Bowie students and alumni form new soft rock band “Cupid Cult”

Waves of reverb echo through the bedroom of senior Gabe Rodriguez as he strums his crimson Squier. Alongside him, junior Haley Peck adds melodic sounds with her sticker-filled Squier Strat, junior Emilio Garza hits on his lime green Pearl drum set, and graduate Nick Angeli plays bass riffs on his cherry Epiphone.

Rodriguez, Peck, and Garza all met in the halls of Bowie. Angeli met Peck at a party, and she introduced him to the rest. Their passion for music and their similar taste caused them to click instantly.

“By the time I realized these people were actually my friends it was too late to back out,” Angeli said.

Their shoegaze / soft rock group, known as Cupid Cult, started in the month of March. However, Garza only became a part of the band in July.

“Nick started learning bass and Haley and I had already wanted to start a band for a while,” Rodriguez said. “We needed a drummer, so Emilio was the obvious choice as he’s a very talented drummer that we all know.”

Their biggest influences come from shoegaze groups such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Ride. In addition, their parents and music teachers shaped them into the musicians they are today.

“My biggest influence is my middle school percussion teacher Mr. Palmer,” Garza said. “[He] taught me to well round myself as a musician through different styles and instruments.”

When it comes to their songwriting process, Peck and Rodriguez come up with an initial musical idea, and then everyone else builds on it. Their lyrics spring from topics of love, sadness, and the human condition.

“The theme we established before we began the writing process was one of “young love” but not necessarily in the romantic sense,” Angeli said. “It was rather the way you stop and realize one day that these are the moments you’ll look back on and you are in love with these experiences.”

The band is currently working on releasing their first EP, “Young Love,” which will be released on both Bandcamp and Soundcloud on September 29.

“We’re cleaning up and fixing the EP to get it just the way we want it,” Garza said. “All of us are very excited.”

All of the songs were recorded in Rodriguez’s bedroom, where he created a set-up of amps, cords, pedals, and directed the other members on how to record their parts.

“Gabe is the computer monkey,” Peck said. “I just play the parts he needs. We layer all the pieces and then he works his magic.”

Since Angeli now attends UNT in Denton, there is a bit of a long distance issue for the group. However, the band is not too concerned due to the fact that he’ll be able to visit during many breaks and events.

“While it does represent a challenge and a bit of a nuisance, we’re probably going to just practice together really hard when he comes to visit,” Peck said. “Maybe we’ll write stuff and have him send us his recordings.”

The band has received lots of support from their family members. They are very excited to watch them grow as musicians.

“I’m very proud of her and her friends,” Haley’s dad, Bob Peck said. “I can’t wait to see them play gigs.”