Amoeba Boys is a garage surf rock band from Long Beach, California. They consist of four members, Kevin Millones (Drummer), Jonathan Villanueva (Bassists/Lead Guitar), Alberto Ruan (Lead Singer/Rhythm Guitar), and Brandon Garcia (Lead Guitarist/Synth). Brandon was the one who came up with the band's name. It was influenced by the TV show “Powerpuff Girls” the Amoeba Boys were the ones who thought they were cool for doing evil things.
Kevin went into the music scene because he was influenced by his family. He fell in love with music at a young age, he was obsessed with playing guitar hero “that made me want to start playing guitar and I was deep in it from there”. Alberto was also influenced by his family, “I loved how they always got together and enjoyed their time amongst one another just singing their hearts out and harmonizing with an acoustic guitar”. Jonathan just started jamming out and playing notes, after realizing that it sounded good he figured that he could make his own music. Brandon began making music when he got his first guitar for $20 dollars at the swap meet in fifth grade.
When it comes to making music, they all collectively write it. Whether it be a guitar riff, or a vocal melody. The meaning behind it can be about things they’re going through, things that happened in the past, or even just random thoughts they get. When asked what made them want to write music Kevin responds with, “I like expressing myself through music, although I may not be a singer I love how melodic the guitar can be. I love the versatility of it and how every guitar has its unique relationship with you. You make a little history with the instruments you love and that motivates me to keep playing.” It’s a way of expressing the way they feel without actually having to talk face to face with someone. Knowing that some of their listeners can relate to and feel their music has them in awe.
Many bands have helped them get big in the scene, including family and friends. “We cannot be more thankful and appreciative on how much we've grown with their help” says Alberto. Some of these people include Jazzcats Studio, Cutty Flam, Earl Grey, 3lh, OC Hurricanes, and Funfair. With all the shows they played they each had their own favorite ones. Backyard shows with wild crowds and sweaty people are the shows Kevin loves playing at. Jonathan enjoyed playing at Shenanigans Studio at Southgate in 2017, the crowd was insane. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is where Alberto liked playing at, “It may have not been the best crowd but being surrounded by the best company of your friends and playing near the fishes and sharks was really amazing, it just looked so nice in there”. And lastly Brandon enjoyed playing at a Halloween show in 2018 with the hurricanes and many other bands.
Since knowing each other from high school, these four have created a very close bond. "The thing I love a lot about us is that not only are we band members, but we are best friends. We can't play together unless we share that kind of bond. We treasure it and the fact that we fit like a puzzle when it came to instrumentation, we met in high school and we naturally wanted to have a creative outlet" says Kevin. Alberto enjoys all the times he spends with them, "I like how we work as a group, even though we have rough times and the best times together we know that we always have each other if we ever needed guidance or help. We may be individually different but we still click with one another in a unique way."
Amoeba Boys is a great band to listen to while you blast music in your room and dance as if nobody's watching. The upbeat music and catchy melodies can give you a positive mood. Check out their song “Cyclone” on band camp the link is in their bio on Instagram @amoeba_boys. It’s all instrumental and sounds amazing it doesn’t need lyrics! Find their music on Spotify and Bandcamp. They currently don’t have any upcoming shows but if you’d like to see them in the future be sure to follow their Instagram!
Written by: @lloronaaa
Edited by: @momo2crazy