From Grit to Growth: Palomino Blond Delivers on You Feel It Too

Since diving into the scene in 2018, Palomino Blond has been taking Miami by storm with its rare take on '90s alt-rock and a dash of shoegaze, emo, grunge, and dream pop. Three years after the band's first album, Ontheinside, released in 2021, Palomino Blond — New Times' pick for Best Rock Band in 2023 — is set to release its sophomore album, You Feel It Too, via Brooklyn's Kanine Records on Friday, October 4.

Today's latest evolution of the band includes cousins and founders Carli Acosta (guitar and lead vocals) and Emma Arevalo (drums and vocals), alongside Peter Allen (guitar). The new album results from the trio's collective hard work and dedication, with each member leaving their unique mark on the 11 tracks that form You Feel It Too.

"A lot of things have shifted since the band started, and I think, right now, we're where we want to be. We've really honed in on the sound, and this lineup sounds really strong," Acosta shares. "It's been a battle getting to this point, but it was one that was really fun and really worthwhile."

Acosta and Arevalo emerged from the scene ten years ago, impressing locals at backyard shows in Kendall through their previous band, Long Shore Drift. Meanwhile, Allen had played in bands since the other two were barely in elementary school. Without a doubt, the charmingly odd trio have remarkable chemistry on stage and in the studio and, together, have taken the band to its most mature sound yet.

Sonically, the band has never been as refined, daring, and vulnerable as in You Feel It Too.

"I'm always trying to push for doing things a little weirder, like mixing in drum machines or having a song where it's just guitar and vocals for the first half of it, and then everything comes in toward the end." Allen shares. "The songs on the record as a whole were formed from that push-pull between all of us, and as long as we continue to be the best musicians we can be and try to expand our horizons, at the end of the day, the band's going to sound like whatever we want, and it's going to be a reflection of our growing tastes and chemistry," shares Allen.

Allen's years of experience in music production perfectly complement Acosta's gritty and emotional songwriting. Arevalo also wrote two songs from the album, "Last Forever" and "It Kills Me," taking her beyond the drums on You Feel It Too.

You Feel It Too has been a few years in the making, with the earliest demo for "Supergalore" dating back to 2018. The album was produced by Palomino Blond, with engineering from Ryan Haft and Jonathan Nuñez, and mastered by Dan Coutant.
After reading through a list of possible album titles, the band finally decided on You Feel It Too, based on the lyrics from "Plain View," the album's next single and music video. At first glance, the title hints at the deep emotions the band evokes in listeners both live and in their recordings, but there are additional layers to the band's intent.

"We thought it would hit in a way where you can attribute multiple meanings to it, but what it really speaks to is how there's this unspoken communication that you can have with other humans in the world. Like when you're falling in love with someone, and they're falling in love with you, and they feel it too, or you are singing about something and the listener, they feel exactly what they're trying to convey," Acosta shares.

Throughout You Feel It Too, Acosta delivers lyrics that are raw, personal, and in your face.

"I have always appreciated honest and emotional lyrics, and I don't know really know any other way that I would want to write, personally," they add.

While venues and bands come and go, Palomino Blond is confident that the Magic City's music scene is in a good place. Arevalo partially credits event promoters Equinox Booking and Breakeven Booking for keeping it alive and well.

"Hardcore is huge, there's a resurgence, and there are some screamo bands coming up," Arevalo shares. "It's a very supportive community."

From backyard shows to cross-country tours, Palomino Blond has formidably paved its path to bigger and better opportunities.

"From those early days of playing any show that was offered to us to, like this morning, getting off the phone with a European booking agent for possibly doing that next year, it's been pretty wild when I zoom out and take a look at it as a bigger picture type of thing," Acosta shares.

Palomino Blond will kick off its tour alongside Tampa-based experimental hip-hop duo They Hate Change at Gramps on Friday. The tour includes stops in Tallahassee, New Orleans, Austin, and New York City.

"Carli met They Hate Change a little bit before we did. They Hate Change had crashed at Carli's place, and we have a nice relationship, and we've been talking about touring for years now, so we're psyched." Arevalo shares. "We're both putting out records too so it's really exciting stuff, it's been a long time coming."

Palomino Blond. With They Hate Change. 8 p.m. Friday, October 4, at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; gramps.com. Tickets cost $15 at eventbrite.com.