Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Peña.
Hi Jeremy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I was born into a musical family. My pops played everything, both instrumental and genre-wise. Whether on the keyboards or guitar, he’d be playing in bands who played, from Willy Nelson to Patsy Cline or Hector Lavoe to Laura Canales. He was versatile and a great band leader. He had several bands throughout my childhood; my mother usually was the lead singer in all of them.
The majority of the bands they had played Tejano, Country, Soul, and Blues. So growing up, I was exposed to a ton of music. I got the music bug at the age of 12. I had always enjoyed the 90’s R&B singing groups. Still, it was when I was at Antone’s (old Guadalupe location) that they had a matinee show featuring teenage virtuosos and saw Jake Guitar Andrews, who was 15, and Derek Trucks, who was 16 perform. I was lucky that my childhood best friend’s stepmom was Susan Antone, so I saw many shows there at the Drag location. (I even got to play basketball with Buddy Guy’s son, Michael, once). During that show at Antone’s, Derek Trucks played the old Santo and Johnny song, Sleep Walk. I was stunned. But at the same I felt like, I can do that. So that Sunday, when I returned home from my friend’s parent’s house, I asked my dad if he could teach me Sleep Walk. He showed it to me, and I played that tune 100 times a day for the next three months, at least! Haha. Along with Freddie King’s Hideaway and Jessica by the Allman Brothers and then on to the power chords of Nirvana and Silverchair.
When I was 15, I started a band with my friends, and we messed around with stuff like grunge covers and Metallica songs—eventually learning about this “new” sound called Ska. Little did I know then that we were at the height Third Wave of Ska. I enjoyed the pop-punk aspect but was enthralled with the off-beat rhythm of the guitar. After a few months of listening to bands like Goldfinger, NOFX, Rancid, and Suicide Machines, I bought the movie SLC Punk and in one of the scenes, a song called Too Hot by Prince Buster played in the background. I lost it. I was like, wait a second here. What is his!? This sound is what I want to play, so fresh, so classic, yet so familiar. I had heard of Traditional Ska from Hellcat Records’ Give ‘Em The Boot compilations, but it hadn’t struck a chord with me yet. After digging deeper and deeper, I knew this was it for me. Authentic Ska from Jamaica was all I cared about. That turned to Rocksteady, then Reggae, dub, and Roots. This trad ska sound is a cousin to the music my parents played. All on the upbeat.
In November of 2001, I went to a show at Flamingo Cantina that completely hooked me forever. My favorite song from those Hellcat compilations was a tune called “Watch This” by a New York band called The Slackers. They blew my mind. I couldn’t get over the classy sound that they produced. Even cooler, opening the show was a band called The Stingers. They also played Traditional Ska, and I was so happy to learn they were local. So after that night, any time they’d play. My friend Alan and I were front and center. I listened to this music from 2001 – (to the present, really) and 2006, learning all the techniques and chords used. Ska and Reggae music became my own personal University.
In 2006 I joined a band called Los Skarnales out of Houston. These guys were one of my favorites when I was in high school. They melted so many genres together in a magical way. They played punk, Ska, reggae, cumbia, danzon, rockabilly, and fun music. They were a fantastic group of friends who quickly became family. After 6 months in the band, Felipe, the lead singer, and leader, decided to take a break, and we broke up. In the ashes, the core of Los Skarnales had been rehearsing as another band that became Ryan Scroggins and The Trenchtown Texans. We were playing Swampy Rocksteady and Reggae with a dash of authentic Ska. This band continued for a few years until Ryan became a herpetologist at the Houston Zoo.
During all this time, I had been working on writing my songs, trying to get them to the caliber of Skarnales or The Stingers. Knowing that my tunes weren’t as great as those bands, I asked Patrick Kelly and Willy Camero of the Stingers to see if they could help me make a record of my songs. They both were excited to help me out. This was the first time I was schooled on the differences between the sub-genres of reggae. I was learning the differences between Ska, Rocksteady, Early Reggae (frequently referred to as Skinhead Reggae or Boss Reggae), roots reggae, etc.
After making my first record titled Ska, Reggae, Soul, Patrick, and Willy, they encouraged me to find members to make a live band. They were busy with other projects and being new fathers, but they still helped me whenever possible. Without them, I would not have had the drive to make the music happen. I owe them everything. To this day, we have a text thread and keep in touch regularly, sharing new music and artists that we learn about or have always loved. Those guys are my big brothers.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with any business, running a band can be tough! Especially when you have 7 members. Just trying to schedule a rehearsal can feel like running a gauntlet. One of my biggest challenges was when I moved from Austin to Portland, OR in 2015. It felt like I was taking not only 10 steps backward but 5 years backward as well. Luckily with a few friends’ help, I got the band back to playing live performances relatively quickly. After about a year, we were just about back to the point where I was with the Texas crew. And over the next couple of years, I had two Texas members join me in the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
What I love the most about performing is the energy the crowd gives back to the performer. You instantly know where they are, whether they love you or not. People know when they come to a Bandulus show; they will dance and forget about their worries for 60-90 mins. They will experience the raw emotions of the soul that we produce and go home happy. We set ourselves apart by showing these raw emotions that people can relate to. Our songs are about life, love, heartaches, and pain.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
When raising a child, they say, “It takes a village.” Some so many people deserve the credit. First off, my wife, Alisha. She has stuck by my side through thick and thin for the last 22 years. My parents, Joe (RIP) and Karen Peña, supported me and gave me the tools I needed when I needed them. Whether it was watching my kids or if my gear was broken, my dad had the know-how to fix everything. My sisters, Laurie & Elisa, were also there for me to watch my kids if I had a gig and needed a babysitter. My mother-in-law was there almost every step of the way. Even though having a son-in-law in a band wasn’t her cup of tea, she always was there to help when she could.
Last but not least, the bands I mentioned. Both The Stingers and Los Skarnales crew became family. Not only did some of these guys help me with my first record, they all helped me learn how to network. Learning this skill has taken me a long way. I’ve met several of my heroes and people I’ve admired. I’ve traveled to countries I never thought I’d visit; huge shout out to Patrick Kelly, Willy Camero, Ryan Scroggins, Patrick Wheeler, and Jonny Meyers. These 5 gentlemen have done more for me than they know.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bandulus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebandulus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebandulus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6E-kSrHHVAwJxxJoTolY3Q
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-bandulus
Image Credits
Photos by Eric Chavez
