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Before I saw them open for Triathalon I had never heard of them. After seeing them perform I became a huge fan! I've never become enamored with a band so fast. It was honestly the best concert I've ever been to (and I've been to quite a few), because the vibe was so amazing, the crowd was super into it, and every song they played was so catchy and hard-hitting. I couldn't believe I was into the opener more than the band I actually came to see. After listening to their album, I think they're even better live. I also appreciated that they stuck around after the show to sell merch and talk to fans. I'll definitely be at the next show near me. I highly recommend checking them out to anyone who loves indie pop and is looking to just let loose and have fun at a show.

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Great music, I’ve loved it for years and finally got to see them 3/21/18 the show and crowd was so nice and amazing. Highly recommend seeing them live! I got to mosh and crowd surf and some of the band members even joined in. The guys themselves are super sweet and take the time to talk to everyone after the concert at the venue and take lots of pictures. Perfect night, can’t wait for them to come back!

Amazing performance! The atmosphere was perfect. Would love to see them again. Honestly, I was concerned at first how their music would translate to a live show but no issues there. If you like Inner Wave you should check them out live.

The best show of June in Mexico City!

Pure energy on stage. They are doing excelent and real music. I absolutely recommend to listen to them, pure love.

The crowd was amazing, dancing a singing the full show.

i was high asf at the show, that shit was an amazing experience. The whole crowd was vibing out to the music and everyone was having a great time. 10/10 i would go again.

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Inner Wave tour dates and tickets 2024-2025 near you

Want to see Inner Wave in concert? Find information on all of Inner Wave’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025.

Inner Wave is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 1 concert across 1 country in 2024-2025. View all concerts.

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• Los Angeles (LA), CA, US

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• Los Angeles (LA) (57)
• SF Bay Area (12)
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Inner Wave Tour Dates 2024

• Sep 22, 2024 - Sep 22, 2024

Indie group Inner Wave will be launching an early 2023 tour across America promoting their most recent album 'Apoptosis' . Their Jukebox Tour kicks off February 16th in San Diego and continues into March making notable stops in Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Joining the tour in support will be special guests Jordana and Junior Mesa . The new outing follows up 2022's Apoptosis Tour which was joined by Divino Niño and Huron John .

Inner Wave self-released their fourth studio album 'Apoptosis' on September 30th, 2021. Their previous 2017 album 'Underwater Pipe Dreams' includes a handful of songs recorded by Frankie Siragusa who's collaborated with acts like Green Day , Reggie Watts , Ken Stringfellow , Glen Phillips , Priscilla Ahn , Margaret Cho , Mike Viola , Katie Costello and Kid Cadaver . Original band members Pablo Sotelo, Jean Pierre Narvaez and Elijah Trujillo began recording music back in 2012 and eventually added Chris Runners and Luis Portillo to their roster in 2016.

Inner Wave Concert Schedule

About inner wave tour albums.

Inner Wave arrived on to the Pop / Rock scene with the release of tour album "Sun Transmission", published on N/A. The song instantly became a success and made Inner Wave one of the new great shows to attend. Following the release of "Sun Transmission", Inner Wave announced "III" on N/A. The album "III" stayed as one of the favorite tour albums from Inner Wave. The Tour Albums three top tracks included , , and and are a big hit at every show. Inner Wave has published 7 more tour albums since "III". With over 0 years of albums, Inner Wave top tour album has been "Sun Transmission" and some of the most popular concert songs have been , , and .

Inner Wave Tour Albums and Songs

Inner Wave: III

• Change Your Mind
• American Spirits
• Feel Better

Inner Wave: Sun Transmission

• I Almost Lost This
• Diamond Eyes
• Lethologica
• [Interlude]
• Interstellar Me

Inner Wave: Apoptosis

• One in a Million
• Memory(Trees)

Inner Wave: Underwater Pipe Dreams

• People Free

Inner Wave: Schemin

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Meet Inner Wave, the Best Friends Breathing New Life Into LA’s Indie Scene

Four years ago, Inner Wave was making the kind of music that soundtracks the tender, reflective moments in a coming-of-age story – but without any of the cliché tropes those cinematic depictions often rely on. At the time, “American Spirits” was one of the group’s most popular songs, even though they’re an Inglewood-raised, LA-based indie rock boy band over a decade in the making. Unlike the slow burn and faintly harsh pull of the natural tobacco product of the song’s namesake, this track has a blissful build, guided by a guitar strum and a subtle tambourine shake. When the drop finally hits just 11 seconds in, it’s a full rush of uneasy euphoria.

2014 might have been a minute ago, but “American Spirits” still hits. That era of Inner Wave was one of fine-tuning; it saw the band hone the creative vision of their visuals, and offer up more ambitious cuts like “88” and “Diamond Eyes.” But even with more polished work, the band had few contemporaries at the time. There wasn’t necessarily a community that the band could build with, keeping Inner Wave from breaking out of a niche Bandcamp bubble – until now, that is.

Inner Wave is a five-piece ensemble, and three of the bandmates – lead vocalist and guitarist Pablo Sotelo, bassist and vocalist Jean Pierre Narvaez, and guitarist and keyboard player Elijah Trujillo – go all the way back to middle school. Some back-in-the-day homies left the band in 2016, and keyboardist Chris Runners and drummer Luis Portillo joined the group. But their departure from the original line up hasn’t thrown off the band’s energy in the slightest, as evident in their most recent full-length release, last summer’s Underwater Pipe Dreams . The 18-track LP is the best testament to Inner Wave as they are now: an indie rock quintet who seamlessly float between psychedelic and synthwave sounds, poised for a breakthrough.

All the stars have finally aligned for the band in 2018.

Inner Wave’s music feels like a soundtrack to the more cinematic moments in your life, whether you’re fantasizing on the bus or getting lost in your thoughts. The opener plays out like the a dreamlike sequence at the start of a film, easing in before diving fully into a warped melody distorting Sotelo’s airy falsetto. Young adult woes are at the center of this project, delivered with a generous balance of moody melodicism and high-energy whimsy. The visuals accompanying Underwater Pipe Dreams are part of the conceit, too, thanks to the careful and consistent creative vision of keyboardist Chris Runners, who conceptualized, shot, and arranged the artwork for the project’s singles and album cover. As Runners describes, “I’d imagined a movie, and take a frame from that movie and try to make that as the cover, and try to keep things vague so people could read into it.”

In person, there’s an electric enthusiasm radiating between the Inner Wave boys, a feeling that all the stars have finally aligned for the band in 2018. It’s been a tour-heavy year, with all the right members in place, and the promise of new management: Doris Muñoz , who met Inner Wave through Mija Mgmt’s breakout star and brown boy heartthrob Cuco. He’s “been a big fan of theirs…during tour he played all of [Inner Wave’s] music all of the time in the van,” she tells Remezcla.

Sotelo says their previous manager lacked the context for the scene they were raised in, oblivious to frequent collaborators and peers of the band. But the group’s decision to work with Muñoz had deeper meaning than just knowledge of the community. Muñoz felt like somebody the boys could trust, somebody they enjoyed being around. “They’re just Latino kids doing their thing and making music that I would’ve listened to,” she says, noting their largely teenage fanbase. “If I was a teenager, I would’ve been in the barricade [at their show] getting smushed.” The new management is an especially fitting choice, given the growing roster of Latinx talent that Mija Mgmt calls home.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Inner Wave has been on a steady grind to get here since their first release on Bandcamp in 2012. They’ll continue growing with an upcoming EP out later this year, as well as a tour and appearances at buzzy festivals like Tropicalia . From the evolution in their sound to their undeniable chemistry as artists, it’s clear these are just a bunch of homies who will continue to grow together and make music they fuck with.

But the love extends beyond just the band, as the burgeoning indie scene coming out of Southern California is directly tied to Inner Wave’s history. The band has reason to be eager for the future, especially now that they’ve got a handful of contemporaries, from Southern California peers like Clairo and Cuco to Omar Apollo in Indiana, all of whom dive into similar themes of angst and romance in their individual styles. The SoCal connect runs even deeper for the band, as they’re fresh off their summer tour alongside frequent collaborators Michael Seyer and Bane’s World, both of which are fronted by childhood friends of the band.

As Sotelo describes, the camaraderie they have with their peers is a natural evolution of the scene they all grew up in. “It’s not something that was planned at all. It just came out naturally, people doing music, people being in different projects before that were super different…It’s just all the homies coming up at the same time [and] it looks like we’re all homies cause we all went to middle school together…[We all have] connections from way back when.” With each release more polished and ambitious than the previous, the right team behind them, and a thriving movement on the rise, it’s only up from here for Inner Wave.

INTERVIEW: Issa López Talks NHMC Impact Award & Doing Things ‘The Mexican Way’

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• Carola Kolbeck
• Nov 16, 2022
• 10 min read

Inner Wave: LA’s Best Indie Band Redefines the Music Scene

© Photography by Inner Wave

Not only does inner wave produce feel-good music that brings the la sunshine to its listeners wherever they are, but they also present a realness that is a rare occurrence in mainstream music..

It’s a cold and dark evening in London when I sit down to talk with the three founding members of LA’s hottest indie band, Inner Wave . It’s lunchtime in LA, and as they pop up on my screen one by one, I can feel a burst of symbolic sunshine immediately. Pablo Soleto (guitar, vocals), Jean Pierre Narvaez (bass, vocals), and Elijah Trujillo (keys, guitar) have known each other since their teenage years and have been making music together since then. Completing the band are Luis Portillo (drums) and Jose Cruz (keys), who joined the band in later years. Pablo, who is the band’s main vocalist, calls from a studio they lovingly call ‘The Swamp.’ “We rehearse and record a lot of our music here,” he says proudly. Their music, which has millions of streams across various platforms, can be described as a mix of psych-pop and synthwave, and each album offers an eclectic mix of songs, showcasing the quintet's exceptional artistic skills. The band is no stranger to jam-packed schedules. They regularly play at festivals, including Coachella, have just released their fourth album Apoptosis and are now on a US tour with UK band, Foals . On top of that, they have their own solo projects to tend to! It was, therefore, an absolute pleasure to be able to chat with them about their music, the dynamics of the band, and why the safety of their fans is paramount to them.

You’ve recently performed at Desert Daze - How did it go, and what was the best bit about it? Did you get some time to see other artists, too, catch up and hang out with old and new friends?

Elijah : For me personally, the big takeaway from it was that we got to watch Tame Impala on Saturday night. They headlined Saturday, and then we performed on the same stage at 2:30 pm the next day. We got on stage to put our stuff up, and there was tape on the floor from their set from the night before. So that was a pretty cool moment, ‘cause we look up to them a lot, their songwriting and their live performance especially, and it was cool seeing ourselves at the same level as the people we look up to.

Jean : I guess it was a little more business, but we got to hang out with our friends, The Marías, quite a lot. We hadn't seen them since maybe August when we played a couple of shows with them. I don't think we actually walked around the grounds that much either, but what we did see was pretty cool. The stage we played on was right next to a lake, so that was really nice. They were handing out free jello shots, so that was pretty fun, too!

What are the dynamics in the band? What is it like to spend so much time together?

Jean : It's a bunch of jokes, yeah, mostly jokes! We head into the rehearsal space, and we start cracking jokes. We all get along really well, and we have very family-oriented roots that whenever we come together it feels like family. We trust each other because we're working on something that's so special, and it feels very natural to be able to express those very good emotions, and it also feels pretty natural to express negative emotions, too. We get to talk seriously or not very seriously, like; we have inside jokes that are literally just sounds! It's a fun time, and, obviously, we get on each other's nerves for sure, but we always think of respect for each other as the number one priority.

Do you have a favourite song you love to play together, or do your opinions on this differ as individuals?

Jean : I think those change every day for me. [laughs] I don’t know what my favourite song is. What do you think?

Pablo : Right now… One in a Million for me. I feel like that’s just a fun one to play for some reason, nothing too old. For me, I guess it’s the newer songs from the album [ Apoptosis ]. Anything that’s new I feel is fun.

Elijah : I like playing Rosary , even though I'm playing literally the same loop on guitar for the entire song. I just love the rhythm and the syncopation that we have together, so it feels like we’re locked into this engine and this rolling motion. And the fans love it; they like to dance to it; it’s a good dancing song. And I’m playing the guitar, so that’s more fun for me. I also play keys, too, and I just feel like I’m standing there, not very enthused, but with the guitar, it’s a lot more fun. [laughing]

Jean : That’s the first time I’m hearing this!

Elijah : When we play Rosary , I get to see the crowd; I can look around and get more involved. I’m not as focused as when I’m on the other instruments.

What has the reaction to Apoptosis been from fans?

Jean : Back in January, when the album was released, I think we were all really surprised that a lot of people knew all the words to the new songs. We were on tour promoting the album, and we were able to play most of the album. And for a lot of the songs, I remember seeing everybody mouth the words, and I thought: ‘Whoa, that’s crazy! This only came out four months ago or something like that.” So I think the reception has been really, really great.

I recently spoke to a friend I hadn’t seen in over a year, and he said: “Yeah, dude, I really like the album; it sounds like some arena music; I can hear it in an arena!” And I was like: “Yeah, I feel the same!”

We're obviously listening to it and watching the music kinda create itself, or you build it, or us build it, that you kinda have an inkling as to where the music can play and where the music can stand out. I think we all agree that the music on Apoptosis sounds like, I don't know, Red Hot Chilli Peppers ’ By the Way or when The Strokes started playing bigger and bigger shows, like with First Impressions of Earth. I think we all felt that.

There was so much going on during that time that everything just made sense, and it just fell into place: the puzzle was created without really trying. The reception feels great, and I think people can feel that Apoptosis just flowed from the heart.

What can new listeners and fans expect from Apoptosis?

Jean : Emotion. I think there’s a lot of emotion in the album. It has a very natural flow of emotion. I feel like you waft in the emotion, but it doesn’t necessarily sink you down, you know, like music that feels very heavy, not in a bad way, but it just feels heavy because of all the emotion in it. Apoptosis has a very light emotion; it feels good, it feels great, man, you’re gonna love it! I have no words for it; I feel like it’s one of those things where I’d rather just send you the link and let you listen and let you figure it out for yourself.

You’re quite keen to let your listeners interpret the lyrics for themselves. Do you ever get fans asking you what your lyrics mean to you?

Pablo : Yeah, all the time. I want to try and keep a certain level of mystery with it, though as well, as far as what the songs mean. Even the title Apoptosis itself has sort of a phoenix, like a rebirth metaphor going on, and in a lot of the songs, we deal with this sort of transformation, I guess. But I love hearing people’s interpretations of what the songs mean for them, ‘cause they’re adding more detail to it. Some people have told me their theory on Take 3 and have given me this whole rundown of what it is. And I’ve told them: “Yeah, that can be what it is if that’s what it is to you.” And I would hate to shatter any illusion by telling them what I was thinking because it is even simpler than what they were thinking. I think people are very creative when they love something, there’s so much meaning and thought attached to their favourite pieces of art, and that’s always way more interesting to me.

I feel that once we release music, I mean, it’s always ours, but you kind of let go of some of that ownership because once it’s in people’s hands, it’s really theirs in a way. It becomes a soundtrack to your life, and I feel like you know more about your life than I do. And that’s the whole thing about sharing our music and connecting with people. Having something so deeply personal and then it becomes deeply personal for someone else – that’s a beautiful thing.

On your website, you share a Code of Ethics with your fans and any visitor. It’s been signed by each and every one of you, including your management. This is something I’ve never seen before, and I was incredibly touched and impressed by it. Why was having a public Code of Ethics important to you?

Elijah : Everyone goes to shows to have a good time; everyone is coming together to listen to the same thing at the same time and experience it together. It's a beautiful thing when you know people are doing this with each other. But there's also a huge stigma at concerts that there are always people being harassed by someone, either in the crowd or from the artist or anywhere.

We have people who are close to us who had encounters with that from way back, even when my mom was going to concerts as a teenager, and nothing has really changed since then. And that’s so sad. It's important to show that times are changing and that this doesn't have to be a worry for someone who's young and wants to come to a show, even if they want to come alone; they should feel and be safe.

We do have a lot of young fans, so what we're doing with ‘ Our Music my Body ’ and all of their affiliates is that at all our shows, we have a booth set up where they don’t just offer information and hand out pamphlets, they also have resources for people who you may not feel comfortable to speak out about something. They offer this place to go for safety. You know, if someone feels a certain way out of sorts, or if someone's being inappropriate, they could report this to them, and actions could be taken from there. Or they could just meet somebody there and find a safe friend to hang out with at the show. This creates much more of a safe environment where people feel more comfortable meeting each other and even becoming friends.

We have a lot of fans that met each other at our shows, and they became friends, and they keep going to shows together, which is amazing because it's like, when you take away the fears of shows, and you're able to create more of a community and a safer environment then people are more inclined to meet new friends with similar likings, and there’s a better sense of community.

How do you look out for each other’s well-being, and what do you do for your mental health?

Jean : We talk quite often, and we see each other a lot, too, so that we get to talk about what's going on in our lives. We meet up at rehearsals, and then we start talking and venting or just catching up. For the most part, we’re all in therapy, or we also have other friends and other people in our lives that we’re able to talk to, so I think we have a very strong sense of a healthy direction of mental health and emotional health.

I think that's like the most important part of having that trustworthy group or trustworthy person, a relationship that's able to sort of free you up into healing, free you up into a brighter direction - I think we're very much those trustworthy partners for each other.

Elijah : Yeah, and it's cool to see the evolution in each other too, ‘cause the three of us, we've known each other since we were twelve, so we know everything about each other, and we see each other go through things personally and together as a group. We each have our own therapy that we go to, and they're all different ‘cause we're different people. But it's cool that we come together and kind of talk about what we’ve learned about ourselves and share with the group. I feel we all learn from that too.

It's good to see the growth in each other, and the support just keeps continuing ‘cause we’re like a family, so you wanna see your brother doing well. And it’s important that we're good at listening to each other, too. We hear each other out, and it's not like: “Oh, you should do this; you should do that ”. It's more like: “I hear you, I know where you're at, and I'm here for you.” Sometimes, that's all you need.

What can we expect from Inner Wave in 2023 and beyond?

Elijah : New music!

Jean : New music and new collaborations as well!

There is a charm to Pablo, Elijah and Jean, not just how they talk about their music and their fans but how they talk about each other. Speaking to them makes it clear that they care deeply about one another and their music. Not only that, their fans’ well-being and safety are paramount to them, which shows the band’s maturity and awareness of the responsibility they have as five famous people in the limelight. As artists, they are able to create music that not only stands out from the masses but also speaks to everyone on their own personal level - a difficult thing to find in today’s music industry. Their latest album and tour with Foals will propel them further into the global spotlight, and there’s no doubt that whatever Inner Wave will come up with next - it’s going to be something good!

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Taylor Swift's Eras Tour inner circle revealed: Meet the band members and backup dancers who have been by her side for DECADES - and serve as her surrogate family on the road

• The popstar, 34, has been wowing fans with her Eras Tour
• Her band, The Agency, has supported her throughout her musical journey
• Taylor's vocalists, known as the Starlights, have also supported her

Taylor Swift  has been blowing fans away with her jaw-dropping performances on her sold-out Eras Tour, traveling around the globe on a 152-stop trip that has seen a host of her A-list pals in attendance. 

But while the 34-year-old popstar - who is in a headline-making romance with Travis Kelce  - has plenty of celebrity friends to bolster the audience numbers each night, as well as an NFL player partner willing to join her on-stage  for the odd cameo, there is another oft-overlooked group of people making up Taylor's inner circle: her bandmates and backup dancers.

Taylor is undoubtedly the star of the show when she takes to the stage at every concert, but behind her is a closely-knit crew of performers, many of whom have been by her side for decades, having started working with her long before she became the chart-topping superstar she is today. 

So close are these musicians and dancers that they even have their own group names: while Taylor's band is called The Agency, her backup dancers refer to themselves as the Starlights. 

Over the years, these performers have become like family to Taylor - making up an important part of her inner circle, and standing by her side as she has weathered furious criticism over her album launch and, most recently, accusations by Foo Fighters legend Dave Grohl that she doesn't sing live on-stage . 

They have followed the songstress through the majority of her career and traveled worldwide with her to every stadium, stage, and studio. 

In fact, the group were also given exclusive insight into Taylor's relationship with Travis when he joined them on-stage for a surprise cameo in London. 

Travis has seemingly been welcomed into the fold with ease - even exchanging gushing public messages of appreciation on Instagram with Taylor's dancer Kameron Saunders, who gushed about the 'full circle moment' of performing with the NFL star on-stage after years of Chiefs fandom.  

And the singer has made sure to show her appreciation for her dedicated team, by spending time with them and their children even when the stage lights turn off. 

Because of their unwavering loyalty, Taylor has continued to reward her team - with her even splashing out a whopping $55 million in bonuses during her Eras Tour. 

As Taylor's tour continues to blow music lovers away, FEMAIL lifts the lid on all there is to know about her onstage squad that has been integral to her music career. 

The oldest member of her crew: Amos Heller  

The Agency refers to the singing sensation's musical band, who help her bring her songs to life every night. 

The band is made up of Amos Heller, Paul Sidoti, Michael Meadows, David Cook, Matt Billingslea, Max Bernstein, and Karina DePiano. 

Amos - who is Taylor's bass player and keyboardist - has been by the icon's side since before her band even had a name and way before she was selling out stadiums. 

On his Instagram account, Amos has even shouted out Taylor on her birthday. 

Alongside a slew of throwback photos of the pair, he wrote: 'The first gig I did with you had wooden planks perched precariously on top of cinderblocks on a dirt race track. 

'You were tireless, then as now. 

'I hope you have a moment to bask in the luxury not only of the amazing and measurable things you have achieved, but also the quality of human beings who have come flocking to your light, ready to join with you in achieving the nearly unimaginable.' 

Amos branded Taylor 'an irreplaceable friend to my family and those I love most' as he praised her for helping her make his dreams come true. 

Fans have even taken a big liking to Amos and have shared fan edits of him performing on social media. 

Been there since the beginning: Paul Sidoti has been with Taylor since her very first tour  

Paul is another member of The Agency who is Taylor's lead guitarist and vocalist. 

He has been working with the Our Song hitmaker since 2007 - meaning he has been with Taylor since before she even headlined her very own tour, the Fearless tour. 

He frequently boasts about his close-knit friendship with the songstress on Instagram and previously shared a tribute to her on her birthday. 

Paul most recently welcomed his second child - who is sure to meet his pal Taylor - with his wife Ashley in March.

He shared the news on Instagram.  He captioned the heartfelt snap, 'This morning, we welcomed our little miracle Sammy Sidoti into the world.

'Our prayers were answered and mommy and baby are doing great.. Big sister Scarlett is over the moon having a baby brother.. All my love to Ashley.' 

Micheal Meadows and David Cook are her ultra-private band members who consider the singer a close pal 

Much like the songstress, Taylor's band members keep their personal lives ultra-private. 

Although Micheal - who is the singer's guitarist, pianist and vocalist - has worked with Taylor since her Fearless Tour, little is known about him. 

David is another member and pianist of Taylor's band, who also plays the guitar and keyboard for the blonde beauty. 

He joined Taylor and the other band members in 2011 for her Speak Now Tour. 

David has previously celebrated the All Too Well hitmaker's birthday by sharing a post dedicated to her on Instagram. 

He captioned the post: 'Reposting a quick walk down memory lane in honor of 34 - happy bday T, enjoy your day!'

The newest members to join the crew: Matt Billingsea, Max Bernstein, Karina DePiano  

The newest members of The Agency are Matt, Max and Katrina. 

Matt plays the drums and has been working for Taylor since her 2012 album, Red. 

He frequently shares clips and snaps of him performing on stage during the Eras Tour and previously congratulated the songstress when she released Speak Now (Taylor's Version), which he confirmed he played on. 

Meanwhile, Max - who plays the guitar - began working for Taylor during her Reputation era in 2017. 

Similarly to Matt, he also worked on Speak Now and shares clips of himself and the performances online. 

Karina is the newest member of The Agency after she joined at the start of The Eras Tour. 

The pianist is also a musical director who frequently gushes about Taylor online. 

After nailing the spot, she took to Instagram to share an update. She wrote: 't’s finally here. I am so honored to be playing keys for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s sweeter than ever. First show last night in Glendale, AZ was ELECTRIC. Surreal. Speechless.' 

The first member of the Starlights: Kamilah Marshall 

Kamilah is a vocalist and backup dancer for Taylor's Starlights team, which is made up of singers and dancers. 

She began working Taylor in 2013 and has stood by her side ever since. 

Kamilah has worked with a slew of other A-listers like Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige and The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger. 

Similarly to other members of Taylor's onstage squad, she has also praised the singer on social media. 

Stood by her side: Melanie Nyema joined the Starlights and became a close friend of Taylor's 

Melanie is another member of the Starlights who joined Taylor in 2013 as a backup singer and dancer and has been with her for every tour since. 

In December, she took to Instagram to celebrate Taylor's birthday. 

Melanie shared a slew of snaps that were captioned, 'What a year it’s been! And what an absolute joy to ride this massive wave with you. 

'The way you inspire, support, motivate, love, and truly split my sides with laughter is second to literally no one. It’s a big ask, because LOOK AT YOU but here’s hoping 34 shapes itself into your very best year yet.' 

Eliotte Nicole Woodford is the third member of the vocalists and frequently gushes about the singer 

Eliotte is the third member of the Starlights and also joined Taylor in 2013. 

She has been working with the Red songstress for over a decade and often waxes lyrical about her. 

In a 2023 tribute to Taylor shared on Instagram, she said: 'You completely blew me away when on our lunch break, you wanted to have a heart-to-heart about things going on in our lives as young 20-somethings. 

'After that first job with you, I knew you had altered something inside of me. I knew I HAD to work with you again because YOU ARE ONE OF ONE.' 

The newest member of the squad: Jeslyn Gorman  

Jeslyn is the newest member of the Starlights and began working with Taylor in 2018. 

In 2023, she took to social media to praise the songwriter for her incredible talent. 

She wrote: 'So proud of the beautiful art that we get to create and live in night after night in this incredible joy-filled show, that soon the whole world will get to see. 

'I’m in a MOVIE!!!! What?!' 

Chiefs superfan Kameron Saunders - who called Travis' on-stage cameo a 'full circle moment'

When Travis stepped out on stage at one of Taylor's Eras Tour concerts in London, it set the internet alight, sparking a frenzy of excitement among her fans. 

But the performance also struck a chord with someone much closer to home: Taylor's backup dancer Kameron Saunders, a long-time Kansas City Chiefs fan whose brother Khalen used to play with Travis on the team. 

Just a few days after Travis stormed the stage in a dashing tuxedo, Kameron took to Instagram to share his delight over the football star's performance, gushing about the excitement he felt at appearing alongside him. 

'I wanted to highlight this moment from London! This was such a full circle moment for me. I have been to countless Chiefs games with my family over the years to support my baby brother,' he wrote. 

'Three of those four years he was with the Chiefs we went to the Super Bowl and won twice... ABSOLUTE LEGACY!!! And now for you and I to share the biggest stage in the world with boss lady... full circle! 

'The Saunders family loves you, Trav! (Including our mom LMAO) thank you for your heart and kindness and goofiness.' 

And it seems the feeling is mutual, with Travis sharing a response to the heartfelt quote, writing: 'Kam! The Saunders brothers were already my favorites. 

'From winning Super Bowls with Sir Bink [Khalen] to having fun bringing Tay back to life on the stage with you the other night... and even hanging with Mama Saunders cheering you on in Australia! 

'More memories to come!' 

Although Kameron has only been by Taylor's side for a few months, the pair appear to have formed a very close bond - and if Travis's gushing compliments are anything to go by, he's firmly embedded himself in the popstar's inner circle.  

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Last September 30th marked the 17th anniversary of the first rehearsal of what we now know as LA-based band Inner Wave. Its founding trio—composed of Pablo Sotelo, Elijah Trujillo (guitar), and Jean Pierre Narvaez (bass, vox)—set off as middle schoolers with a certain kind of gusto, and they’ve never forgotten it. Now in their 20s, Inner Wave is in its tightest formation yet. With the addition of drummer Luis Portillo and keyboardist Jose Cruz, its members feel more musically connected and confident than ever before.

Out in September 2021, the quintet's fourth LP Apoptosis is a trip into the band’s familiar realm of electronic, soul, and garage-rock. This time, however, the details are especially intricate; Apoptosis is experimental yet intentional. It is far-fetched in theory, but not out of reach in its final presentation. The LP name is derived from a biological term for the death of cells, Sotelo explains. Like their recent tribulation and renewal, the process of apoptosis is normal—part of an organism’s development.

Last year, the band toured 19 cities across the U.S. as part of their headline Jukebox Tour, played to hundreds of adoring fans in China, and supported Interpol in New Haven and Montréal. They also teamed up with Bob Junior to release their single “All In Vain” in November and recently celebrated the 10th-year-anniversary of their album “III” with a special performance at The Roxy in Los Angeles. As we head into 2024, fans can expect new music and more exciting news to come from the band.

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Music + concerts, music + concerts | los angeles band inner wave lets fans select the set list on its jukebox tour, the latino indie rock group will hit the observatory north park in san diego on feb. 16 and wrap up its jaunt with hometown gigs at the novo in los angeles march 17 and the fox theater pomona march 18..

Since inception, it has gone through various stages of musical transformation so members feel quiet comfortable heading out on yet another adventure dubbed the Jukebox Tour. The outing which kicks off at The Observatory North Park in San Diego on Thursday, Feb. 16 and winds down with hometown gigs at The Novo in Los Angeles Friday, March 17 and The Fox Theater Pomona on Saturday, March 18.

“Last year, while on tour, we all had points where we realized so much has changed in just one year,” bassist Jean Pierre Narvaez said during a recent phone interview. “There’s places and people that we have met along the way that were never important to us before, but now they are, and I think that’s something we’ve all grown to learn from it all.”

Since hardships are typically part of the game while living through your 20s, it’s that acceptance of evolving — even through the rough stuff — that has allowed the band to truly flourish. With some sudden time to spare during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the group took time to center themselves. In doing so, it focused on the inner workings of its fourth record, “Apoptosis,” its first to be recorded in an actual studio setting and was released in 2021. The album title refers to the biological process of the death of cells as part of an organism’s normal growth process, which symbolically resonated with the band in its transitioning state.

Founding members, vocalist Pablo Sotelo, guitarist Elijah Trujillo and bassist Jean Pierre Narvaez, started the band while in middle school in 2006.  The trio steadily laid the band’s foundation with daily after school practices in a garage as it experimented with sounds that would eventually lead to its current indie-psychedelic groove. Other members came and went, but the later additions of drummer Luis Portillo and keys player Jose Cruz were a “match made in heaven,” Narvaez said.

With a solid lineup, four records and a couple of EPs under its belt, the band hit the road hard in 2022 to support its latest effort, describing the tour schedule as a “crazy, beautiful long year journey” that propelled them to be more in tune with the music and as a unit. It also played shows in Europe supporting Boy Pablo, did both weekends of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio , impressed at the Desert Daze Festival in Moreno Beach at Lake Perris and jumped on shows with groups like Chicano Batman, L’Impératrice and Foals.

“We had four legs (of the tour) with various openers, all based in different spots of the continent,” Sotelo explained. “Then, in the middle of that tour, we were offered to play with Boy Pablo on the other side of the world and all of Europe, which changed so much for us as a band and as individuals. We were basically in a different country every day. You’re in France one day, then the next, you’re in Italy or Hungary, and it just keeps going. We had to get used to that pace. And we definitely did, but we also learned to slow things down mentally. We’re happy to be home to wind down, but at the same time, we’re ready to make new music and memories.”

Gearing up for its current Jukebox Tour, the band decided to do something a little different and let the fans pick the set lists for each show, much like they’re loading up a jukebox playlist at a bar. Fans in each city can vote on Inner Wave’s official website on which tracks they’d like to hear — whether its something like “American Spirits” or a deeper cut like “Change Your Mind” — during that particular tour stop. The band did something similar during a previous show at the Lodge Room in Highland Park and it went over well.

“It was the coolest thing,” Sotelo said. “After that, I knew we needed to try it out on a bigger scale because it’s not something you often see with artists. It’s a fresh take on touring. The best part is we get to see each city’s results in real time.”

The band has also teamed up with Our Music My Body, which strives to create a safe space for all music fans. More recently, it became clear to Inner Wave that after a significant amount of fans expressed concerns over abusive behavior at shows, specifically in the indie rock circuit and with the complete shutdown of Orange County-based Burger Records amid numerous sexual misconduct allegations in 2020 , it was time for change. Last year, the band raised over $10,000 for Our Music My Body. This year, they plan to donating a dollar for every ticket sold to the organization.

“During the pandemic, we had a lot of time to rethink how we wanted to hold space for shows and it became pretty apparent that people should be more comfortable regardless of who they are and who the band is,” Narvaez said. “We wanted that sense of security for fans and Our Music My Body really brings that out. It also creates a sense of community, knowing that’s there and that’s the vibe of every show we have. Without all the tropes with classic rock and roll shows you go to, we just wanted to change that narrative.”

Inner Wave’s Jukebox Tour

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16

Where: The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., San Diego

Tickets: $26 at LiveNation.com

Also: 8 p.m. March 17 at The Novo, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. $24.50 at AXS.com ; 8 p.m. March 18 at Fox Theater Pomona, 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona. $22.50 at AXS.com .

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This September 30th marks the 15th anniversary of the first rehearsal of what we now know as LA-based band Inner Wave. Its founding trio set off as middle schoolers with a certain kind of gusto, and they’ve never forgotten it. Now in their 20s, Inner Wave is readying the release of a fourth LP, Apoptosis, and its members feel more musically connected and confident than ever before.

Without downplaying the difficulties—because of course, through such a long journey there’s been plenty of them—it is because of a single, steadfast credo that Inner Wave has endured, and it’s why the group continues to grow. They care immensely about the craft of music-making.

Over the past few years, however, that guiding premise was inadvertently compromised. Things were moving quickly; they’d toured particularly relentlessly and released heaps of singles since the popularity of 2017’s Underwater Pipe Dreams. But when the pandemic hit last year, of course, a slow-down was unavoidable.

Tours supporting WYD, an EP released last spring, were canceled. As Covid-19 cases hit a terrifying high, guitarist-vocalist Pablo Sotelo contracted coronavirus. Drummer Luis Portillo was not spared, either, although thankfully, neither became gravely ill.

“We were in a position where we felt we were at a high, and then sunk to a really dark low, not knowing what’s going to happen—not just with us, but with the world,” Sotelo recalls.

Even without the unprecedented stress of surviving a global pandemic, Inner Wave was already off-course, scattered. The mandated hiatus and the reasons for it were frightening. But if they were to continue, Inner Wave would absolutely have to regroup and refocus.

Pablo Sotelo, Elijah Trujillo (guitar), and Jean Pierre Narvaez (bass, vox) are the founding members, but Inner Wave is actually a quintet, and now in its tightest formation yet. Drummer Luis Portillo, who’s been with the band since 2017, is obsessed with his craft. Sound engineer Jose Cruz was incorporated late in 2020 as keyboardist, and his tenacity (and genius, all agree) is unparalleled.

Cruz fit right in, Trujillo notes: “He understands the type of level of musicianship that we have, and puts in the effort to take it to that next level, to go home with a notebook full of chords that he figures out and brings back the next day—without us even having to ask him.”

Discipline—specifically, a commitment to lifelong learning of music-making—is a massive force in Inner Wave’s flow. As kids, Sotelo, Trujillo, and Narvaez drilled and drilled, practicing for hours after school every day. This dedication remains foundational; a certain intensity of effort is essential to Inner Wave.

“Coming out of this pandemic,” Sotelo says, “having gone through so much and restructuring our team, we reverted back to being very hands-on—like we were for 11 years. Now I feel very confident: we’re like a musical tank.”

The newly unified five-piece spent two weeks quarantined at True Sound, a recording studio where Cruz also lives. Surprisingly, this was their first-ever experience recording a full-length in a studio.

Out on September 30th, Apoptosis is a trip into the band’s familiar realm of electronic, soul, and garage-rock. This time, however, the details are especially intricate, with unexpected synth accents that somehow both meld and stand out; they feel necessary, like the crevices and sharp edges of a mountain. Through these well-resolved musical moods, the intentionally ambiguous lyrics are strongly conveyed, yet left up to the listener for pondering. Apoptosis is experimental yet intentional. It is far-fetched in theory, but not out of reach in its final presentation.

“Apoptosis is a biological term for the death of cells, which occurs as a normal and controlled part of an organism’s growth or development. Basically, it’s when your body lets certain cells die so that new healthy cells can grow,” Sotelo explains. “It was indicative of what we had just gone through this whole year, with losing a member, losing management, losing a tour, shows, losing friends, losing almost everything. And then starting from the ground up.”

Today, Inner Wave is a result of all those tribulations as much as it is all the toiling toward progress done despite them.

“We finally got to have that experience where we’re all in the room writing a song and we all just kind of know what we want; it’s so exciting,” Narvaez says. “During these times we learned to adapt and grow as individuals, and more importantly, as a unit. I feel like Apoptosis is one of our best musical works so far because of these moments. Every hardship evolves into something beautiful.”

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• December 7, 2022 Setlist

Inner Wave Setlist at Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN, USA

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Marathon music works.

• Glove Start time: 7:30 PM 7:30 PM
• Inner Wave This Setlist Start time: 8:15 PM 8:15 PM
• Foals Start time: 9:35 PM 9:35 PM

Inner Wave Gig Timeline

• Dec 04 2022 The Pageant St. Louis, MO, USA Add time Add time
• Dec 06 2022 The Eastern Atlanta, GA, USA Add time Add time
• Dec 07 2022 Marathon Music Works This Setlist Nashville, TN, USA Start time: 8:15 PM 8:15 PM
• Dec 09 2022 KEMBA Live! Columbus, OH, USA Start time: 9:00 PM 9:00 PM
• Dec 10 2022 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Toronto, ON, Canada Start time: 8:30 PM 8:30 PM

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Inner Wave is a Band of Best Friends With an Always Evolving Indie Rock Sound

The LA based band of young Latinos are making great music and providing some much-needed diversity in the indie rock world.

Photo by Justin Brooks

The Swamp is what Inner Wave calls their recording studio, inspired by how hot suburban Los Angeles summers get. A converted garage in Inglewood, it’s heaven for any kid with rock star dreams—the reddish walls are lined with band posters (including their own), a disco ball chills in the corner, a desktop houses a basic recording set-up, instruments are organized around the room, and the only seating areas are equipment cases. Here, at lead singer Pablo Sotelo’s parents' house, is where they’ve been making music for over 10 years. 

Hanging out with them, it’s clear that their friendship has grown into true brotherhood. They started jamming at 13—they’re 24 now—and almost nothing has changed. Well, except for the fact that the indie psychedelic rock band, made up of Pablo Sotelo (guitar/vox), Jean Pierre Narvaez (bass/vox), Chris Runners (keys/vox), Elijah Trujillo (guitar/keys), and Luis Portillo (drums), are gearing up for a multi-continent tour while they prep their next EP called wya coming May 22. In fact, today, they're dropping their first single off the project, "Why'd You Have To Act Like That Though."

It’s almost surreal to witness their come-up in real time, as they make plans for their upcoming shows . They’re the hometown homies; after all, Pablo’s dad opened the door for the interview and his dog Bowie, a sweet German shepherd/husky mix is roaming in and out of the garage. But three albums deep, it’s about time these born and bred LA natives—from Gardena, Carson, Torrance, Inglewood, South Central, respectively—finally left home.

So you started off as Christian rock band. Who was in that and then how did that morph?

Jean: The power of God. [ Laughs ]

Pablo: The hand of God just came through. Stupid stuff. It was Eli, myself, Jean, our original drummer Alex was in it. It was just us four. But yeah, just to reinstate that timeline, it didn’t start that way. What were we listening to? Obviously like—

Eli: Arctic Monkeys.

Pablo: And the Strokes, early 2000s shit. But also I was listening to anything that was in the Tony Hawk skating game--Senses Fail, Thrice—then it just morphed out of that. I feel like I was the one who was mainly into Jesus and writing the lyrics. Then I started to pull away and [the rest of the band] already had been pulled away on their own.

Were you guys just stoked by the idea of being in a band?

Pablo: Yeah, that’s what we did, and we used to skate together. I was the worst at it though. But music was just another thing that we did together, so it evolved as we grew up. We were always in the moment. Whatever we were into is what it was gonna be.

How did you guys all learn to play your instruments?

Jean: Eli taught me how to play keys when I joined the band, and I taught myself through YouTube. Pablo taught me how to play bass—he had already learned or started to learn guitar back in 2005, 2006. He showed me his guitar one time, like oh my gosh, so hot.

Pablo: [ Laughs ] That’s how it went down. I’d been playing guitar, and again, hanging out at the church. The thing I gravitated to was the music, so I started playing drums there when I was nine I think. Then guitar later on, then bass. A little bit of keys.

Chris: [Pablo] called me keys but I played drums in middle school and high school and I played sax a little bit in middle school. I was non-musical before then.

How did you guys evolve your sound?

Pablo: It took a long ass time. I remember the first time I listened back to something we made, there was a little lightbulb moment, but that was probably seven years into it I’d say. Before that, it was just like, be really into something and take pieces of it. It was so inconsistent. Some songs were influenced by Nirvana, some by The Doors. It was trial and error. If you do it enough, you get into the habit of doing things you like and the things you like become traits of your sound. Here we are, constantly trying to figure it out and not stay in a predictable box.

{ "id": 133725347 } I never saw anyone that looked like us doing it. I feel like most indie rock bands are a bunch of white dudes, which is fine, but it’s hard to know you can do it if you don’t see yourself in it. - Pablo

How does your next EP differ from the past?

Eli: Definitely more upbeat and fun.

Pablo: The last album was an hour long and pretty dark. We wanted to do something lighter. At the beginning of making the songs for the EP, we were on tour with Triathalon and our drum kit got stolen with a U-Haul. My amp got stolen. When we got back, I didn’t have any drums to record on either, so I just started using a lot of drum samples that became the spark. It helped build the vibe.

Growing up together, how has your dynamic changed? How did you stay together all those years?

Pablo: Couples therapy. [ Laughs ]

Eli: Patience, understanding, and acceptance. 

Did any of you guys ever consider doing anything else? 

Chris: I got a certificate for medical billing. It sucks, but I did that before I joined the band. I met them through an old childhood friend at someone’s debut [see: traditional Filipino cotillion], but that was two years before I was official. I was doing cover stuff for them and just being a groupie. The first thing I ever played with them, I played tambourine. 

Pablo: We went through a few lineup changes in a few months. Just feeling it out.

Chris: Eventually [Jean] took me on a date and we went to The Observatory. We watched a little laser show. He was driving down and then he was like, “Hey man, you wanna join the band? I think you got what it takes.” [ Laughs ] Then we had a week I think until our first show.

Eli: I was gonna grow up to be a baseball player. Naturally, I was playing baseball after school instead of the band, so I left. Then I started going to college at Cal State Long Beach, where I was gonna be a geologist, studying rocks. A different kinda rock than this. [ Laughs ] 

Photo by Bethany Pangilinan

How much has growing up in LA influenced your sound? 

Jean: I think we make driving music. 

Pablo: Always listening in the car. 

Jean: Early on, when we first started recording stuff, we would record and then get high in the car and listen to the mixes. I just remember all the hot boxes. That’s when we would experience new music at the same time together. 

Did you guys have any idols?

Pablo: I always look at bands that have been around for a long time but consistently put out stuff and have a solid fan base—Gorillaz, Queens of the Stone Age. Bands that have longevity and don’t compromise quality.

Jean: Like we don’t drop something because we need to or whatever.

You guys have the longevity down but how do you, with each new project, want to level up?

Pablo: That’s a hard question for me. There’s immediate things we wanna do, then there’s the big picture, but there’s no clear direct path to that. 

Chris: One thing that helped a lot this year is that we finally have a team around us. That’s changed up a lot of things and opened up a lot more opportunities that we didn’t have before. As a band, we’ve been so self-sufficient—book our own shows and take ourselves on tour—so it takes the pressure off to have help. It’s a different pressure now—you make music and, depending on how that’s received, that determines how your career is gonna go. 

Do you guys have any day jobs outside this, or side hustles, or is this your main focus?

Pablo: Pretty much my main focus now.

Chris: I quit my job working at a shoe store in Beverly Hills, putting shoes on old women’s feet. 

Luis: My dad owns a Los Chilaquiles Mexican Grill in Torrance. I’m heir to that. 

Eli: I do handyman work on the side, for fun and to help people out. Jean: Eli and I have painted houses together. I’ve had a number of weird ass jobs. I was a coroner once. It was really weird. And I was an Uber driver for two years. Pablo, too.

What’s your creative process? How do you guys come together to work?

Chris: Pablo’s the musical director. He’ll either write a whole song by himself or he’ll write a song with one or two of us, then all of us will jam. All the ideas filter through Pablo so that everything’s cohesive. He also writes all the lyrics.

Pablo: There’s a factor of trust. We all have our own tastes and so when it comes down to it, whatever molds us as a group ultimately decides it. 

Are your families all supportive of this band?

Pablo: For sure, now. [ Laughs ] My family’s always super supportive. You just met my dad. He helped us make The Swamp. He bought me a good amp when I was younger. He’s always about, "If you’re gonna do it, do it for real." My mom was very supportive but also more on kind of the realistic side. I’m first generation here, so my parents weren’t used the idea of coming here just to have a kid getting into entertainment. They’re so not used to that world—to them, it can just seem like you’re gonna be broke the rest of your life. They wanted me to do the lawyer thing.

{ "id": 133725346 } I’m first generation here, so my parents weren’t used the idea of coming here just to have a kid getting into entertainment. They wanted me to do the lawyer thing - Pablo

What generation are the rest of you?

Chris: I’m second generation. Grandparents came from the Philippines and then my grandparents from my dad’s side came from Mexico. Even now though, my grandma does not understand my job. She came to a show for the first time and she was like, “So how much are y’all selling tickets for? How much y’all selling shirts for?” She’s still concerned about that shit. But my parents are super supportive. 

Jean: I was born in Colombia and raised here. Am I first generation technically? I moved here when I was three with my mom. My dad lives in Colombia. 

Eli: I’m like fourth. My family’s been here a minute. 

Do you feel any pressure or obligation to represent the Latinx community?

Pablo: I wouldn’t say pressure. I think it’s cool that we’re able to do what we’re doing and I think it can potentially open up doors for more people. I remember talking to a friend and just telling them that I always wanted to do this but I really doubted it because I never saw anyone that looked like us doing it. I feel like most indie rock bands are a bunch of white dudes, which is fine, but it’s hard to know you can do it if you don’t see yourself in it. But things are changing a lot. Even in film. It feels good to feel like we’re on the—

Chris: Cutting edge.

Inner Wave's new song "Why'd You Have To Act Like That Though" is out now. Look out for a new EP called 'wya' coming May 22. Listen to their last project 'Underwater +' below, and get tickets for the upcoming tour here.

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