If you saw The Lone Bellow at The Music Hall in February, then you were fortunate enough to grace the same room as Jessica Maros in her sequined, high-waisted, flared, stage ensemble.
A Nashville native, Maros is half of the eclectic, alt-country, crossover duo Escondido, who toured with The Lone Bellow this winter. Maros met band mate Tyler James in 2011 through a mutual friend who had a gut feeling they’d work well together. They self-released their debut album, “The Ghost of Escondido,” in 2013, and have since built a national audience.
If you missed the show in February, you have another chance. Escondido has been touring across the West Coast for the past few months in support of their sophomore album, “Walking with a Stranger,” released in February on their label, Kill Canyon. Now they’re heading east to Portsmouth, where they have a show at 3S Artspace on Monday, June 13, with opener Among Savages.
Escondido’s sound comes in like a school of rustling tumbleweeds. Their desert-rock tunes take you back to an alternate universe: It’s the ’70s in Palm Springs, you are donning a floaty caftan, poolside and shoeless with adorned sequin bangles. Stevie Nicks is fronting a killer mariachi band. The trumpet player is picking up the pieces of his most recent tragic breakup. This sultry, western vibe gives Escondido a deeply layered femme-fatale feel.
The band’s eclectic sound resonates through their rotating lineup.
“Our bass player is Tyler’s brother Grant, and the rest of the band members interchange depending where we play,” Maros says. “We’re super lucky to live in a city like Nashville. The musicianship and talent here is endless.”
Embarking on a long, cross-country tour would take a toll on anyone, but Maros takes it all in stride.
“There is a total of five of us on the road and I’m the only girl. They’re very simple and easy, they never complain and just go with the flow,” she says. “It’s nice to see it still be like that after such a long time living in the same small quarters. We eat trail mix and listen to music and no one complains. It’s a musicianship that really inspires me and keeps things healthy on the road.”
Five boys and one girl?
“For a female surrounded by men all the time, I don’t mind it so much except when I start wanting to do girl things like my nails and shop,” Maros says. “After driving in a van for hours and you arrive at your sound check, there are times I don’t see a mirror or shower and I have to be alright with that.”
For Maros, there are a few things that make up for seeing your reflection about as often as a ghost.
“The most exciting part is meeting all kinds of people. Your band becomes a family, making memories together,” she says. “It ends up being a little club of inside jokes and funny texts after a week or so. We know how to have fun.”
Album art for Escondido’s second album, Walking with a Stranger.
To break up the downtime on the road, Maros works on her costumes.
“I make all our clothes for photo shoots and the road. I love having another outlet and another form of expression through art,” she says. “I’m really inspired by my surroundings. A little Nashville rhinestone and a touch of ’70s love is where Escondido thrives. The color orange has been a theme of the record. It’s the color of creativity and determination, attraction.”
When looking to get inspired, Maros is moved by peace, quiet, and loneliness, as well as her surroundings.
“I used to walk to Mount Washington Self-Realization Center, which was opened by a man named Yogananda. A lot of the monks there would walk around in these burnt orange garments, and I wanted that energy for our music,” she says.
Escondido has been popping up all over the country. The band was featured in Vogue, and they’ve been hitting the festival circuit and touring the country. You could say they’re on their way to something “big.” But there will always be downfalls to success, and the music industry has plenty of pitfalls.
“I wish labels would support bands that are out there doing it on their own and not just for the financial aspects of it,” Maros says. “We all need to make money, but the bands that devote their entire lifestyle and sacrifice a normal life are ones that are in it for the long haul, which can sustain a career rather than a one-hit wonder. Labels want numbers, not icons anymore. I hope that changes.”
When they come to town for their gig at 3S, Maros and James will get to spend a bit more time in Portsmouth. When Maros was in town for the show at The Music Hall, the duo didn’t get a chance to experience the area.
“I’m excited to explore the city a little more. Usually, we load in and load out of a city so fast that I never get to experience it the way I’d like to. This time around, we will have more time, so any food suggestions would be great! I love to eat,” Maros says with a laugh.
Escondido performs with opener Among Savages at 3S Artspace, 319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, on Monday, June 13, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $13, available here.