El Monte’s very own The Red Pears are a three-piece indie rock band who are on their way to become Southern California’s next local band to hit the nation. Led by Henry Vargas on guitars and vocals and Jose Corona on the drums, you have two childhood friends dedicating themselves to playing chilling, explosive garage rock and turning heads. With their 2018 release of For Today, For Tomorrow, For What Is, For What Could’ve Been, they are making the most of 2019 by playing newer venues, opening for huge acts like Vundabar and The Frights, and growing as a band.
Being heavily influenced by groups like The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, you can see The Red Pears finding who they are as musicians. From their 2015 debut album, We bring anything to the table……except tables we can’t bring tables to the table, you have songs like “Run N’ Hide” portraying Henry’s elevating lo-fi vocals and paying tribute to Julian Casablancas. In addition there’s “Time Bomb” with its hard-hitting cymbals and unstable punk rock sound that could be mistaken for an unreleased demo from Is This It. Since as early as 2014, The Red Pears have predominantly presented their garage rock songs with subtle melodies that are easy to sing along to.
Transitioning from a raw youthful beginning, their most recent album For Today, For Tomorrow, For What Is, For What Could’ve Been presents a more mature and eccentric sound that they made their own. The Red Pears show that they are not afraid to experiment, thus molding their sound as they please. “Spanish Song,” which they played live long before its debut on the album, shows us that they’re ready to perform songs in another language, including their culture in their music. “Reggae Song” uses reggae-like riffs, showing that they are comfortable playing around with other genres and that the band is not afraid to compose songs that are true to who they are.
Ultimately, The Red Pears did not find the success they deserve just by recording catchy songs. They have received a lot of buzz from playing amazing live shows and quickly becoming a fan favorite. Remarkably enough, their first show was an open mic inside of a church – playing in a front a few people turned into playing for dozens of kids at backyard shows in the Inland Empire. The energy they bring through their live sets is reflected by the dirt being kicked in the air and the kids pushing each other and screaming along to their lyrics. The buzz for The Red Pears has only grown, from selling out The Smell in 2016, to being one of the few local bands to play Tropicalia in 2017. The momentum has followed and in less than a year, they’ve gone from selling out The Roxy to being invited to play Coachella.
The Red Pears are hoping to make 2019 their breakthrough year. They’ve already released a brand new single “Somehow,” and are looking forward to playing more shows than ever. Finishing their tour with Vundabar in February only to tour in March with Katzu Oso and make their SXSW debut, they’re doing it all. They will be playing a sold out show with The Frights on April 6th at the Glass House as well as showcasing their El Monte pride at Coachella on April 13th and 20th. Keep an eye out for the boys as they become the next big thing to come out of Los Angeles.
