San Diego is known for its diverse music scene, whether that be the guitar solos and harmonious vocals of surf rock, or the hard-edged tunes of metal-punk. The growth of independent labels and streaming platforms has made it easier for young aspiring artists to make their way into the socal music scene. The indie music scene in San Diego has seen growth in recent years through the friendly, inclusive atmosphere it provides. One band in San Diego continues to find success and growth in that community.

The Fazes, made up of six members, bring a catchy 80’s-inspired disco and electronic sound to the space. The female-fronted band is made of Isela Humerez on vocals, Sofia Loera on drums, Reana Pugal on the synth, Eli Valles and Zro on guitar, and Eric Zamora on bass. After joining a couple of punk bands in the area, Isela Humerez started The Fazes, who played their first show in Fall 2018. Zamora joined the group as a bassist about a year ago, along with a few of their other members. 

“I got to meet Isela two years ago now in 2021 and we related a lot on the types of music we were into…right away we were friends,” Zamora said.

The two’s interest in music grew in early high school when they both started playing guitar. 

“I was originally very inspired by the local scene which was a lot of surf punk music…I just love all that high energy stuff like the mosh pit and crowd surfing,” Humerez said.

Her interest in the local indie scene quickly grew into a passion for exploring music.

“I’ve always been into a lot of different genres of music, including disco and house music…so during the pandemic, I bought a synthesizer and that’s when I started experimenting,” Humerez said.

This experimentation with electronic music when the world was shut down allowed her to develop the future sounds of The Fazes. This led to their first show in 2018 at the PaintBooth in Vista, California, a DIY set-up outside a skatepark. Since their first show, the band has played many venues across the country. Humerez explained that although the community has been very welcoming, there have still been bumps in the road.

“I think being female-fronted has been an issue at times, where someone will hate that we’re [mostly] a group of girls and try to discredit the things we’ve done,” Humerez said.

However, The Fazes continue to gain attention with their unique sound and style. This is what led to the group going on tour later down the line, opening for the Beach Goons. They got to play venues in New York, Philadelphia, Texas, Arizona and more.

“That was a really awesome experience to be able to travel for music with that purpose…the ultimate dream would be to go on another tour like that,” Humerez said.

Live shows have been an important aspect of The Fazes becoming known. However, Humerez also described her love for playing live shows as an outlet for her to express her true, inner self.

“Outside of playing live, I’m more of a shy person and I just let out all of my energy that I have inside of me when we’re playing…it feels like a really open space to just be ourselves,” Humerez said.

Zamora explains the band’s hope is to share their love for music and their community through their shows.

“We all really care for each other and we all really care about music so I think we bring that onstage,” Zamora said. 

As for the music scene in San Diego as a whole, the band feels the music community has changed a lot from when their group entered the scene. 

“I think now I’d consider us to be in a community that is very welcoming, and where people have a real, genuine love for music…I feel like we’re a part of that in San Diego,” Humerez said.

Zamora explains that many of the friendships they’ve made throughout the community have been created by admiring other band’s music. Despite the competitive atmosphere of the music world, the bassist feels they have learned how to make meaningful connections.

“We’ve definitely reached a point now where we can kind of distinguish the difference between bands who like us for us, and then bands who just want to play with us because they think we have a lot of followers,” Zamora said.

As for the future of The Fazes, the group just finished their first album, which Humerez shared has been a long-time goal.

“I think since getting new members [in the last year], this album we just made felt very collaborative, whereas before I was writing everything by myself…it’s really cool to have everybody’s input,” Humerez said.

Humerez appreciates the music community she’s found in her hometown, where she has found friends in her bandmates.

“We’ve found ourselves to be in community with a really great group of musicians here in San Diego,” Humerez said.

Words & Photography: Alexis Marion