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It’s a balmy Tuesday evening and Monica Morones, vocalist for the desert’s own five-piece Trucha is perched behind a keyboard.
Drummer Oscar Galvan pounds out a cadence as guitar riffs and bass melodies come alive. Morones’ crooning begins and it comes as a shock such a big voice is radiating from the tiny, tattooed singer.
Trucha, who describe their sound as a reggae indie rock fusion have come a long way from their living room jam band days. After only seven months of making melodies together, the musical five-some boasts a solid demo, a unique Wailers meets Fiona Apple-esque sound with just the right amount of attitude. They’re not afraid to offend and are akin to “in your face” lyrics.
“I cuss a lot and just say what I want. We improv and whatever we like will become a song,” Morones explains. “I’m just trying to escape myself.”
Guitarist Enrique Rodriguez agrees, calling music “the perfect outlet.” With lyrics like ‘I’m going to pistol whip you/ hit you with your own judgment,’ he seems to be dead on.
Members of Trucha, which means ‘watch out’ in gangster slang, list Portishead, Bob Marley, Sublime, 2 Pac and Motown among their favorite acts and credit their inspiration to family, raw, uninhibited emotion and each other.
Trust us, these desert rats are going places.
