Inner Wave

Based in Inglewood, California, Inner Wave has developed since the early 2010s an aesthetic that blends indie rock, psychedelic pop and touches of synth-pop. Formed around Pablo Sotelo, Elijah Trujillo and Jean Pierre Narvaez, and soon joined by Luis Portillo and later Jose Cruz, the band moved from a garage-rock-adjacent sound toward more electronic and atmospheric compositions built from supple grooves, reverb-drenched guitars and melodic keyboards. After several self-released records, Inner Wave drew attention with the 2017 album Underwater Pipe Dreams, whose lo-fi textures and slow tempos fit into a burgeoning Californian psych-pop scene. The 2021 album Apoptosis pushed this direction further by refining arrangements and incorporating more pop structures. On stage, Inner Wave operates within the North American and European indie circuit, alternating club shows, headlining tours and opening slots, while maintaining a tight group dynamic where songwriting remains largely collective and focused on exploring variations within the same dream-pop/psychedelic palette.