The Avocados seed was planted in 2013 on the fertile east side soil of Austin, TX by Greg Rhoades. Greg is a seasoned Texas bassist, writer and performer with such bands as: Golden Dawn Arkestra, Mudphonic and Starchild. His growing interest in playing guitar and a love of surf music led him to form the band with his friend & neighbor, Ben Prentice (bass).
In 2017 Greg reached out to some long-time friends and musical compadres, John Branch (Hardproof, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Spanish Gold) on organ/guitar and Alex Marrero (Brownout, Brown Sabbath, Carrie Rodriguez) on drums. These two seasoned pro’s joined Greg and original bass player Ben Prentice (Roxy Roca/Diagonals) to round out the band. The energy was exciting and the chemistry was palpable. It has proven to be a potent, fan favorite line-up.
Their self-titled debut LP was recorded at Cacophony Studios and released by Found Object Records. It includes their “hit song” “Guacamole”!
The Avocado’s perform regularly at clubs, festivals, weddings, pool parties and boats! They have a long-standing summer residency, poolside at the famous Hotel San Jose in the heart of Austin’s famous SOCO district.
In the fall of 2019 they began collaborating and arranging songs for a new LP. This time they recorded and mixed at Buds Studio in East Austin. The guys tracked the album 100% live to analog tape in 3 days, capturing the spirit of this unique and magical style of music; one which brings joy to people of all ages and walks of life. It’s something you can see first hand at any Avocados show!
An acclaimed mainstay of Austin’s renowned music scene, The Watters is made up of husband and wife duo Daniel and Jenna Watters, whose timeless songwriting and dynamic musicianship embodies a sound they call “Americana Soul.” The band has garnered a devoted fan base through their consistently energetic live performances and the release of three albums, including their latest, 2021’s critically-hailed INTUITION.
Recorded as a result of winning a major grant from respected music nonprofit Blackfret, INTUITION presents the band alongside some of Austin’s finest musicians, brandishing in a matured form the traits that have become distinctive of The Watters: craft-driven songwriting elevated further by Daniel’s skilled musicianship, infectious melodies that highlight the potency of Jenna’s haunting, full-bodied vocals, and features like lively horn riffs that propel the sound into an alluringly unique genre. One of the album’s songs, "Deja Vu," won the grand prize in the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, while two of its other standouts, "Let Me Know" and "Learning How To Die" placed as runners-up. The appreciation has been widespread, with The Austin Chronicle calling The Watters’s work on the album a “triumph in chemistry…in building a tight sound that pushes the most potential out of each part.”
The album is just the latest step in the evolution of a band that has elicited comparisons to Fleetwood Mac, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Rilo Kiley. Since 2005, Daniel and Jenna have collaborated on seven albums together under various monikers, releasing their debut record as The Watters, GREAT UNKNOWN, in 2016. Their eclectic sound, described as “a fusion of delightful sound and vivid lyricism” by Atwood Magazine, seamlessly blends Americana, Soul, Rock, and Jazz, and was developed in part through the influence of living in multiple music powerhouse cities like Nashville, Los Angeles, and, since the couple settled there in 2015, Austin. A previous Artist of the Month for the Austin Music Foundation, the band has opened for world-class acts like Michael McDonald, The Revivalists and Allen Stone in addition to playing some of their adopted city’s legendary venues, like Austin's ACL Moody Theater, Antone's and the Continental Club –all hallmarks of the trajectory of a band on the rise even as they continue to follow their own distinctive path.