Surf rock band Salt Petal brings multicultural flavor to music

South American surf rock band Salt Petal was in the wake of a snowstorm.

The band – unsigned by a record company – was camping in New Mexico, on a road trip to Austin, Texas, to play at the South by Southwest music festival.

After waking up on a ground wet from snow, the band kept driving, said UCLA alumna and vocalist Autumn Harrison. Salt Petal then played nine shows in four days.

Motivated to express its artistic endeavors, the band has continued to bring its sound to venues across California and Europe, Harrison said. This month, a panel consisting of the World Music Network, BBC and Songlines magazine chose Salt Petal as the winner of the World Music Network Battle of the Bands for its song “Por la Luna.” Praising the group’s South American rhythms with vibrant indie pop harmonies and textures, the panel awarded the band a feature in an upcoming World Music Network project.

Harrison said Salt Petal is inspired by the music and cultures of Brazil and Argentina, with members bringing a South American influence to their music. Guitarist Rodrigo Gonzalez spent his childhood in Argentina, while drummer Hiroo Nakano grew up in Japan with the sound of his aunt’s Brazilian tunes. In 2001, Harrison studied Brazilian literature in Brazil as a UCLA undergraduate student.

“In Brazil, music is a part of life,” Harrison said. “During Carnival, you could be sitting at a café and suddenly, there are 100 drummers walking by and everything’s just shaking, and it completely compels you to be a part of it.”

Although Salt Petal is heavily influenced by South American music, Gonzalez said the band rejects the label of Latin music in favor of a genre that encompasses the cultures of each its members.

“We came from different parts of the world – Argentina, Brazil, Japan, United States – and the goal of this band is to really merge them together into one place,” Nakano said. “(We create) a fusion of different backgrounds.”

Salt Petal has released two albums – “Say-So” in 2009 and “Sea Monster” in 2013 – both of which Harrison said have traces of rock and surf music. Although Salt Petal embraces the freedom of creating its music independently, Gonzalez said not having a record label has its downfalls.

Without the financial support of a label, the band funds its own tours and time in the recording studio, Gonzalez said. In 2012, the troupe embarked on its own European tour that included stops in Paris and Cannes, France.

“We want to produce music and share it to be a part of the (art) culture that’s happening now,” Harrison said. “That in itself is rewarding.”

In 2013, MTV Tr3s began airing the music video for Salt Petal’s song “Darkest Hour.” Harrison said that, after facing adversity as a band, she views the broadcast as an accomplishment to reflect on.

“(To have ‘Darkest Hour’ playing on television) is surreal especially since I remember feeling like MTV was something so unreachable,” Harrison said. “It’s easy forget the things you are achieving as you’re trying to look ahead.”

Salt Petal is currently working on its third studio album, which Gonzalez said is planned to release next year. Gonzalez said the album will show the band’s growth in songwriting and the confidence the band gained after being featured on MTV Tr3s. The band is also set to play at the Dia de los Muertos Festival in San Pedro on Saturday.

“(On stage), we’re just trying to share our experiences and have a moment with (the audience),” Harrison said. “And hopefully everyone can dance at some point.”