Mind Shrine sets off on ‘GLOW TOUR’

By Ashlyn Robinette

Photos by Alexsey Reyes

Houston-based band Mind Shrine is saying goodbye to its lone star state and saying hello to Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado. Although the self-described “Latinx indie rockerz” — Jess Howard (Lead Vocalist), Richy Alejandro (Drummer), Bradley DeAnda (Lead Guitarist) and Brian Gonzalez (Guitarist/Bassist) — have toured in Texas before, they’re excited to expand their musical reach along the West Coast during their upcoming “GLOW TOUR.”

“I think we all agree that we definitely want to just get bigger and bigger,” Howard says.

With just over 16,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Mind Shrine has been growing since its formation in 2016.

“I met Richy through Instagram, and the first time I hung out with him, he was showing me demos and asked me if I wanted to be a part of it,” says Howard, who joined the band in 2018 after moving to Houston from Seattle. “I was like, ‘yeah,’ so I guess I auditioned in a way, or we just, like, jammed. And the connection was really good between everyone.”

Mind Shrine has released two EPs, “EP” in 2019 and “Is It You?” in 2022, along with a few singles. Songs “Sad TV,” “5 Long Days,” “Foxy,” “Dance Around the Truth,” and “Pocket Change” are most popular. Mind Shrine’s mix of soft pop and psychedelic rock has captivated listeners, creating a dedicated fan base.

The band’s dreamy sound has evolved over the years.

“I think when we first started it had a lot of psychedelic elements,” Howard says. “So we would just say, ‘psych indie rock.’ But as we’ve progressed and grown as musicians, and also taking influences from different kinds of music, it’s hard to say what genre... it’s still definitely indie rock but there’s also a lot of influences from the ’60s and ’70s. We’re also trying to bring in elements of more electronic sounds. That’s something we’ve been playing around with lately.”

Mind Shrine takes influence from different indie bands and artists, such as Men I Trust and Alice Phoebe Lou. As “an observer of life,” Howard says she is also inspired by traveling and people-watching.

Genre-bending is the goal.

“It’s something that’s really exciting to me because I don’t think any of us want to stay in one genre,” Howard says. “We’re interested in music because it’s always evolving and we want to be a part of that process as well.”

For the band, making music is a collaborative effort.

“As far as creating music together, it’s usually something like Bradley or Brian will come up with a riff or idea and send it to us. Then we kind of just meet up together and work on that for a while and see if it sticks,” Howard explains. “Or sometimes it’s even like we’re just together and we’re just playing music for hours and then something lands and we’re like, ‘that’s so sick.’”

The band is excited to “get their sound out there” while on tour. They are especially looking forward to sharing their new single, “Runner,” which releases on Oct. 20. Listeners should expect something “different from the music we’ve released from the past,” Howard teases.

The nine-stop “GLOW TOUR” kicks off with Astragal and UNDR WRPS on Oct. 13 in Houston, and ends in Denver on Oct. 27. Other guest bands on tour include Lint!, Muñe, Acid Wave, Flamel, Miserable Ghost, Twinstar, Siam Jem, Fens, The Breathing Room, Outer Sunset, Bhaswe, Spiderling, Queen Anne’s Lace, New Old Stock, Plash, Fuya Fuya, and MLady.

Although life on the road isn’t always easy, the fans make it all worth it.

“The interaction from the crowd is very special to me,” Howard shares. “It’s just so special to be able to connect with people through that. It’s unexplainable. It’s just really beautiful and I feel so lucky. It’s something I would have never thought I would have the chance to do.”

Catch Mind Shrine on tour this October. Tickets are available at: https://mindshrine.xyz/