by Lesley Bell
Daily Lobo
The name Cica is a derivative of the Spanish word cicatriz, which denotes healing and growth.
The band, which has been playing in Las Cruces and El Paso for about three years, is getting ready to play its first Albuquerque show.
A little over a year ago, the band went on sabbatical. When the members got back together about four months ago, they say they had to reconnect with each other.
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"I think our music has more meaning behind it now," guitarist Brian Alsup said.
Bassist Anthony Picheco said they better understand their individual parts and are able to come together as a creative whole now.
They all grew up in Las Cruces, where Alsup and vocalist Ryan Jameson began playing when they were 14.
Their collective influences include Mars Volta and Tool, but each member brings something special to the band.
Drummer Kevin Klein said he brings in a metal element, and his influences include Living Sacrifice, Slipknot and Shadows Fall, but he is also influenced by Phil Collins and Genesis.
Picheco said he is influenced by Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and anything jazzy. Alsup, who also plays violin, is inspired by 19th-century composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
The band has had its share of odd experiences, from being followed by an odorous girl to having sound equipment disassembled in the middle of songs, but they've found it rewarding.
Alsup and Jameson said its generally easier to play at bars, but not necessarily better.
"Shows at places other than bars are harder, but more rewarding," Alsup said.
Jameson said bar crowds are usually sauced and not as hard to impress.
"It's easy to appease drunk people," he said. "But people who are there to really listen are different."
They said creating music is just another part of life.
"Making music is just a facet of what we do while we're alive anyway," Jameson said.
When he sings, Jameson said he has a tendency to disappear, like blacking out when drunk. Afterward, though, instead of a hangover, he and the rest of the band say they experience a wonderful feeling.
Constructive criticism is a big part of how Cica members work together to create music.
"No true artist can have an ego because they will always be criticized," Klein said.
They describe their musical genre as symphonic motorcade.
"We're more than just screaming at a crowd and riling people's emotions," Jameson said.
Members said they are in the music business purely for the love of the art. Jameson said they have two goals.
"We want to support ourselves playing music and influence people's lives," he said.
