Galveston Calling

This is not your father’s beach music. Meet El Lago, the region’s ‘intense’ new Island-based indie rockers.

Daniel Ortiz
8_CityBookElLago_DOrtizPhoto_120417

Lauren Eddy, frontwoman for Galveston dream-pop band El Lago, may consider herself a latecomer to rock music. “This is my first time playing electric guitar, and this is definitely the first time doing the rock-band thing,” says Eddy, who formerly stuck to acoustic sounds. “I’m 30. I got started with this band at 27. Much later than a lot of musicians.”


Not like anyone cares, or can even tell; Houston Press, for example, called the group’s EP Colors, released in November on Houston-based Miss Champagne Records, “one of the prettiest and most intense” records of 2017.

Engineered by Grammy-winning producer Steve Christensen at SugarHill Recording Studios, Colors is an eight-song deep dive into shoegazy indie rock. It’s comparable to a forward-sounding version of Cocteau Twins, thanks to Eddy’s dreamboat, Kate Bush-like vocals. Her husband Charles Eddy is on drums and her brother Jacob Villarreal plays bass, while friend Jaron Hall is on guitar.

“I hate to say it’s a family band, but it kind of is,” laughs Lauren, who writes all of the lyrics and often brings demo versions of songs-in-progress to practice. From there, the group jams out some ideas, writes out parts for their respective instruments and eventually lands on a fleshed-out song.

The soft-spoken Lauren, who had never formally played in a band until her gang got together a few years back, says she developed her vocal and guitar style in an “organic” fashion, sponging as many recommendations as possible. “I found a lot of music from people coming up to me and saying, ‘Hey you remind me of so-and-so.’ The first time I listened to Kate Bush ... I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve never heard anybody sing like this.’ She has been a big influence vocally. For guitar, it was more about feeling it out … in developing a style.”

The pretty brunette works part-time as a baker at a coffee shop on The Island, and lives with hubby Charles at the National Hotel Artist Lofts, the historic 1800s building that has had former incarnations as an opera house, office building and hotel. There, at the affordable live-work space for artists, Lauren loves to spend hours on a home-cooked meal.

In addition to the band — which gigs regularly at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge, Walter’s Downtown and Galveston’s Old Quarter Acoustic Café, and is planning a summer swing of the eastern U.S. in support of Colors — Lauren has published the monthly Wake the Zine for the past two years. The printed and online publication features musician interviews, visual-artist profiles and monthly Galveston show listings. “The zine is a way to promote events here,” she says, “to try to bring in new people.”

Art+Culture
‘Culture of Service and Accountability’ Supports Mission of Orion EMS

Gerard O’Brien, President/CEO & Founder, and Sumi Patel, Vice President

HOW DID YOU get where you are today? The EMS industry, quite literally, never stops. Our staff and units are called to serve our community every hour of every day; there are no weekends, holidays, or “days off.” Obviously, the demands of EMS are not for the faint of heart, and we have established a culture of service and accountability that is different than nearly every other organization. Our leadership team sets this culture by exhibiting their passion for this industry daily. Their tireless dedication makes a better experience for our staff when they come to work and for our patients and clients when they call on us to transport their loved ones.

Keep ReadingShow less

Masterson's frocks are made from prints fashioned from her nature photographs.

THEY SAY A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of artist Libbie Masterson, her storied collection of global and Houston-centric photographs does the talking — on apparel and accessories, that is.

Art for Wear is Masterson’s new fashion line, in which her professional landscape photographs are printed on various fabrics and finished as wearable art, clothing and accessories. Her collection includes an artistic line of women’s dresses, light wraps, tunics, purses and various unisex bags splashed with her iconic photography. Love Houston’s South Boulevard? There’s a dress for that. Always on the move? She has a yoga mat and the backpack of your dreams!

Keep ReadingShow less
Art+Culture

A detail of 'Harbor Nest' by Collins

THE HOLIDAY SEASON has been especially busy for Houston artist Michael Roqué Collins. The day after Thanksgiving, an epic series of Collins’ oil-on-canvas paintings titled In the Chama, Where the Spirit Flowsopened at LewAllen Galleries in Santa Fe, NM. Meanwhile, two of his paintings are included in Crosscurrent Yokohama – Texas Exchange 2023, a cross-cultural group show of works by 25 artists from Japan and Texas, currently on view at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art. Coastal Gardens, an exhibit of recent, smaller-size watercolors will be on view at Redbud Arts Center Dec. 2-27.

Keep ReadingShow less
Art + Entertainment