By
Erin Coulehan
Editorial photography by
Jordan Licon
Assisted by
Katherine Kocian
Camryn Heon
The road to rock and roll never ran smoothly, but it’s a lot more fun with a little help from your friends. A band of young rockers from El Paso are making their mark on the music industry at home and abroad through a sonic symphony of quirky guitar whirls, hazy melodic moods, and eclectic echoes with nods to 2000s indie rock superstars like The Strokes, The Killers, and Arctic Monkeys.
Late Night Drive Home is a local indie rock band (and Best of the City winner!) that is ascending the music scene and touring throughout Europe this fall, in addition to making festival appearances across the U.S. The band was formed while the members were in high school, but gained increased momentum and acclaim in 2024 after making a debut festival appearance at Coachella.
The band’s rise began in 2019 when Andre Portillo and guitarist Juan “Ockz” Vargas, both self-taught musicians still in high school, started producing music and uploading it to SoundCloud. They were soon joined by Vargas’ cousin, Freddy Baca, on bass and their friend, Brian Dolan, on drums.
The band’s breakout single, “Stress Relief,” released in 2021, accumulated over 100 million streams and led to their signing with Epitaph Records in 2022.
“It’s a sweet feeling to be in a rock band with friends I grew up with in high school,” Portillo says, the frontman. “Being able to express music across the country with people we grew up with is something to be happy for.”
Now, with their debut EP, “i’ll remember you for the same feeling you gave me as i slept” on the horizon and a successful sold-out headline tour behind them, Late Night Drive Home continues to honor its roots while striving to make a lasting impact.
For them, creating art and connecting with fans is a dream.
“Music is the only way we can express ourselves through sound,” Portillo explains. “Being able to invoke our emotions through music is something many people wish to do.”
This deep connection to the craft drives the band to create music that resonates with fans.
Playing major festivals like Coachella is an exhilarating experience for the band. Being surrounded by renowned artists provides a different vibe compared to their shows.
The exposure and diversity of talent add to the excitement of their performances.
“It’s a very strange and different feeling from headlining our shows,” says Portillo. “Surrounded by bands and artists known worldwide, it’s both exhilarating and humbling.”
These experiences provide a broader context for their music and connect them with a diverse range of artists and fans.
For Vargas, proximity to artists he admires, like Lil NasX, has helped make the transition from a high school garage band to a worldwide success a bit more manageable.
“I went backstage at Coachella and Lil NasX was there talking to a few people. I started a conversation with him and we took a photo. It’s just weird to be able to see artists who we look up to. But seeing so many artists like that and celebrating our first festival made everything easier after that,” he explains.
Before Late Night Drive Home launched its series of shows and U.S. festival appearances, which also includes Austin City Limits this fall, the members were refining their craft and recording new music.
“The beginning of the year was the busiest we’ve ever been,” says Vargas. “We went to L.A. for two weeks to write music, then we went to Mexico City, and then Seattle to record.”
Each member agrees the band’s songwriting process has evolved.
Initially, they focused on crafting the music first. However, the most recent approach involves building a concept and motif for the albums before diving into the instrumental components. This method allows the band to craft a sound that aligns with the overarching theme of the project.
“We started the band at 17 or 18, so we’re growing up with our fans as they are with us,” Portillo notes. “As we mature and tackle more mature topics, we hope it relates to our listeners as they continue to grow with us.”
This mutual journey of growth is a cornerstone of the music and message that resonates on a global scale but also maintains its roots in El Paso.
The EP, self-produced by the band and mixed by renowned engineer Sonny Diperri (known for his work with The Drums and Animal Collective), channels a darker, grungy edge, exemplified by the lead single “Believe Me (Even If I’m Lying).”
The recording process offered a reflective space for the band members to address personal transformations.
Following the conclusion of their first national tour, the band faced a period of uncertainty. Vargas, who had relocated five times in three years, channeled his tumultuous experiences into the EP’s racing instrumentals. Meanwhile, Portillo delved into themes of isolation and mental struggle, capturing the essence of being trapped in one’s thoughts through poignant, emotionally charged lyrics.
The EP draws inspiration from grunge pioneers like Sonic Youth and Smashing Pumpkins, but the band also integrates the modern influences of Dominic Fike and The 1975 to achieve a distinct sonic experience. After collaborating with engineer Ross Ingram (The Black Angels), the band aimed for a cohesive, melancholic sound throughout the project, utilizing open D tuning to evoke a cold, introspective mood.
“We wanted a cohesive sound between all songs while incorporating the cold, sad feeling of a winter EP,” says Portillo.
But things quickly began to heat up.
On the day of the cover shoot, a hot summer Sunday afternoon at Rail Yard Studios, The City Magazine team watched the band members interact with each other and quickly understood what’s made Late Night Drive Home a success: the members are completely in sync.
With the rapid sound of the camera’s click-click-click and indie rock classics blasting on the speaker, the band members struck individual poses that coalesced into fluid, natural, movement that was completely uncontrived. Because of their history and adventures together, they just get each other.
“Sometimes I think about what it would be like if it was just me, or if one of us was performing solo, how lonely or how isolating it could get,” says Portillo. “But, we get to tour with our friends. It’s cool to have the opportunity to travel like this, and not many people can explore the world in such a manner as we do. You have to take it one day at a time, but it’s a lot better having your friends around.”
None of Late Night Drive Home’s members ever imagined they’d be professional musicians.
Baca, the bassist, was in music education programs in middle and high school but felt like something was missing. It wasn’t until his cousin, Vargas, approached him about being in the band that he realized what he’d been missing – the connection and camaraderie that Late Night Drive Home would eventually cultivate.
“It made me realize that what was missing was being able to share the musical experience with someone else,” Baca says. “So it’s been pretty cool.”
For Dolan, the band’s drummer, he saw his future in medicine – eventually becoming a physician – and was in college for nursing school when the band’s career took off.
“I always thought that this was unattainable,” says Dolan. “I thought that playing music was something you had to be rich or born into to do. But it’s pretty cool – I never thought that I’d be able to do this.”
Portillo, Dolan, and Baca all put their college careers on hold to tour, but Vargas, who was studying audio engineering, did his best to balance playing shows and completing his class assignments all at once.
“I was still in college during our first tour,” he explains. “I was trying to take classes online. I would have my iPad and do my best to get wi-fi.”
Eventually, he accepted the educational detour that made the most sense to pursue the band’s dreams.
This September, Late Night Drive Home will embark on the band’s first European tour with indie rock band Yot Club throughout France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom before hopping back over the pond just in time for ACL.
Although Late Night Drive Home is looking forward to traveling the world, the band of buddies is also looking forward to showcasing El Paso’s local music scene to new audiences.
“We believe it’s important to bring more attention to our city, El Paso,” Portillo emphasizes. “By representing our city and announcing where we’re from at every show, we hope to shine a spotlight on local bands and elevate the music scene here.”
