REYNA | |
---|---|
![]() Gab (left) and Vic (right) performing in 2023. | |
Background information | |
Born | El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2011–present |
Labels | Cosmica Artists |
Website | https://reynatheband.myshopify.com/ |
Reyna (stylized as REYNA) is a Milwaukee-based pop duo. [1]
Sisters Gabriela "Gab" and Victoriah "Vic" Banuelos grew up in El Paso, Texas. [2] As children, they would sing at their grandmother's shows, as she was a singer in a mariachi band. They continued on to write and record their own songs for guitar and bass from a young age, with encouragement from their father. [3]
In 2008, the two recorded a full-length album in Spanish as Caramello after being picked up by Sony Music. However, the label desired a different musical direction; the lack of artistic freedom led Gabriela and Victoriah to cancel the album release and continue as independent artists. [4] [5]
After their single "So Long So Tired" was used in an episode of Skins in 2011, the two decided to take a musical career more seriously. [6] [7] Having moved to Milwaukee, they formed a band together as "Vic and Gab". The local music scene helped Vic and Gab get shows, including playing at an Obama rally in 2012. [1] [2] In 2013 they released a full-length album, Love of Mine. [5] They were discovered by a management team in 2014, which enabled them to work with more collaborators and gain the resources to move towards a "fuller" and more synth-pop sound. [2] [8] [9] By the time Vic and Gab played their last show in October 2015, they were one of the most popular local bands in Milwaukee. [10]
Vic and Gab reformed as Reyna in 2016, choosing the name based on the Spanish word for "queen", which represents their Mexican American heritage and their identity as women. [1] [3] The decision to reform came after recording new music, as "it just sounded so different from Vic and Gab that [they] thought it needed its own name and its own identity". [9]
Reyna properly formed with the release of first single, "Spill Your Colors", in 2016. The song was inspired by Vic's experience with coming out as gay. Reyna has since released several singles, and have stated they prefer focusing on producing songs as singles, as opposed to as albums. [6] [8]
In 2018, Reyna entered and won the Americas chapter of Project: Aloft Star, in which artists compete to record a single at Capitol Studios. There were over 2,000 entries to the 2018 competition. [11] [12]
Reyna released their debut EP, you could at least say goodbye, in 2022, with record label Cosmica Artists. [13] [14] The EP, which is partially in Spanish, describes a romantic relationship that ends with one partner ghosting the other, inspired by one of Victoriah's recent relationships. [15] [16]
In 2023, Reyna went on tour in the Northeastern United States supporting Carla Morrison. [17] Following the tour, Reyna left Cosmica Artists, citing a desire for more control over their music. [18]
Reyna's following EP, Limonada, had an early-access release through digital platform EVEN before its official release on October 20, 2023. Limonada was written about the process of falling in love again, following the heartbreak described by you could at least say goodbye. [18] [19]
Reyna has opened shows for Kesha, Chvrches, Death Cab for Cutie, and Bleachers. [9] [20] [21]
Musically, Reyna is inspired by Selena, Rolling Stones, The Who, and Sylvan Esso. Tegan and Sara, another band composed of two sisters, also inspired Reyna to believe in their project. [6] [9]
Reyna's music has been described as "glossy ‘80s-inspired electro-pop" and "euphoric, note-perfect synth-pop" by critics. [1] [7] [22] [23] Reyna has described their own music as "fun, danceable and glittery." [24] EPs you could at least say goodbye and Limonada have been noted as being more "lo-fi" and less "dance-pop" compared to their previous releases. [16] [19]
Title | Extended play details | Notes | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Limonada [19] |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
you could at least say goodbye [14] |
|
|
Title | Year |
---|---|
"Home Alone" | 2021 |
"Quarantine Baby" | 2021 |
"7'11" | 2020 |
"Lonely Girl" | 2020 |
"Coachella" | 2020 |
"Saw You With Somebody Else" | 2020 |
"Clueless" [20] | 2019 |
"The Way I Loved You" | 2019 |
"Heartbeat" [8] | 2018 |
"Baby Forget It" | 2018 |
"Cool With It" [8] | 2018 |
"Matinee" [2] | 2017 |
"Kill Me" | 2016 |
"Magazines" [2] | 2016 |
"Ink On My Skin" [2] | 2016 |
"Spill Your Colors" [6] | 2016 |
Bananarama are a British pop group formed in London in 1980. The group, originally a trio, consisted of friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Their success on both pop and dance charts saw them listed in the Guinness World Records for achieving the world's highest number of chart entries by an all-female group. Between 1982 and 2009, they had 32 singles reach the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart.
Sister Hazel is an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida, whose style blends elements of jangle pop, folk rock, classic rock, and Southern rock. They are best known for their 1997 single "All for You."
Junior Boys are a Canadian electronic pop group, founded in 1999 in Hamilton, Ontario by Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark. Dark left the project shortly after, and was replaced by engineer Matt Didemus. The duo initially gained critical praise for their 2003 single "Birthday" and 2004 debut album Last Exit. Their work incorporates disparate influences from 1980s synthpop, UK garage, techno, and R&B.
Pet Engine was an alternative/power-pop band that formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the early 1990s under the name "Blackfish" until a Florida-based "Blackfish" achieved success and forced a name change. Although they never achieved widespread commercial success, Pet Engine did release three albums and one EP on its label, Don't Records. The singles "Place to Breathe", "Reinventing the Wheel" and "Popular Teenage Disease" achieved a moderate amount of radio play in several American radio markets. The band was included on the Aware Records compilation volume 8 which also featured up-and-coming artists John Mayer and Howie Day. During their career, P.E. served as support for Oasis, Lemonheads, Goo Goo Dolls, Violent Femmes, Blind Melon, Verve Pipe and Mason Jennings among others. Their last official performance before a series of reunions came at Summerfest playing with Fountains of Wayne and Wilco. The band achieved a cult following in the Milwaukee music scene, often playing with popular Milwaukee bands like Citizen King and The Gufs, and were a regular act at Milwaukee's Summerfest for several years. Although Pet Engine broke up in early 2003, they were briefly reunited when they played at Summerfest 2006.
Voxtrot is an American indie pop band formed in Austin, Texas, in 2003. Their first recordings were released in 2003, and their debut EP, Raised by Wolves, was released in 2005 to critical acclaim, garnering attention from music bloggers as well as major publications such as Pitchfork and Spin.
Jonathan McLaughlin is an American pop rock singer-songwriter, record producer and pianist from Anderson, Indiana. His debut album Indiana was released on May 1, 2007, preceded by his first EP Industry, also known as Jon McL, in February 2007. His most successful song is the 2008 single "Beating My Heart", from his second album OK Now.
Matthew John Corby is an Australian singer-songwriter. He achieved his commercial breakthrough with his fourth EP, Into the Flame (2011), which peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and by April 2012, was certified 6× Platinum by ARIA. His 2011 single "Brother" and his 2013 single "Resolution" both won ARIA Music Awards for Song of the Year. Corby has released three studio albums, Telluric (2016), Rainbow Valley (2018) and Everything's Fine.
Verona Grove was an American pop punk band from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The band is signed to Pat's Record Company, a subsidiary of Universal Records. Members include singer/guitarist Tony Anders, bass guitar/background singer Charlie Wilhelm, and drummer Josh Helm. The Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards nominated Verona Grove for their 2009 artist of the year, and it won the 2009 Rock Artist of the Year.
The Wonder Years is an American rock band from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, formed in July 2005. The band currently consists of Dan "Soupy" Campbell, Casey Cavaliere, Matt Brasch, Josh Martin, Nick Steinborn and Mike Kennedy. They have released seven full-length albums, two EPs, and several splits/compilations. The group is currently signed to Hopeless Records. Their name originates from a paper that Campbell read that was written by one of his after-school educators titled "The Wonder Years."
Ice Nine Kills is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspired lyrics, Ice Nine Kills formed in its earliest incarnation in 2000 by high school friends Spencer Charnas and Jeremy Schwartz. Charnas is currently the only remaining founding member.
Cimorelli is an American singing group from El Dorado Hills, California consisting of five sisters: Christina, Katherine, Lisa, Amy, and Lauren. They first gained popularity on YouTube singing cover music and were subsequently signed to Universal Music's Island Records and Republic Records labels in 2009. Their oldest brother, Mike Jr., was a member of the group from 2007 to 2008, while their youngest sister Dani was a member from 2010 to 2020. The group's sound is mainly family-friendly pop music with tight harmonies and occasional band instruments. Their lyrics are centered on the themes of self-worth, friendship, love, heartbreak, and their Christian faith.
Kids These Days was a hip hop band from Chicago, Illinois. The band formed in 2009 while the members were teenagers and their debut album Traphouse Rock was released in 2012. Their split in May 2013 served as a launch pad for Vic Mensa and Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, among others.
The now defunct Voxhaul Broadcast was a Silver Lake, Los Angeles–based indie rock band formed in 2006. The band is composed of four childhood friends: David Denis, Anthony Aguiar, Phil Munsey II, and Kurt Allen (drums).
of Verona is an indie rock group that was formed in Los Angeles in 2010. Their first album, The White Apple, was released on 10 July 2012.
AJR is an American indie pop band founded by brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met, collectively a trio of vocalists, multi-instrumentalists, and songwriters. The brothers grew up in New York City, primarily focused on busking and singing covers until releasing their first album, Living Room, on March 3, 2015. As of 2024, they have produced and released five studio albums under the independent label AJR Productions to various record labels.
The Shadowboxers are an American pop band formed in Atlanta, Georgia. The founding members —Scott Tyler, Adam Hoffman, and Matt Lipkins —met at Emory University in 2008.
Brian Michael Firkus, better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, and singer-songwriter originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is known for her exaggerated, high-camp, 1960s-influenced style, distinctive eye makeup, and her blend of comedy, acoustic pop and folk-country music; Mattel sings and plays guitar and the autoharp. In 2015, she competed on the seventh season of the drag reality television competition RuPaul's Drag Race, placing sixth. In 2018, she went on to win the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.
Grace Weber is an American R&B singer, songwriter and producer from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She is currently based in Los Angeles, California. Over her career, she has written for and collaborated with artists such as Chance the Rapper, Masego, Vic Mensa, Francis and the Lights, Westside Boogie and Towkio, as well as winning a Grammy Award. Weber has performed on national television shows including Showtime at the Apollo and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Hippo Campus is an American indie rock band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Their musical inclinations appear to be firmly rooted in the UK, drawing inspiration from notable artists such as Little Comets and King Krule. They are signed to Psychic Hotline in the United States and Transgressive Records in the United Kingdom. The band has performed at South by Southwest, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Summerfest and Reading and Leeds Festivals, as well as on Conan. Hippo Campus were named one of NPR Music's favorite new artists of 2017.
Moonlight Social is an American pop rock music duo composed of singer-songwriters Jeremy Burchard and Jennica Scott. Their music has been described as a combination of alternative rock, pop, pop punk, folk, and adult contemporary.