On the Rise
Palomino Blond

Over the past six years, the Miami-based rock trio have undergone multiple line-up changes and experimented with their songwriting and instrumentation, but one thing that has remained constant; their dedication to finding a sound that feels authentic to their tastes and capabilities.

Together, founding member, guitarist and vocalist Carli Acosta, drummer Emma Arevalo - who is also Acosta’s cousin - and guitarist and bassist Peter Allen (he/him) create swirling, dynamic guitar cacophonies that are galvanised by their love of the ‘90s alternative scene. Their debut album, ontheinside (2021) was a riveting introduction to these skills, but on their second LP, You Feel It Too, due out this week, Acosta and Arevalo believe they have captured the true essence of Palomino Blond’s sound.

As children of Latin hip-hop musicians and visual artists, the cousins' lives have been led and entwined by art and music since childhood, as they were surrounded by a myriad of creative influences. Acosta – who uses they/them pronouns – recalls that before they even learned how to play their respective instruments, the pair loved experimenting with music. “We were always writing little vocal melodies and remixing songs that we loved,” Acosta shares, “and with the help of Emma’s dad, we took a sample from Britney Spears’ song “Boys” and we wrote our own lyrics to go on top of it - and that will never see the light of day.”

These early experiments culminated in the duo forming their first band together alongside their other siblings, when Arevalo was just 12 years old. Under the moniker Long Shore Drift, the cousins made a dent on their local music scene with their surf-rock inspired sound, playing in people’s backyards, at house parties and in local bars and venues, where their youth was often a shock to promoters. Whilst they enjoyed this time together, Arevalo ultimately began playing drums with another band and Acosta went on to form what would be the first lineup for Palomino Blond. As a four piece, the group released their demos EP in 2018, and continued to play extensively on the Miami live circuit.

“There’s this theory called The Burnt Toast Theory, that when something bad happens, it’s actually setting you up for something much better later on,” Acosta shares when detailing how Arevalo officially joined Palomino Blond a few years later. When the band’s original drummer was unable to make a show, Acosta asked their cousin to fill in temporarily, a small decision that would ultimately have a big impact on the lineup. “People have told us how lucky we are to have Emma,” shares Acosta, “I’ve known since I started seeing her drum just how special of a drummer she really is.”

Arevalo’s formidable skills would later be complimented by the tech expertise of friend and multi-instrumentalist Peter Allen, who was an established musician and audio engineer in the Miami hardcore punk scene before he was officially welcomed into the Palomino Blond fold. Acosta had previously had bad experiences with sound engineers altering their amp settings and interfering at shows, but Allen’s extensive knowledge and lack of attitude meant they were able to work harmoniously together to produce the best sound they could. “In the back of our heads, we were thinking ‘we need to get him permanently in the band’,” Acosta schemes.

Strengthened by these skills and their blossoming friendship, the bandmates went on to record Palomino Blond’s debut album, ontheinside. Working at Sound Artillery Studios alongside audio engineer Jonathan Nuñez and guitarist and vocalist Kyle Fink (who has since left the band), they created seven tracks that smoulder with reverb heavy riffs and crashing percussion, peppered by dreamy synths and yearning vocals. Due to the intricacies of the production and the complexities of some of Fink’s guitar riffs and Arevalo’s drum overdubs, the cousins agree that ontheinside is more of a “studio album”, with the title track never making it into a Palomino Blond live setlist.

“We could have programmed a sample pad, but we were kind of broke and we couldn’t invest in stuff like that at the time - so let's just keep writing music that we can actually play?” jokes Acosta. “I think that it has a little bit of ‘debut-album-itis’ where there’s stuff going on that we probably won’t revisit in our current sound, but it’s still such an expansive palette of songs that I really love.”

Arevalo – who uses she/they pronouns – is especially fond of what the band achieved on “Magnolia”. “I remember so vividly coming to practice when Peter and I had just joined [the band]," she explains. "I started playing the “Magnolia” drum groove, Peter started writing that riff and Carli started playing and the song kind of just flew out. I feel like that was one of our very first true collaborative experiences in that iteration. It was really fun.”

Since then, the trio have spent a further three years co-writing and experimenting with a heavier sound, which has culminated in their second LP, You Feel It Too. Co-produced by the band and Ryan Haft (Jacuzzi Boys, Wrong, Torche), the trio dismantled their egos and dysfunctional relationships through Acosta’s lyrics and fully embraced their core musical influences: Japanese experimental noise merchants Boris, ‘90s guitar icons The Smashing Pumpkins and LA alt-rockers Failure.

“There’s this idea that I heard about the other day,” Acosta extrapolates, “where you start writing music, because you have this taste and you think it’s good. I think we had to just keep writing, and writing and writing to get to this second album and really show what it is that we’re into, what we’re trying to channel.”

Along with these heavier, eclectic guitar sounds, there’s also an emphasis on electronics on You Feel It Too, which is truly reflective of the cousin’s personal tastes. This translates into many of the tracks on Palomino Blond’s new album, but Arevalo is particularly proud of the way she incorporated drum samples from “Our Lips Are Sealed” by The Go-Gos into their track “It Kills Me”. She takes full writing credit for this song, and it's one of the strongest on the record.

For Acosta, the impact of watching New York electronic duo Machine Girl live made them completely change the track “Machine”. “I got super stoked after that show, because all of Machine Girl’s stuff is super fast and high energy,” the guitarist explains. “I went home and sped up my demo and added some really thrash-y electronic drums and did a fast version”. “Machine” may not sound anything like an typical electronic track in its final iteration on the album, but the diverse power of electronic music, especially when experienced live, is clearly such a potent inspiration for both Acosta and Arevalo.

It’s also the pure, immersive nature of live music - of playing it themselves and watching others play - that resonates so strongly with the cousins. Both musicians share that they often can’t recall what they did on stage unless someone shows them video footage of their set afterwards. The power of their connection to their instruments, to each other, and to their audience has a beautiful amnesic quality that allows them to exist purely in the moment. It offers them total escapism. “To experience the feel that a [live] band has, is so unique” offers Arevalo, when trying to distil the true essence of what it is that she loves about live music. “I’m in another band called Graves and we toured with a band from Miami called DIME. Hearing them play their set every night…you could feel the chemistry. There’s a lot to take in and it’s always so enriching. I feel like it’s a really awesome cycle of ‘this band is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen, let me push myself to be better at what I do.”

For Acosta, it’s the communal power of live music and the way it can alleviate feelings of anxiety or stress that motivates them to keep playing and attending shows. “I really like how it can bring you out of your own shell,” they muse. “You get to just turn off your brain, appreciate the music and get rid of any negative feelings that were holding you back from going out that night. You feel so happy that you went, because you got to hear the music and you got to see your friends. It can just melt away once the song starts.

"There’s all sorts of little quirks that bands do live that you won’t hear on an album. I genuinely love it so much.”