El Loma Prieta brings fusion of sounds to local scene
Photo Credit: Sharman Bruni
(Left to right) Dan Cagley, Kolby Stancil, and Leland Vandermeulen perform as El Loma Prieta at Club Retro on April 26.
Sharman Bruni, Editor-in-Chief
May 9, 2012
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Features, Local, Music, Off campus, Profiles
Guzzling honey from a plastic bear, lead singer Kolby Stancil prepares for a show at Club Retro on April 26. Although he is feeling a bit under the weather, Stancil manages to carry himself with pride and invests himself passionately in his vocals as well as in his guitar playing.
El Loma Prieta began in 2009 with Stancil, Dan Cagley (drums), Chad Perrault (bass) and guitarist Leland Vandermeulen joining the team in 2011. The Vacaville band named themselves after the earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989. It’s quite a fitting name, as the band members of El Loma Prieta jolt audience members with a fusion of reggae, rock, and at times, a dash of progressive metal.
“When I think of the band El Loma Prieta, I think of perseverance, dedication and motivation, and about how much ELP has enlightened me to the true meaning of those words, as well as impacting me to executing the same actions in my own life,” said Lacey Paulson, who has been a close friend of the band members for almost 11 years. “They have each impacted on my life musically and personally so greatly it is hard to even describe without getting emotional. The music is unique, original and has now become some of my favorite music to listen to on a daily basis.”
On the scene at Club Retro, the band is joined by Room 121 Productions, a local film company whose name is derived from the doors of the film department at Solano Community College.
“It’s exciting to see the beginning of a really good band forming,” said director Tyler Manzo. Manzo is a familiar face to the local film scene, working on shorts such as Belgian Waffles and An Occurrence at C116.
“I like their sound, I like their attitude, and I like their drive,” said Room 121 Productions founder Stevo Ng. “We match their creative force.”
Outside of Club Retro, the members of El Loma Prieta come together for an interview.
While Stancil may be the lead singer, a position that typically heads the face of a band, he passes the credit on to the other band members.
“If it wasn’t for these guys motivation, there wouldn’t be a band,” Stancil said.
The band lists such influences as Incubus, Deftones, and Sublime.
“We all have our own weird backgrounds,” Vandermeulen said. “Dan is a big hip hop guy, Chad came from a punk rock background and Kolby is into (the band) Minus the Bear. We’re almost the equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife. All of us can play different types of instruments.”
“We flow,” Dan adds.
El Loma Prieta’s next show is May 11 at The Mutiny on 422 West 2nd Street, Antioch at 9 p.m.
