15 Polk St
Experimental - Alternative - Indie
Band Members
Charles-Vocals
Mitch-Guitars
Marky Mark-Guitars
Nasty Nate-Drums
Ronnie-Bass
Belen, NM, U.S.
15 Polk St is a local, up and coming band based in Albuquerque, NM. Their lineup consists of Charles Doss-vocals, Mitch Palacio-lead guitar & backing vocals, Ronnie Otero-bass, Mark Baca-rhythm guitar, and Nate Sanchez-drums. Each member grew up in the small town of Belen, NM and met during high school. 15 Polk St’s musical style is very unique, ranging from pop punk to acoustic ballads, from sou...lful jazz licks to heavy metal breakdowns. Because of their large array of musical flavors, their following in the local Albuquerque area has grown into a small army of fans known only by the self-coined term “Polksters.” The band is moving very quickly up the ranks of local and statewide stardom.
From the beginning, 15PS has been an extremely hard working, fast moving, and ever evolving group. The band first hit the Albuquerque music scene in May, 2009. Charles Doss, the bands founder, is the only original member. He was joined by Mitch Palacio in February of 2010, almost a year after the band’s inception. 15PS was a two-piece acoustic band for many months. Doss and Palacio performed acoustic sets at local venues all around Albuquerque, while auditioning other musicians in their free time. In October, 2010, after months of persuasion, Mark Baca took his place as the group’s second guitarist. Finally, Nate Sanchez and Ronnie Otero were recruited in January of 2011. Baca, Palacio, Otero, and Sanchez had all played together in various bands throughout their teen years, not to mention Doss and Palacio had worked together on several productions in their high school Drama Club, which made their reunion in 15PS very smooth and professional.
Because of all their different musical influences, the boys of 15PS have created an entirely new genre of rock music. Each member hales from a separate style of music. Doss is both the soul and the intensity of the band, as his voice goes from velvety and melodic to loud and abrasive. Doss and Palacio both had years of vocal lessons during high school. Palacio is also a trained classical guitarist, and has roots in musical styles such as flamenco, death metal, and bluegrass. Sanchez, a professionally trained Latin jazz drummer, adds machine-like tempo to the band’s sound, as well as delightfully avant-garde rhythms. Baca’s upbeat punk and metal influences bring crunchy, energetic vibes to the creative table. Otero is a self-taught bass player. His heavy, five-string bass rattles the lungs with deep, brutal growls. When trying to describe the way the five of them sound together, the only word that comes to mind is “epic.”
With one southwest tour, two Eps, and hundreds shows under their belt, business seems to be booming for 15PS. Their first EP, entitled “Letters to My Lady Dear,” came out just before their first tour in June, 2010. “Letters” was a short album with a poppy disposition. Since then, the band’s members and music have evolved rapidly. 15PS’s newest EP “Moon” is much more melodic and powerful, as demonstrated by tracks like “Sex with an H” and the album’s title track, who both feature heavy breakdowns and aw-inspiring solos. They’ve made appearances in newspapers and local entertainment magazines such as the Valencia County News Bulletin and The Alibi. They now have merch for sale at every show, including band shirts, buttons, and cds. The boys are also planning to record their first full-length studio album later this year which will be called “Tales of Sex, Drugs, and Tomfooley,” to be promptly fallowed by their second tour. Dates have not been set for either.
You can check out 15PS’s music at Myspace.com/15polkst, watch some crazy band videos at Youtube.com/15polkstofficialpage, or contact them for booking or info at Facebook.com/15polkst. No matter how you look at it, 15 Polk St is dominating the music scene in New Mexico, and will soon manifest their destiny throughout the country and the world. Blam.