Oridium

FMR: Hey Oridium, welcome to Full Metal Rock

Oridium: Thank you! Lea here speaking. We are extremely excited about this interview because we were checking out all the interviews you have done with Bullet for my Valentine, Kittie, Eyes set to Kill and so on! So it is an honor to now be on that incredible list of bands!

FMR: Well Lea, its an honor to have you...So how’s it going? Tell us a little bit about Your Band, - Lineup?

Oridium: We’re great! We are based in San Antonio, TX with our crazy weather. The band consists of 4 members: Aaron Garcia on guitar, Garon Garcia on bass, Jon Rodriguez on drums, and me Lea Garcia on vocals. You are probably wondering why 3 of us have the same last name? Well Aaron and Garon are fraternal twins and I am their baby sister. Jon is actually an identical twin with our head roadie Jason and we’ve known them for going on 10 years! So we are surrounded by family.

FMR: Any Story behind the Band name Oridium, or why you chose it?

Oridium: Let’s see here….lol we are a bunch of nerds to put it nicely! We got the name Iridium for the periodic table of elements. Told you we were nerds! Anyway, we loved the name and I believe it is liquid metal which is pretty cool. The only thing was that we googled the name and a clothing company or something like that had it so we decided to change the I to an O. Cool huh?

FMR: See, I learn something everyday, did not know that about the table of elements...So, If you had to in one sentence, define your music?

Oridium: A juxtaposed fusion of metallic strings and drums with the melodic lyrical styling’s of a true inspirational American poet.

FMR: I am really digging on your song "Frivolous", How does Oridium approach the writing process? with a melody, a riff, or ?

Oridium: Pretty much what happens is Aaron (guitar player) will come to all of us with a riff. He usually comes to me first to see if I not only dig it but if I can put melody to it. If I can then we take it to the rest of the band and Garon (bass player) and Jon (drummer) will start playing until we find something that rocks! But this can be a pretty interesting and entertaining process because 3 out of 4 of us are related and Jon is pretty much a brother. So basically there are some colorful words thrown around if one of us doesn't’t like something. But hey…that’s the joy of being in a band!

FMR: Who are your musical influences or mentors?

Oridium: Well we listen to a variety of music. Tool, Metallica, Killswitch Engage, Elvis, Los Lonely Boys, Jimmy Hendrix, Mozart, just to name a few.

FMR: Is there anything you hope your listeners/fans get out of your music?

Oridium: We just love to be able to connect with our fans. Me personally, I love that fans can relate to the lyrics because these are all experiences that we’ve been through. We’ve had several girls come up to us in tears due to one of our songs called, “Charade” which is about a girl who finally realizes that her efforts to make a relationship work not only failed but that this guy made her look like a fool as well. But finally she see’s that she deserves to be happy. So women will come up to us after the show still crying and telling us how the song describes exactly how they feel!

FMR: Your vocals are great ....is there any secret or special preparation or tricks you do before a show

Oridium: Thank you very much! Well before a show I won’t eat any spicy food, or drink beer. I really won’t even be around smoke. I try to do everything possible to save my voice from sounding hoarse.

FMR: So I would not be let around you... what song is your personal favorite to perform live and why?

Oridium: Geez that is a tough question. I actually have a few favorites but if I had to pick just one… I would have to say Frivolous. I love the energy that not only comes from us when we perform it but from the crowd. The people who haven’t heard this song before freak out when we start of slow and then boom! We hit you with heavy riffs and Jon’s double bass. Plus the lyrics are very personal and honestly this melody is one of my favorites!

FMR: Any crazy show stories to share?

Oridium: lol oh if you only knew! We actually have had probably 3 surgeries with the band members within the past two years with the 4th coming up

FMR: What can we expect from Oridium in the rest of 09 and into 2010?

Oridium: Well unfortunately I will be having surgery on the 29th and I am expected to take almost 2 months to fully recover. So that pretty much takes care of the rest of this year. However with the signing with TVPR we have already come into contact with a lot of amazing connections and expect a huge 2010 that will take the nation by storm!

FMR: Yeah TVPR is awesome! so being based out of Texas, Have you ever played or been to SXSW? There where some bad ass bands this year

Oridium: Unfortunately we have always been out of state when the SXSW arrives but it is on our list to do for sure!

FMR: Do you rock any covers, or even want to?

Oridium: We rock just a few covers but we usually have a very different approach with how we pick them. We have done some traditional ones like Alanis Morsette, Tool and Breaking Benjamin. But we also like to take songs you wouldn’t expect a rock band to cover like the hip hop song, “Cyclone” and Britney Spears, “Womanizer”. LOL Our fans love our shows because you just never know what we will do!

FMR: Where can people go to find out more Oridium?

Oridium: Yes you can go to any of our websites -

www.oridium.biz

www.myspace.com/oridium13

www.sonicbids.com/oridium

and you can also search us on Facebook!

FMR: Thanks So Much for your time, is there anything else you would like to plug or add or any shout outs?

Oridium: We just wanted to thank Tanya and TVPR. She is an amazing and hard working lady. Also our parents, Jon’s parents and all our family, friends and fans! Keep checking up on us because 2010 is going to be a busy and crazy year for us.

FMR: Thank you for the interview! - Full Metal Rock

San Antonio, TX, October 10, 2008: The digital distribution and promotion trend continues as dynamic rock band Oridium signs a worldwide digital music and video distribution deal with BMS Music/INgrooves. This deal will allow Oridium immediate access to BMS Music’s strategic alliance with INgrooves.

“We are ecstatic to be working with BMS Music and their relationship with INgrooves,” said Lea Garcia lead vocalist of Oridium. Garon Garcia, bassist for Oridium added, “We were looking to partner with a company that would allow us to retain ownership over our masters and be able to not only provide us with distribution, but assist us with promotion and marketing services as well. To put it mildly, we hit the jackpot!” Oridium is hopeful that through BMS Music’s relationship with INgrooves it will be able to create licensing opportunities for Oridium’s songs through INgrooves’ vast network of relationships in the television, film, and video game industry.

About INgrooves

Isolation Network ("INgrooves") a leader in the fast growing digital media distribution and publishing marketplace. INgrooves distributes audio and video content to over 300 internet and mobile stores worldwide using its patent-pending technology platform. Artists and independent labels seeking worldwide marketing and licensing services rely on INgrooves to get their music into TV, films, video games and other branding programs. For more information, check out www.ingrooves.com.
- BMS music/Ingrooves

Recently, our Webzine spoke to lead vocalist Lea Garcia of Oridium about the band's music and what fans can except from the Indie Rock band in the coming years. Lea spoke fondly about being in a band with her brothers (Aaron and Garon (twins)) and longtime friend Jonathan. She also discussed some of the band's influences, highpoints and lowpoints of their career so far, and their origin. If you want to listen to a band that can rock a house down, then Oridium is going to be a crowd pleaser. Check out what developed in this spotlight.

Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "Frivolous". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?

Oridium: Well, the lyrics for Frivolous were taken from a time in my life that I was going through a break-up as well as seeing some of my friends going through the same type of situation. It's a very passionate song and I guess you can say a lot of venting! (lol) It's about a girl who has been taken advantage of and cheated on realizing that she deserves much better, and she basically flips the switch on the guy to where now he is the one being walked all over.

Isaac: Who were your influences?

Oridium: We are a very versatile band so our influences vary. I know at the time I was listening to Sara Barelis, Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for my Valentine, and some classical music as well....

Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?

Oridium: Wow... I would have to say highlights would definitely be playing at the Whisky A Go Go three times, playing in Vegas (and losing some money), releasing our CD, "From Ashes", being selected by many different radio stations, signing with our PR team, and personally me making it through a major surgery I had in October.

The lowpoints would have to be one of our cars catching on fire, several cancer scares, our grandfather passing, and having to stop playing shows while I had the surgery and started recovering.

Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.

Oridium: Well, if you didn't know, Aaron (guitar), Garon (bass) and myself (singer) are brothers and sister. Aaron and Garon are fraternal twins and had been trying to form a band for a very long time. Music runs in our family. They went trough many different combinations but couldn't really find other people with the dedication and determination it takes to form and stay in a band. So one day jokingly my mom suggested that they try me on the drums. Aaron was playing guitar and singing at the time. So I tried the drums and we got another guitar player and made a little run like that. Due to me getting tendentious and some other issues we stopped playing.

After a year of normal lives the three of us got together to form another band but figured I'd sing since I've been singing since I was a little girl. My boyfriend at the time had a twin brother who was our roadies for the first band. His twin Jon had wanted to play the drums for quite some time. I mentioned it to Garon and he gave Jon a beat...the rest is history! As far as our style of music, we describe it as heavy melodic rock.

Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist/band? What is the live music scene like in your area?

Oridium: Getting shows in our city is very easy; most of the times we don't even have to search for them. People or venues will contact us and give us dates to play. It's the places out of state that we haven't played that I have to hound and hound and hound! lol Sorry! But once we are welcomed to play somewhere we are always invited back with open arms. The music scene in San Antonio, TX is pretty good but there are bands everywhere. I think it's going to be the next Austin!

Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?

Oridium: I think we all love Indie music. It takes so much talent and courage to put your music out there so every band has our respect even if it isn't our cup of tea. And I believe that the Internet has helped music. Now days bands are making it on there own without a record label; basically, cutting out the middle man.

Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?

Oridium: Well I don't know what the boys would say to this but I would have to keep my current band because I love my boys...but I would definitely add Robert Pattinson on key board or keytar! Which ever he preferred!!

Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?

Oridium: The CD that we have out is called; "From Ashes" and you can purchase it on I-tunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and CD baby.

Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?

Oridium: We have an official website (www.oridium.biz), MySpace (www.myspace.com/oridium13) and a sonic bids account (www.sonicbids.com/oridium). You can also pull our stuff up on YouTube, ReverbNation, and Pandora.

Isaac: Message to your fans?

Oridium: We just wanted to thank you all for your support and prayers during my surgery. Thank you for being patient and stay tuned because 2010 is going to be a great year!

- Junior's Cave Online Webzine

That's right folks, Oridium fever has spread to MTV!! In an effort to capitalize on the incredible momentum generated by Oridium's debut album "From Ashes," MTV has agreed to carry Oridium Ringtones. Five songs can be purchased through MTV including "Frivolous" and "Charade." Log on to tones.mtv.com and search Oridium to get yours today! - Oridicom LLC

ORIDIUM
By Toni Torres
Oridium is:
Garon - Bass Guitar
Aaron - Back-up Vocals & Lead Guitar
Jon - Drums
Lea - Vocals

Oridium has been together for 9 years now. Can you please tell us a little more about how
your band came together (who met who and where) how many band members did you go
through until you found the perfect combination?
(Lea says) My brothers (Aaron and Garon) have been trying to find the right combination for quite
some time. Music runs through our blood because our dad was a musician and our mom
used to sing in church choirs and so on. Basically, we were exposed to this lifestyle at very young ages. So we have always had a passion for music whether it be in the school band, choir, or just tooling around with instruments. About 9 years ago my brothers decided
to try and form a band and went through member after member. While watching this process or disaster, as I would say…lol I was
getting back into singing and wanted to try to make a name for myself. It didn’t really happen
because I was trying to sing pop, and anyone who knows me knows I’m nowhere near girly!!
So I told my brothers I wanted to try and help them, but all they needed was a drummer. I told
them, “Hey, even though I’ve never played drums in my life, let me try!” So after a lot of
laughter…lol..Garon sat me down, gave me a beat, and I played it! This was when our first
band Ravenus was born. Things didn’t work out, so we all just decided to give up and get 9 to 5
jobs. After trying to live “normal” lives the three of us decided that we loved music too much to stop
so we sat down and decided we were going to give it one more shot, but we needed a drummer. My boyfriend at the time (Jason
Rodriguez) had a twin brother that always joked around about playing the drums. We have known them for so long that I figured it was worth trying. I took it to the boys, Garon gave him a beat…and the rest is history!
(Jon says) That’s where I came in. I have known these guys for 8 to 9 years and it all started for
me of course in the school band. I met Lea when her and my brother (Jason) started dating. A few
years after that they formed Ravenus, which Jason and I were roadies for. I knew they all had
such amazing talent! I was very upset when they ended the band but when I heard that they were
forming, “Oridium” with Lea now on vocals I knew that they would be in need of a drummer.
So I volunteered to be a part of this amazing journey.

Let’s talk about the debut release of “From Ashes” which will be unleashed on July 13. How long did the album take to put together?
(Lea says) LOL..Is this a trick question? Seriously, it has taken a while. Some of the songs on the album are from when we first started practicing together! Yeah..but hey, they sound great! And we’ve been recording at 5th
Street since January 31st, so it has taken a couple of months to get the entire recording done. We will be releasing the album on I-tunes
and in many different places online starting July 13th but we actually have two shows a few days
before then. We play in Laredo at Average Joe’s on July 11th and we play here in San Antonio on July 12th at Jack’s Patio Bar with When Words Attack and Darkwater! So all you Laredo and SA peeps will be able to actually buy the hard copy before anyone else! Plus this will be our first time playing since we started recording so we are
going to rock the house!
(Garon says) Honestly, this album has about 3 years worth of work on it. We tried numerous studios in hopes to find one that would be able to help us recreate the magic of our live shows in a studio and capture it.

How many songs are on this album? What is it about?
(Lea says) Well there are 10 songs on the album and they all have their own voice. What I mean
by that is usually I write lyrics about what ever I’m feeling, watching, listening to and so on. For example, “The Pillar” is about the video game, “Halo”! Yes, yes…we are nerds! It’s about a
boyfriend and girlfriend who are fighting about how much he plays, and then the game consumes her at the end!!! Lol I got the name
from one of the Halo books. My boyfriend at the time (Jason) was reading it and said something
about The Pillar of Autumn, which is the ship that the Master Chief wanted to try and capture. I
know it’s ridiculous! Then we have other songs like “Nowhere Now” that I wrote when I got
diagnosed with Diabetes. But you can say that the theme for most of our songs, and for this
album is about overcoming anything and everything that comes your way! With God,
family, friends and music, anything is possible!

Which songs do you feel best represents the
band?
(Lea says) I have to say, “From Ashes” would lyrically! It is about a person undergoing changes
and having to overcome obstacles. And anyone who knows us knows that we have been put through a lot, especially during the making of this CD. To give you a little insight, 2 of the four members of this band are Diabetic. During the recording of this album, Garon had to have
surgery to fix a tear in his hamstring along with removing bone spurs off of his femur, Jon went through 3 jobs, Lea had a route canal, and Aaron had his car destroyed in a hit and run accident only to see his loner car catch on fire the next week and our grandfather tragically passed
away. That is just to name a few….lol

What about the writing process, who writes the lyrics? The music? Is it a band effort?
(Lea says) It is definitely a band effort! Aaron (guitar player and band hard ass) is a work-aholic.
He is constantly working on new riffs! So he will bring a new riff to practice and if we don’t like it, it ends right there and then his famous vein will pop out! Ha Ha. I think he will like that one, right Amie? That’s a little nickname I gave him, and he knows why! Ok now back to the question at hand. If we do like the riff Garon (bass player and Mr. Fix it) will start tooling around with his bass until he finds something amazing and funky. Jon (drummer and the shy
one) will start playing beats and seeing what sounds great and I (singer and the crazy sexy one) will start humming a melody. Once I am set on the melody I will sit down and start putting lyrics. If I get stumped, Aaron will sit down and try and help! But some songs, like “Charade”, I put melody and lyrics within an hour. Sometimes
it just flows and it is simply amazing…but we all bring something vital to the table when it comes to song writing!
(Garon says)Lea’s take pretty much says it all. Aaron and I have a great Pro Tools mini studio at
our apartment where we are able to put down new ideas and tool around with them. We work
very different schedules so a lot of what we create is done without ever seeing each other. Thank God for sticky notes and text messages.
(Aaron says) Thank God for Pro Tools.

Why did you guys choose to have your album recorded in Austin?
(Lea says) Well we had been searching for studios for a while and then one day I heard Open Chapter’s newest CD on Texas Tracks and it sounded amazing! I got in touch with them ASAP and they told me to try 5th Street Studios in Austin. I called the next day and we set up a meeting with Ryan Joseph (Owner) and Craig
Sadler (Chief Engineer). We were extremely impressed by their professionalism and knowledge so right then and there we were sold.
(Garon says) By far, they were the most complete, well rounded, and flexible group of people that we ever encountered.

What is it about 5th Street Studios that appealed to you? And do you feel that being in Austin changes the feel of the album?
(Lea says) Well just hearing how well they know their stuff was very comforting and of course we had already heard some of their work, which sounds fantastic! Their equipment is nothing but top of the line and Craig definitely knows what he’s doing… And being in Austin most certainly changed the feel of the album. Craig had
actually mentioned that anytime you get away from your home town it allows you to think more
clearly. You are able to sort of put your problems on hold and focus on the task at hand. It was very cool to drive up to Austin, see everyone partying on 6th street, and have to record! We did have ourselves a couple of beers here and there, but mostly worked!
(Garon says) Their working knowledge of studio procedures and their equipment was incredible.
Everyone there is a master at their craft. That place never shuts down and their work ethic is second to none. We really felt that we had found a place that was going to take our music as serious as we do and was willing to work hard to
create something special.
(Aaron says) There place is top notch but what makes it second to none are the people working there. Incredible is all I have to say about that.

Who produced the album?
(Lea says) Well Toni, I don’t want to take credit for that but I have too! Lol J/K. His name is Craig Sadler. He graduated at the top of his class at The Conservatory of the Recording Arts and Sciences. He’s been an engineer for 5 years,
owned his own studio, and now works at 5th Street as their Chief Engineer. He has a way of pushing you, and you don’t even realize it. He is also successful at getting the best possible product out of you, like a great engineer should.
And he has ideas and tricks that just take your music to a whole other level! Oh yeah, and he
demands that you take him fruit roll-ups! (Garon says) This album would not be what it is without
his top-notch ear and amazing talent.
(Aaron says) Craig is the bomb! He and I shared a very special bond. You know what I’m talking about Craig!

Did you learn any available techniques?
(Lea says) We all learned so much at the studio and grew tremendously as adults and musicians! I learned that I am downright amazing at working
Pro Tools!! Lol yet another joke! But seriously I learned a lot about my voice. 5th Street has exceptional equipment, which will catch every good and bad note! Craig actually lined up 5 mics for me and we picked the one that best fit my voice. So it allowed me to see my flaws and to also see what I’m pretty darn good at!! Craig also taught me how important it is to get into character with each song. To remember why you wrote it, what you were feeling at the time, and to
apply it! So I practiced the songs with all that in mind and when it was time to sing I found myself
angry at times, laughing here and there, and even crying through these songs. It was a very emotional ride. I know that Aaron and Jon learned quite a bit as well. Aaron and Craig were constantly talking in nerd lingo about guitars and amps, how to get better sound, and all that other gibberish! And Jon learned a lot about tuning his drums, and how expensive really great snares
are.

Is it true that you have some guest appearances
on this album?
(Lea says) Yes we were very fortunate to have a couple of guest appearances on this album!
When you meet with Craig for the first time you set up a day where you go in for 4 hours and work strictly on drum sound. And if you want he knows so many people that he can call in a drum tech and he did just that for us. Chris Alaniz who has been a professional drummer for several years and is in a few bands (Amen and High
Watt Crucifixers) helped us to achieve that amazing drum sound you hear on the album. He worked with Jon for about 4 hours to get his drums to sound that way! He also loaned us some equipment from his own set. Tabber Millard (drummer for Vast) has been playing drums since he was 3 years old. He actually went to Africa to study different techniques.
When we were writing “Charade”, Craig actually suggested throwing in some tribal drums and he
has worked with Tabber several times while recording Vast, so he called him up! I guess I’ll give Craig credit even though it was originally my idea!! And umm..I played Cello? Lol. No Craig has worked with Dave Wiley from Alpha Rev
before, and suggested him when we were thinking about having some cello in a few of the songs. He is a phenomenal musician
and it was a pleasure to work with him! Last but not least was Josh Brit (an amazing musician) who let us borrow his awesome acoustic guitar..but I’ll let Aaron talk about that since he actually wanted to take it home and wine and dine it! Thank you again to everyone
who helped us with this album! You all are extremely talented.
(Aaron says) Seriously, I could not love a human baby as much as I love that guitar. That thing sounded soo cherry and on top of that, the mic was so responsive that it even picked up my stomach growling.
(Garon says) Tabber the amazing
percussionist from Vast graced us with his talents on Charade by creating the tribal rhythms. That mic also picked up Lea farting.

Your Album is set be released world wide digitally to coincide with the “Download and Win” marketing campaign.
(Garon says) Thanks to our Entertainment Attorney, Andrew Borrego, we have been blessed with the opportunity to not only release our album locally, but to have it released world wide digitally. It’s going to be crazy to look up Oridium on I-Tunes, CD Baby, Amazon (just to name a few) and find our album. To drive more
people to the sites, especially in other cities, we have decided to offer a little incentive. Basically,
each song downloaded will result in an entry into a drawing to win a Play Station 3 along with a few other killer prizes. If you download the entire album you get 10 entries plus two bonus! All the
info will be on our myspace and our website as we get closer to the release. Again the official
website is: www. oridium. net and the myspace is
www. myspace. com/oridium13

Have you ever opened for any national bands?
(Lea says) Yes, we have opened for several national acts! To name a few: Flaw, Eyes Set to Kill and Allele. All of these bands are fantastic artists and very nice people, but the most memorable was opening for Flaw! They are such cool guys and we talk to Chris Valenger (drummer) on a regular basis. He loves the song “Frivolous” which is on the CD. As a matter of fact, I need to send him a copy ASAP because
he threatened me if I didn’t..j/k!
(Aaron says) Chris even sported an Oridium Tshirt at a few shows. That was both unexpected and awesome.
(Garon says) We will take free pub any way we can get it.

So I read that you have been working hard getting a street team together, how’s that working out?
(Garon says) It is going very well at the moment. We have been very fortunate to meet people all
over this great nation who are helping spread the word about our band and our album.
(Lea says) We are having a phenomenal response! And anyone who is interested just
email us on our myspace: www. myspace. com/oridium13 or on our official website: www.oridium. net People who join our street team are eligible for several free items and even hanging out with the band! Good times right?

You guys have had an opportunity to play in Hollywood California at Whisky a Go Go, what was that experience like?
(Garon says) It was awe inspiring to drive down the famous Sunset Blvd and see our name on the Whisky a Go Go billboard. That place is so incredible that you can almost feel the ghost of Jim Morrison on stage with you rocking the good people of Hollywood.
(Lea says) All I have to say is, “Wow”! It is all that they say and more. Being on that stage is an
experience of a lifetime. And then to top it all off, they love us there! Celina (Whisky booking agent) specifically asked us to play again and on her b-day!!! Get ready Cali cause we’re coming back to The Whisky on August 2nd and we will
be at the Jumping Turtle August 8th. Keep checking out websites for more dates to come because we are in communication with several other venues!
(Jon says) For me it’s a dream come true. I mean just to be on a trip with your best friends and family to rock out in Cali. That was my first trip up there to begin with but just to go up there
for a show at the famous Whisky was incredible. To be going up for a tour, well ask us that when
we come back! It’s a long road but this is what we all signed up for.
(Aaron says) There really are no words to describe the feeling.
(Garon says) I think Aaron just shed a few tears on that one. It’s either the incredible amount of
emotion that he has in him or the fact that Lea just tooted again.
(Lea says again) Hey man! I don’t toot….lol You’ve already mentioned that twice and everyone is going to think I need Beano! Being in Hollywood I am sure you had the
chance to rub elbows with some VIP’s, any label interest for your band yet?
(Garon says) I can’t believe that I can answer this question with a yes but YES!! We have had
quite a bit of interest thanks to our experience in Hollywood. Reps from Warner and Universal
have contacted our lawyer and are keeping a watchful eye on how this album does. There have also been numerous small labels that have expressed interest in us as well. We are in a very fortunate position and will not rush into anything that is not going to be the best thing for our fans and us. Hard work is the key and after years and years of getting kicked in the teeth and being knocked down it seems like we have set
ourselves up to finally catch that freight train to success.
(Lea says) What Garon means is our shizzle is on the bizzle! Lol That means we’re about to blow up! We have worked extremely hard and are finally on the right track. Along with labels we have also met some very helpful people along the way that have pointed us in the right direction!
- The Edge Magazine

THEY ARE: Oridium

THE SOUND: Progressive melodic rock. “I always say Tool meets Metallica meets Evanescence,” lead singer Lea Garcia said.

THE MEMBERS: Lea Garcia, lead vocals; Aaron Garcia, guitar, backup vocals; Garon Garcia, bass; Jonathan Rodriguez, drums

THE BACKGROUND: “It's like a family thing,” Lea said of the band. Aaron and Garon are fraternal twins, and Lea is their younger sister. Rodriguez isn't related to the Garcias, but his identical twin brother, Jason, is Lea's longtime boyfriend. Whew. The Garcias' parents also are involved, attending every show and letting the band practice in their house. They even went with Oridium on their recent West Coast tour. “Oh, yeah, they could base a sitcom on our lives,” Lea said. So the band did the next best thing: It has released two videos on YouTube of the band in the recording studio, playing, dancing and goofing off, and plan to release more.

WHERE TO SEE THEM: Oridium will play Sam's Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., on Saturday, Sept. 15.

THE WEB: myspace.com/oridium13; find a link to the band's YouTube videos at oridium.net

THE 210 TAKE: Oridium is just beginning to hit its stride, although Aaron and Garon Garcia, who turn 29 on Sept. 13, formed the band about nine years ago. Rodriguez, now 26, joined them about three years ago. Lea Garcia, now 24, joined the band as the drummer when she was 17, but a bout of tendonitis forced her to switch to vocals. That's a good thing because her powerful alto is probably Oridium's strongest asset. The band played the legendary Whisky a Go-Go in Hollywood in August and are scheduled for another gig there in October; their first full-length album is set to be released in the spring. Watch out for the upcoming single “Frivolous,” about a girl who triumphs over a guy who treats her badly. And if you're wondering — the band’s name is a twist on the element iridium, one of the harder metals. “We're kind of science buffs,” Garon said.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor
- 210 SA Magazine

Who: Oridium

When: 10 p.m. Thursday

Where: Average Joe's Sports Bar and Grill

Band members: Lead vocalist Lea Garcia, back up vocalist and lead guitarist Aaron Garcia, bass guitarist Garon Garcia and drummer Jonathan Rodriguez.

Sounds like: A mix of metal, hard rock ballads and Lea Garcia's distinctive voice, a lethal combination that will likely resurrect images of Evanescence to the minds of some listeners. This group is primarily a family affair, with Lea joining her twin brothers, Aaron and Garon, on the stage. "We've been described as Tool meets Metallica meets Iron Maiden," Lea said. After playing the show in Laredo, the band heads to Corpus Christi and on to the famous and fertile rock ground, Whiskey a Go Go in the Sunshine State.

- Laredo Morning Times online