which was basically our live set, and we just went in, did it and that was that. Because it was well received, we had a lot more expectations for the long play. We took almost a year to write the songs. We still recorded it mostly live, so that went by pretty quick. Now we’re working on new material and it’s very different. I think when you’re working on your first recordings, you’re basically throwing anything you’ve got to it and next time around you start thinking about where it’s all going, what the theme or the progression is.
Q. That long-term thinking doesn’t give you a weird creative block?
A bit – I suppose. It gets tougher when you start second-guessing yourself and you lose sight of what it’s all about. Fortunately, we have each other to fall back onto and get back on track.
Q.
Thoughts on the EP music scene?
To me it’s still very exciting – I think there’s a lot of talented musicians around here and have always been. But right now I think there’s also this drive to accomplish something beyond making music or making good music. There are bands who are putting material out there, who are touring and working their asses off. I think as the city grows and there’s a larger local audience, we’ll start seeing more venues, more festivals and more labels here.
Q. It really does feel like the scene is bursting, maybe stronger than it’s ever been.
It does. I don’t think there are more bands, or musicians are more talented. But I do think they are more aware of the business side of it, and are more willing to work on stuff that musicians don’t necessarily see themselves doing. Maybe it’s all the changes in the way things are done nationally and globally. Small indie labels are better suited for success now than the big companies. And artists get a lot more of everything, be it money, artistic control, etc.
Q. What do you mean by “stuff that musicians don’t necessarily see themselves doing?”
These days you have to be a social media expert, a web developer, a lawyer, an agent and many other things if you want to be successful. But if you’re willing to, it gives you a lot more control over your career. We’re lucky to have the support of our label, but we still do a lot of that stuff. - What's Up Weekly

In a quiet January afternoon and we find ourselves with Acid Pie in downtown El Paso. Band members were arriving, lighting up cigarettes, joking around and talking about past projects. When the chat started it turned quickly onto rock, a new scene, plans for this year, musical influences and what they have achieved throughout their years in the group.

Are you an Elpasoan band now?

R: Not really... we live here now, but we're still a band from Juarez because that's where it all started. What we do seek is to evolve from being a local band to reach a wider, regional or national audience.

A: We're a border band.

Will you be at the Decibel Awards?

A: Our album was just named garage album of the year, so we'll definitely be there one way or another.

It has been almost a decade since the project that gave birth to the band started. What moments stand out? How have you evolved as a band?

R: Although Acid Pie has existed for that long, everything before 2011 was really a gestation period for the band we are right now. From then on the most important things have been the EP, the nomination for the Indie-O Music Awards, playing venues big and small, doing radio, TV, the papers. Getting signed by Electric Social and doing the new album - a much bigger work than the EP.

E: The Minerpalooza in UTEP, with so many people. And the Art in the Park show.

J: The Battle of the Bands... there were so many great bands.

A: Our sound is also in constant change... we don't want to get stuck in a particular sub genre. At the very beginning the band was more into psychedelic folk and right now it's a lot more garage rock. But the new material might sound different as we move along.

What have been your biggest influences?

R: It's hard to do a list of all your influences because there's so many - but the records that have moved me the most would be Revolver by The Beatles, The Strokes' Is This It, Up the Bracket by The Libertines. Also Queen, the Stones, Ramones, Nirvana, The Flaming Lips, Oasis, Wilco, Arctic Monkeys and the White Stripes. There's also stuff you just come across randomly. Lately I've been listening to a lot of King Tuff, St. Vincent and oldies from the 50's.

A: My biggest influence guitarwise is 70's rock like Jimmy Page or The Stooges. Another one is Foo Fighters. I was very into Up the Bracket, but now I'm listening to a lot more St. Vincent and Jack White.

E: I grew up very much influenced by the 60's; The Beatles, Herman's Hermitts... Also Radiohead, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Oasis...

J: I'm more into 90's punk rock from California... Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket by Blink 182; Californication by the RHCP and Dragging the Lake by Atticus.

What are your plans for the next few months?

R: We definitely want to play Juarez again, as well as other cities such as Austin.

A: We also want to go south of the border to places like Chihuahua, Mexico City, Guadalajara.

Last year you put out the LP "Acid Pie". Is this a sabbatical year?

R: We're working on new music; the songs on the LP we started writing almost immediately after the EP came out and it took us just over a year to put it out. We're writing again... we have a lot of new material Adrian and I, we hope to begin arranging soon to go into the studio some time this summer. Doing a second LP is a very different experience... for one, it no longer defines you as much, as it's no longer a first impression. On the other hand you start to wonder what direction you want to take as a songwriter. Most bands don't get that chance, to consider these things. - Los Herrajeros

Into the Darkness

Acid Pie is a group originating from Juarez, Chihuahua. The group is formed by Rolph Zehntner and Adrian Romero on guitars and vocals, Edgar Santiesteban on bass and Jesus Avila on drums. In 2012 they released their debut EP titled It Make Me Feel Like... Wooh!. This year the band has released their first full length album called Acid Pie with 14 tracks, including the single "Into the Darkness". - Resonancia Magazine

We all remember Acid Pie from their EP "It Make Me Feel Like... Wooh!", nominated to the 2013 Indie-O Music Awards. This time, the quartet from Juarez bring us their self titled first full length.

Tracks such as "Into the Darkness", "Lovely" and "Rainy Days" make this a very interesting new record, which you can hear below. - Los IMAS Blog

Well, Acid Pie, the rock & roll band from Juarez who have just announced the name of their first LP album (their debut EP, last year's"It Make Me Feel Like... Wooh!" was nominated for an Indie-O Music Award for best album punk/garage). According to the quartet the title of their latest work will be"Who Are These Punks?", fitting in with the introductory nature of the album: "More than the EP, we believe this record will introduce us to am even bigger audience" said Adrian Romero, Acid Pie's guitar player. "The name has many different angles for us... Even the sound of it: if you say it really fast it sounds like 'Juarez Punks'" added Rolph Zehntner, who pays guitar and sings alongside Romero.

Release of the album is scheduled for the first months of 2014, after which tour dates will be announced, covering major cities in the Mexico/US border region. For now, they are working under producer Hector "Chambers" Rodriguez and promised us we will soon hear "Who Are These Punks?". - Bravo Beat Magazine

This month, Bravo Beat Magazine suggests you listen the song "Don't Forget About Me" by Acid Pie: 4 minutes of rock & roll that fly by as you dance or sing along the catchy "don't forget about" chorus. This song closes their debut EP and was part of the annual compilation of the 2013 Indie-O Music Awards, to which they were nominated for best punk/garage album. - Bravo Beat Magazine

(Excerpt)

It was 10:35 when Dooba Dooba paused their vinyl set and Acid Pie took the stage. These guys have great momentum: new record, experience and tenure in the local scene, national nomination for the IMAS, upcoming music video, great songs, excellent musicians, etc. They did a great job, confident, with a great performance and interacting with the audience that had been up to that moment drinking at the tables o the bar. - Bravo Beat Magazine

The band Acid Pie will film the music video for their song 'Lola, Lola' and are inviting all of their followers to participate as extras during filming. If you would like to be a part of the video, be sure to drop by the Sótano at 9PM.

Back in January, the band presented their first EP entitled 'It Make Me Feel Like... Wooh!' with six original songs: 'Take Me Out', 'Lola, Lola', 'Chevrolet', 'Into the morning', 'Come and Get It (If you want It)', and 'Don't Forget About Me'.

The music video will be directed by Erick Arenas and tomorrow will be the last day of filming. “We have been working at the Central Park Library and the Vanilla Heaven Café. On Friday we will film the last scenes at the Sótano."

Arenas is part of the Checkwantu project, a platform created for independent musicians where they are given the opportunity to appear in the sessions hosted in www.checkwantu.tv.

The director mentioned that Acid Pie will give a show to those who participate at the end of filming, along with special guest Dead Pixel.

Acid Pie was recently nominated to the Indie-O Music Awards, or IMAS, awards that recognize the greatest achievements in Mexico's independent music scene.

The band is made up of Rolph Zehntner (vocals, guitar), Adrián Romero (vocals, guitar), Edgar Santiesteban (bass), and Jesús Rivera (drums). Their EP ‘It Make Me Feel Like... Wooh!’ was recorded at RockStar Studios in Juarez and mastered at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, TX. - El Diario de Juárez

Acid Pie is a band that started in 2005 in Juarez. After experimenting with various sounds like folk and psychedelic music, Acid Pie returns to rock & roll roots with a fresh and direct sound. The quartet brings forth a mix of classic and modern influences, between sixties' garage, "British invasion" and indie/garage of the new millennium.

Genre: Rock N’ Roll/Garage
Place: Juarez, Mexico
Band members:
Rolph Zehntner – Vocals, guitar
Adrián Romero – Vocals, guitar
Edgar Santiesteban – Bass
Jesús Rivera – Drums - Plstc.net

Juarez continues to make an impact in national rock...

This time the band Acid Pie has been nominated for the Indie-O Music Awards (IMAS) in the 'Best Punk/Garage Album' category, for their EP ‘It Make Me Feel Like…Wooh!’.

The Indie-O Music Awards, or IMAS, are given to outstanding achievements in the independent music industry in Mexico.

“It was unexpected, definitely a surprise”, said Rolph Zehntner, singer and guitar player with Acid Pie.

This past January, the group presented their first Extended Play with six original songs: ‘Take me Out’, ‘Lola, Lola’, ‘Chevrolet’, ‘Into the Morning’, ‘Come and Get It (If you Want It)’ and ‘Don’t Forget About Me’.

Acid Pie was nominated thanks to their garage sound filled with vocal harmonies and distorted guitars, influenced by the likes of The Kinks, The Hollies, The Rolling Stones y The Beatles.

Alongside Rolph Zehntner are Adrián Romero (vocals, guitar), Edgar Santiesteban (bass) y Jesús Rivera (drums).

The band will attend the awarding ceremony scheduled for June 5th in Mexico City.

“This nomination has brought a lot of exposure, people will listen to us in other parts of the country. It also says that there is value in our music, especially for a self-produced, self-financed, DIY band". - El Diario de Juárez

Juarez continues to make an impact in national rock...

This time the band Acid Pie has been nominated for the Indie-O Music Awards (IMAS) in the 'Best Punk/Garage Album' category, for their EP ‘It Make Me Feel Like…Wooh!’.

The Indie-O Music Awards, or IMAS, are given to outstanding achievements in the independent music industry in Mexico.

“It was unexpected, definitely a surprise”, said Rolph Zehntner, singer and guitar player with Acid Pie.

This past January, the group presented their first Extended Play with six original songs: ‘Take me Out’, ‘Lola, Lola’, ‘Chevrolet’, ‘Into the Morning’, ‘Come and Get It (If you Want It)’ and ‘Don’t Forget About Me’.

Acid Pie was nominated thanks to their garage sound filled with vocal harmonies and distorted guitars, influenced by the likes of The Kinks, The Hollies, The Rolling Stones y The Beatles.

Alongside Rolph Zehntner are Adrián Romero (vocals, guitar), Edgar Santiesteban (bass) y Jesús Rivera (drums).

The band will attend the awarding ceremony scheduled for June 5th in Mexico City.

“This nomination has brought a lot of exposure, people will listen to us in other parts of the country. It also says that there is value in our music, especially for a self-produced, self-financed, DIY band". - El Diario de Juárez

By now you know what IMAS are and that they are closer every day. Winning amongst so many artists is tough and the winners aren't always the best... this is why us at Bizarro.fm have taken up the task of selecting 5 of the nominees that you must follow, listen and get to know more about, whether they win or not:

Bufi...

Apolo...

Ocean's Acoustic...

Matilda Manzana...

Acid Pie:

Acid Pie is a band that started in 2005 in Juarez. In their beginnings they experimented with various styles such as folk and psychedelic, until they developed their straight-rock sound mixing classic and modern influences, between sixties garage, britpop and indie.

Genre: Rock / Garage
Hometown: Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua
Members:
Rolph Zehntner (vocals, guitar)
Adrián Romero (vocals, guitar)
Edgar Santiesteban (bass)
Jesús Rivera (drums)

Nomination: Best Punk / Garage Album - Bizarro.fm

In English Their Debut Album

Juarez band Acid Pie presents their first EP (extended play) at Fred's Bar this January 12th, doors opening at 9:00PM.

With a garage sound filled with vocal harmonies and distorted guitars, Acid Pie offers followers their first recording including six songs in English.

The disc is titled ‘It Make Me Feel like...Wooh!’ and includes six original songs: ‘Take me Out’, ‘Lola, Lola’, ‘Chevrolet’, ‘Into the Morning’, ‘Come and Get It (If You Want it)’ and ‘Don’t Forget About Me’.

Rolph Zehntner and Adrián Romero (guitar/vocals), Edgar Santiesteban (bass) and Jesús Rivera (drums) recorded this new material at RockStar Studios in Juarez; mastering took place at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas.

(Translated from the original in Spanish) - El Diario de Juárez

In English Their Debut Album

Juarez band Acid Pie presents their first EP (extended play) at Fred's Bar this January 12th, doors opening at 9:00PM.

With a garage sound filled with vocal harmonies and distorted guitars, Acid Pie offers followers their first recording including six songs in English.

The disc is titled ‘It Make Me Feel like...Wooh!’ and includes six original songs: ‘Take me Out’, ‘Lola, Lola’, ‘Chevrolet’, ‘Into the Morning’, ‘Come and Get It (If You Want it)’ and ‘Don’t Forget About Me’.

Rolph Zehntner and Adrián Romero (guitar/vocals), Edgar Santiesteban (bass) and Jesús Rivera (drums) recorded this new material at RockStar Studios in Juarez; mastering took place at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas.

(Translated from the original in Spanish) - El Diario de Juárez

They Bring Their Acid Sound

Acid Pie is a band from this side of the border that has earned a place in the taste of the indie scene thanks to their raw sound, based on indie garage and rock from the 60s. Formed by Rolph Zehntner and Adrian Romero (guitars and vocals), Edgar Santiesteban (bass) and Jesus Rivera (drums), the quartet is ready to play tomorrow at La Fragua.

Rolph explains that Acid Pie started seven years ago and had a very different sound than today.

‘We started very differently, with classic 60s rock, folk, acoustic and psychedelic influences’.

Said influences are still present in their sound, which they have showcased in El Paso and several local events. Apart from their particular style of rock, Acid Pie has been noted by the ingenious way they distribute their music with pin buttons they design themselves and sell at their concerts.

‘Every pin we sell in 15 pesos includes a code to download a song at acidpie.com’.

The group has made several recordings, took a one year break between 2009 and 2010; their most recent material is an Extended Play (EP) with six tracks titled ‘It Make Me Feel Like… Wooh!’.

‘We felt the title conveyed the excitement we had of being back… it sounds youthful and we liked it.’

They have recently played at Arte en el Parque’s Beatlemania fest, a local art exhibit at the University of Texas at El Paso where they were voted favorite band, as well as the Minerpalooza festival last August.

Their future plans include a tour next year that will take them to Chihuahua City, Monterrey, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Their material is available in iTunes, Amazon and other digital distributors, as well as their live presentations.

(Translated from original in Spanish) - El Diario de Juárez

It seems El Paso is always in need of a band that has an edge and isn’t afraid to rock out hard with hot licks and songs about partying and sex. That band is Acid Pie.

“We love the intensity in rock & roll, the raw energy… it’s our way of connecting with the audience and delivering excitement,” said Adrian Romero, guitar and vocals for Acid Pie.

Acid Pie is composed of Romero, Rolph Zehntner (guitar and vocals), Edgar Santiesteban (bass guitar) and Jesús Rivera (drums). The group recently performed at UTEP’s Minerpalooza along with usual gigs in bars and clubs.

“It’s been a great year, we’ve had more gigs than ever before and we also have a record in the works,” Zehntner said.

The beginnings of Acid Pie go all the way back to 2005 when Zehntner was looking to record some folk songs he had written. He soon found bassist Santiesteban and Romero, who initially played drums. Although the band’s moniker sounds like slang from the 70’s, it actually derives from an old song they used to have called, “Acid Pie at Midnight.” Zehntner said it was a one of the names they had come up with that wasn’t taken already.

“There are many bands that share their name, and we didn’t want that – nowadays it doesn’t matter if you’re in different cities or half the world away when people are going to look for you in social networks that are worldwide,” Zehntner said.

The upstart group did some shows and made some recordings but lost momentum when their first lead guitarist left the band in 2009. They started playing in earnest again in 2011 when drummer Rivera joined.

All four band members were born and raised in El Paso’s sister city Juarez. The city’s much publicized problem with violence has obviously not been a deterrent for the group and they say people from El Paso are always very enthusiastic when they learn they are from Juarez.

“I think the fact that we live in the middle of this mix of cultures right at the border has given us a unique perspective and our exposure to musical influences from both countries has enriched our sound,” Rivera said.

Zehntner said that performing in two countries does have its advantages. They get to see which songs work with their audience on both sides of the border and they don’t need to go through embarrassing airport security ordeals.

“We can play a show today in one country and in another the next day without getting on a plane,” Zehntner said. “We also get to play with bands from both cities, and we always try to learn from them. In general it’s a very favorable environment for a musician.”

While their name suggests psychedelic music, which is a part of their sound, their tunes also contain garage and punk qualities with a dash of progressive rock sounds. You could say they’re a trippy sounding rock band with a punch but Zehntner says their main goal is to make honest sounding music.

“We want our record to sound just like the noise four guys can do,” Zehntner said. “All of our latest material was recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs. It’s just two guitars, bass, drums and our voices and maybe some tambourine and handclaps.”

Acid Pie is passionate about their music and bringing it to an audience that craves the excitement of true rock and roll. They also strive to please the ears and eyes of those that come to watch them play, so make sure to keep this band on your local show radar.

“It’s just a part of what we are, music is a big part of our lives and rock & roll is the language that fits us best,” Zehntner said. “We hope everybody has a great time when they see us and get whatever they’re looking for in a show. And if they like what we do, we hope they spread the word and keep coming back.” - EP Culture Beat

Celebrating 22 years since its initiation, Minerpalooza has become the event of the year many look forward to. Being nominated once more for, “Best You Can’t Miss it Annual Event” by What’s Up readers, this family oriented event welcomes students to the new academic year, and serves as the first pep-rally, providing a series of fun activities for everyone to enjoy.

“We are hoping that with the implementations made to this year’s Minerpalooza, the attendance matches or even surpasses last year’s attendance of about 30,000 people,” said Chris Lechuga, public affairs specialist.

Festivities continued with featured musical guests such as Acid Pie, Sound on Sound, Emily Davis & the Altar Boys, Contagious Headache, Sha’vonee & The Vibe, Sublevels and a DJ Spinoff featuring DJ Smooth & DJ Marke-E Mix. - The Prospector (UTEP)

As UTEP prepares to celebrate its 100th year anniversary, the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts is also getting ready to celebrate its 10 years in 2014, marking a decade of deep appreciation of visual and contemporary art.

Featured local bands included Electric Social, The D.A., Battallones Femeninos and Birth Defects, among others. The winning poll bands scheduled to perform on Aug. 29 will be Calista, Bumpstreet Fonanza and favorite band expressed by voters, Acid Pie. - The Prospector (UTEP)