(This story was originally published in print on Feb. 14, 2019).

Composed of former Biola student Casey Cox, junior journalism major Lance Gibson, junior business marketing major Lukas Klause and senior marketing management major Tony Rangel, punk rock band Chico met a thunderous reception when performing at the Eddy on Feb. 7. These four friends, frontman Gibson, lead guitarist Cox, drummer Rangel and bassist Klause, seek to revive punk rock both inside and outside of Biola.

INTRODUCING CHICO

Originally an idea between Gibson and Rangel, the two made strides to turn their dreams of forming a band into reality shortly after last summer, eventually adding bassist Klause—Gibson’s current roommate—and lead guitarist Cox to the project.

Having played drums since age 12 and guitar since 13, Rangel possesses a passion for music, which has led him to play in his church’s worship band as well as a hardcore band that he started in high school. Gibson began playing the guitar in the eighth grade, stirring in himself a passion for music that made him hungry for more. The pair’s love for music prevailed as they met at Biola, inspiring them to intertwine their passions and start Chico. As they continue in their musical pursuit, they are teaching the bass to budding musician Klause and are receiving insight from newest member Cox, a relatively experienced musician who started playing with the band a few weeks ago.

Although their debut single “Juuliet” emits a surf-punk style, Chico does not classify themselves as just that. Not wanting to be constrained to one specific subgenre, the band seeks to experiment and infuse their own styles within punk rock.

With an uncensored cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” and a moshing, crowd-surfing audience, their debut performance at last week’s Eddy remains unforgettable. Throughout their set, the audience was on their feet, dancing, head-banging and cheering Chico on.

ASPIRATIONS TO INFLUENCE

Drawing attention to social and political issues at their Eddy performance while paying homage groups like Rage Against the Machine and N.W.A., Chico strives to stand up for their beliefs.

“We’re going to use our platform to stand up for what we think is right, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that our lyrics are going to have that message every time,” Rangel said.

Through creating genuine connection with their audience, Chico hopes to influence others to consider their beliefs about social and political reform.

“I think Lance was doing a good job of making connection with people so you feel more personal,” Klause said. “Once you connect, it’s really easy to get your message across.”

NOT A BIOLA BAND

Although Chico was formed at Biola, the band does not consider themselves a “Biola band,” which they define as a band that credits its music and success to Biola. While Chico wishes to broaden their audience, they say they are not just creating music to please the people of Biola.

“People make assumptions when you’re a Biola band, like ‘Oh they’re from Biola, they’re going to be a Christian rock band,’” Gibson said. “And we’re definitely not that. We still have our beliefs and everything, but we don’t really portray it in our music in a sense.”

Wanting to fight against the stigma of being a Biola band, Chico seeks to reach those outside the “Biola bubble” through their original music.

“We know that not everybody at Biola isn’t necessarily in the ‘bubble,’ so we wanted to give those people something to enjoy,” Rangel said.

Forming the band just for the fun of it, Chico also intends to create music for their own enjoyment. Dedicated to staying true to themselves, they want to ensure that everything they do stems from true passion.

“We’re not doing it for anybody, for any type of crowd,” Rangel said. “We’re doing it because we love it.”

NEXT FOR CHICO

With a released single and debut performance under their belt, the band now projects their focus to their upcoming EP, planning to release it sometime before the summer. Additionally, they want to play more shows in the area, with their next show coming up in about a month. They hope their EP can relate to others through songs of transparency.

“We want people to know that they’re not alone in whatever they’re going through and that they can do anything they want,” Rangel said.