Southern California, among other metropolitan regions of the United States, is known for being a global hotspot to an ever-evolving underground, independent music scene. Over the past 5 years, the shoegaze and noise revival has become the driving sound of such scenes, bringing rise to acts like Southern California-based Cryogeyser, Julie, and Toner. Despite sharing the lazy, uninspired blanket term for a genre that is “shoegaze,” each band yields unique sonic flavors and creative visions. Many of these visions are showcased at house shows, which, for those who are unfamiliar, are fire code-violating, city noise ordinance-defying events that usually end up being the highlight of your year. In the summer of 2023, one of those exhilarating house shows took place in an East Hollywood backyard, hosting acts like Julie, Triple Gem, The Wash, and Chatterton. Daring teenagers and college students alike formed a line down the block in hopes of being accepted past the house’s white picket fence into a roughly 1,000-square foot backyard area. By the time I had reached the house’s gates, I was denied entry, with the hosts citing capacity concerns. However, as Chatterton started playing their set, I could not pass up such a valuable opportunity to listen to such excellent music, and waited until the coast was clear so I could jump the fence. To this day, I’m incredibly glad I did.
Chatterton is an Oxnard-based band officially consisting of lead guitarist and vocalist Brock Pierce, and Logan Scrivner on drums. While they too fall under the vague shoegaze umbrella, Chatterton cannot and should not be labeled as “slacker rock,” or “a 2020s Sonic Youth” either; they have way too much soul to be passed off as such. During tours, including this one, Pierce and Scrivner bring their friends Cameron Esmaili (backing guitar) and David Rodriguez (bass) to form a full-fledged four piece band. Using their big sound to fill the small space of the Jaquval Brewing Company’s walls, Pierce, Scrivner, Esmaili, and Rodriguez effectively captivated their audience that evening, despite never having played in Texas before. Judging by the crowd’s positive reception of their performance, it is clear that this band will be back to play again very soon.
After the show, I was lucky to have an extensive interview with all members of Chatterton, and was pleasantly surprised by their refreshing openness, kindness, and flexibility. Originally, they were set to play at Club Dada, but due to Texas experiencing a 100° heatwave that week, a venue change was made immediately, as Club Dada lacks functioning air conditioning. Usually, bands would forfeit interviews due to logistic changes such as this, but Chatterton made sure to keep in contact with me and stick with what was planned. Just this notion already left a good impression on their behalf.
Lacking a proper green room to host our conversation, Pierce, Scrivner, Esmaili, Rodriguez, and I reserved a back area of the Jaquval Brewing Company’s space, which serves as a café during regular hours. We spoke of all topics, including each member’s upbringing, their interests, their opinions on music, and general banter. This conversation continues for a half hour, and after pleasant goodbyes and well wishes for the rest of their tour, I am beyond satisfied with meeting such a well-rounded, talented group of individuals. Chatterton is a band that exemplifies the importance of staying true to one’s roots, working hard, and lacking pretension. Excellent music aside, solely from the aforementioned qualities, they are a group of musicians that will be integral to independent music soon.
