July XIV

Evee Simon was always meant to be in a band. A competent singer, songwriter, and guitar player, she always wondered how her compositions would sound bathed in guitar fuzz and loud drums. Hence, her imminent transition from solo acoustic act to singer wielding an electric guitar in a band wasn’t a question of if, but when.

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It was on one fateful day in 2015 that Evee found herself in a rehearsal studio with guitarist Conrad Javier, bassist Anton Magno, and drummer Jep Cruz. Having played with outfits of disparate styles, from dream pop (Child/ren of the Pilgrimage) to punk and screamo (Nanay Mo, Plane Divides the Sky), the other three musicians wondered how their styles would mesh and turn her acoustic demos into something listenable, but somehow, they clicked. Everyone liked what they heard, and finally, Evee was in a band. They named themselves July XIV (read as “July the fourteenth”), part reference to the singer’s birthdate, and part because it looked cool on stickers and gig posters.

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Since then, July XIV has been doing the rounds in the local independent circuit, having already been billed in a number of productions at venues like saGuijo Café, Route 196, Mow’s, and more. Their songs reflect the band members’ variety of tastes and influences, including ‘90s alt-pop (“No Sugar”), noise rock (“The Only One”), and indie guitar drones (“Chain Smoker”), among others. First single “Revelations I” reveals (pun intended) tasteful lead playing by Evee herself, while “Deus Ex Machina” signals a shift into more angular territory where Sleater-Kinney meets Sonic Youth. “Hunger” is the best of the bunch: melodic and playful, but rocks hard.

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July XIV are currently recording with producer Diego Mapa (Tarsius, Pedicab, Monsterbot) for what may be either an EP or a full-length release. But for now, they are a band that needs to be experienced live, and their sets continue to attract a growing following of ‘90s indie rockers, singer-songwriter aficionados, and even shoegazers. July XIV’s music will sound familiar to many, but remains fresh and not that easily pegged. It may reflect a diversity of styles, but the result is undoubtedly their own.