Recently, CMG Promotions Director Madeline Turner (‘23) had the opportunity to chat with three members of the indie psych-rock sensation Inner Wave. The group was excited to discuss their upcoming album, releasing September 30th. “We were walking, and then all the sudden we were running!” explains guitarist Elijah Trujillo.
September 30th is an important date for the innovative group. The 2021 date marks not only their latest album release, but also the 15 year anniversary of the band’s inception. In the years since the group began posting on Bandcamp in 2010, they have gained widespread recognition, from the release of multiple albums to extensive tours.
Much has changed since members of the group began jamming together in school, most recently with the addition of Jose Cruz (the band’s former live sound engineer) as keyboardist. Pablo Sotelo (vocals) reveals how the band “discovered some magic that we tapped into” since September 30th of 2020, when Cruz officially joined the crew.
Going forward, the group has made some changes. After announcing that they would be headlining their own Apoptosis tour beginning in January 2022, they revealed an ongoing collaboration with Chicago-based organization Our Music My Body.
The collaborative campaign, which seeks to raise awareness about sexual harassment in the music scene, will have a table at every show on the upcoming tour for attendees to use as a resource. “It only makes sense to make concerts a more fun and inviting space” explains Trujillo.” I think it’s cool to be proactive instead of reactionary” adds Sotelo.
The band has always been innovative in their genre-blending sound. Jean Pierre Narvaez (bass), elaborates on how the group didn’t have a scene they belonged to in the beginning of their career. “I feel like a scene is just an outer perspective of a group of people” he discusses, adding “Making friends and knowing that there’s this sort of musical community around you is super important”.