Meet The Altons, an East L.A.-Based Chicano Crew Off on a Hot Debut National Tour

Their corner of Los Angeles may be far removed from the ocean, but The Altons have been making plenty of waves of their own lately, having successfully released their latest album ‘Heartache in Room 14’ and launched their first national tour this year.

Stream: ‘Heartache in Room 14’ – The Altons

“You can’t escape music in my area,” says Adriana Flores of The Altons. “Neighborhoods seem to be buzzing with their favorite genres. It helps shape my creative output due to immersion. This is what I was like growing up here – buzzing and infectious.”

Those are fine words to describe the atmosphere in East Los Angeles, long known as the city’s Hispanic district – and indeed, the district with the highest concentration of Latinos anywhere in the U.S. outside of Puerto Rico. “East Los” is famously a haven for Latin American arts and culture, and native resident Flores and her musical companions decided it was time to contribute to that scene themselves. Hence, they formed a group called The Altons, featuring Gabriel Maldonado as bassist, Bryan Ponce as lead guitarist, Joseph Quinones as rhythm guitarist, Carlos Canovas as drummer, and Flores as lead singer.

The group’s first major step forward came in the form of their self-titled debut EP, released in 2016. Looking back on that project nearly a decade later, Flores feels it featured signs of things to come. “Our first EP was definitely a more alternative sound,” she reflects. “We had a different lineup, but if you listen closely there are glimmers of the songs and style that were going to be ours in a few years.”

“I think the EP is a good place to see where the band was at the time and how we were finding our sound,” agrees Ponce, who now serves as the band’s co-lead vocalist in addition to its chief bassist.

“I think a pattern you can see from the first release to now is that we were always trying to push the boundaries of a genre with our songwriting.”

The Altons continued such experimentation on the projects that followed, including their 2019 full-length debut, In The Meantime.

They also experienced a number of major transitions, including signing with Daptone Records and bringing aboard Caitlin Moss as the lead drummer and as Chris Manjarrez as their principal bassist. Following these advancements, the group felt prepared to advance with the production of their new album, Heartache in Room 14.

Heartache in Room 14 - The Altons — Heartache in Room 14 – The Altons

“They truly are the backbone of the sound for this new album and we’re excited that we get to finally showcase a full album with them on it,” Ponce says of his two new band members.

He also sings his new record label’s praises just as loudly: “We’re lucky that Daptone let us explore and really let us be creative with this album.”

It took between three and four years to complete Heartache in Room 14. Some of it was recorded during quarantine (“Sitting around a fire during Covid with an acoustic guitar, hammering out the melodies and songs, and smiling while singing was essential” to their creative process, Flore recalls). Once the world was in better shape, the record got finalized at Penrose Studios, Daptone Records’ recording booth outside Los Angeles, under the guidance of their label boss, Gabe Roth. “He is a master of getting the best out of an artist,” she confides.

The resulting music is mostly gentle and delicate, with tracks like “Where Did She Go?” and “Float” guaranteed to soothe the listeners’ minds. It features more Spanish-language singing than the band has previously engaged in— on “Del Cielo te Cuido,” for instance, the group presents an ode en español to everlasting love, singing: “No importa si tengo años sin mirarte, mi amor por ti es un camino eterno.” All the while, the album shows the band’s flair for experimentation, as soul, R&B, hip-hop and other genres are all woven into the musical fabric. Heartache in Room 14 ultimately makes for a suave and sensually pleasing listening experience.

The Altons’ new output also translates well into live format, as they have demonstrated on their ongoing tour, which has taken them all across the United States and will include a solid handful of European dates later on this spring.

The show opens with a guest three-piece band delivering commendable work on the drum, electric bass and keyboard. Next onstage is Thee Sinseers, which features many members of The Altons in addition to some further instrumentalists such as guitarist Francisco Flores and saxophonist Steve Surman. After Thee Sinseers successfully establish the mellow mood of the evening, the musicians regroup themselves as The Altons and continue to deliver the goods through the remainder of the show.

Their musicianship and onstage chemistry thrive as they give Heartache in Room 14 and various entries from their back catalogue a glorious live treatment. The Altons succeed in capturing the Latin-drenched creative atmosphere of East L.A., and now audiences who have never been within thousands of miles of California can experience a slice of that region themselves.

“I hope people will continue to enjoy and share the music,” says Moss. “It’s been awesome seeing how fans of different ages, like whole families and young couples, are coming out to the shows.”

“The tour has been rewarding, memorable, fulfilling, messy, exhausting and trying,” says Flores. But despite all of the trials it may entail, the lead singer of the Altons is looking forward to completing the tour and then moving on to her next projects.

“[We are] hoping we get back in the studio and begin writing out new album soon,” she adds. “The stories we have been getting from fans and how they are connecting has been so special and emotional.”

“We definitely want to get back to writing and putting out more music,” says similarly ambitious Ponce. Sounds like Heartache in Room 14 won’t be The Altons’ sole release on Daptone Records for very long.

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