Julio Mendoza Explores his Musical Roots in Urban Escape's New Album
LOS ANGELES – Urban Escape's Julio Mendoza explores his musical influences in the band's eclectic upcoming album."Open Sea," set for release next month.
“We been working on this album for almost two years and it was pretty natural to release it now, we felt that we finally have everything right in terms of sound, recording, mixing, album cover and all those details,” he said.
Among the band’s unique rockers is “Do You Want Me?” which explores the passion of new love, while the guitar-heavy “Angel” offers a melodic look at a troubled relationship.
Mendoza, who is one of the band’s main composers, takes a melodic approach to the music that reflects the influences of such bands as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others.
Fellow band member and lead guitarist, Rafael Picoli hailed Mendoza's unique musical sensibilities and ability to connect with his bandmates' on stage and in the studio: “Julio has a lot of passion for music and brings a lot of energy and creativity to the band,” said the band’s lead guitarist Rafael Picoli. “It’s one of the reasons the band works so well together – we each bring a lot of passion and positivity to what we try to accomplish.”
Formed in 2017, Urban Escape has been on the rise thanks to its string of hit singles and energetic live shows that feature hard-driving guitars, powerful vocals and unique harmonies. The band is made up of Mendoza on bass, Eric Urban on lead vocals and guitar, Picoli on guitar, Lucas Bidran on drums.
A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mendoza grew up with a passion for music and a natural talent for playing guitar and drums. He soon would start his own band with some friends and begin playing at parties and later, at local clubs where he earned a strong following, playing covers of hard rock hits and his occasional own compositions. After joining several bands such as Mind Relief and Stanka, and then touring Latin America with several hit singles under his belt, the talented guitarist grew restless.
“I felt that I needed a life changing experience, more than just the music thing but the whole idea of putting me in a different situation,” he said. “I felt like L.A. was the place. Moving to a different country opens a door to a whole new world of challenges and experiences and I needed that in order to grow and to be a better musician and person.”
Once he arrived in the U.S., Mendoza began performing with a number of bands like TNT, Oscar Code, along with such solo artists as Luis Kalil, Tony Harnell and others. He would go on to establish Urban Escape with fellow guitarist Eric Urban who shared his passion for alternative rock.
The band has had a slew of hit singles, including “Do You Want Me?”, “Angel” and others,
To learn more about Urban Escape, visit www.urbanescapemusic.com or follow them on Instagram at www.instagram.com/urbanescapemusic and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/urbanescapemusic.
