by Lorie Lewis Ham
This Valley is filled with a multitude of talent and we here at KRL enjoy featuring that talent. This week we are chatting with local band The Media whose members are: Pedro Montes (guitar/back-up vocals); Jared Cato (congas/percussion); Miguel Padilla (drums); Steven Balladarez (horns/vocals); Octavio Moreno (bass). They come from several different local towns, including Reedley and Dinuba.
KRL: Tell us about your band, The Media. Why did you decide to start a band? Where did the name come from?
Pedro Montes: I decided to start a band to touch, move, and inspire millions to become the best version of themselves, and to help those around me doing what I love most. The name came from a conversation of empowerment, to transform the name of the media and turn it into something positive and adopting it into our image.
The Media on stage
KRL: Where are you each from?
Pedro Montes: I am from Jalisco, Mexico, currently living in London, California.
Miguel Padilla: I am from London.
Steven Balladarez: We are from all over the Valley, mostly Fresno County, though. I personally am from Reedley.
Octavious Mortis: I’m from Dinuba.
KRL: When did you get started? What is your position with the band?
Pedro Montes: I am one of the founders of the group; we began this journey about two years ago. I am the guitar/singer, considered the front man, but that is just a label.
Octavious Mortis
Jared Cato: Well, Pedro started the band a few years back with a few different cats, and after a few things had already changed up, I found him on Craigslist. When I found Pedro on Craigslist, he was looking for a bass player, and that’s what I was, but I soon moved to the conga drums because I had them, and was the only person who could play them.
Miguel Padilla: It was the day after New Year’s, and Pedro asked me if I wanted to be his drummer for the band, and I said yes.
Octavious Mortis: My buddy Pedro came up to me almost a year ago at college and asked me if I would be interested in playing bass with his group.
Steven Balladarez: I am a side guy. I play the trombone, and sometimes I sing.
Steven Balladarez
KRL: How long have you all been in music and in what ways?
Pedro Montes: I have been into music ever since I can remember, although I started taking music serious about three years ago.
Jared Cato: I started on my very first bass at the age of ten. Which would soon be given up, and traded to a skateboard because I was gifted a drum set from my father, who taught me music theory…or enough to play anyway. In high school, I played in the marimba band at Clovis High, and learned the congas there, as well as the timbales, and some new styles of drumming. The rest is history in the making, which I hope you enjoy.
Jared Cato
Miguel Padilla: I started drumming after my grandma died and I kept drumming and drumming until I became a really good drummer and then started taking classes for guitar and now I know how to play a little bit of base, guitar, and drums as well.
Octavious Mortis: I first got involved with music when I got a guitar for my 13th birthday (7 years ago). I started out as a guitarist and I started playing bass a little bit when I was around 16. I didn’t start playing the bass seriously until I joined the group.
KRL: What style of music do you perform? Do you play original or cover songs?
Pedro Montes: Our music styles are very diverse, we get influence from Rock, jazz, blues, reggae, funk, and Spanish music and try to make our own sound. We mostly do originals, but we also do covers.
Miguel Padilla: We play different genres of music like latin, rock, reggae, and funk. We play a lot of our originals but we also play covers as well.
KRL: Do you have any CDs?
Pedro Montes: We do have an EP available on SoundCloud, and we also sell physical copies at our shows.
Pedro Montes
KRL: Where and how often do you perform?
Pedro Montes: We perform here around the Central Valley, Reedley, Dinuba, Tulare, Kingsburg, Visalia, and Fresno. We perform at least twice a month.
Steven Balladarez: Most times it’s at the Wakehouse in Reedley.
KRL: What makes your band unique or different from the others?
Pedro Montes: Our cultural backgrounds, unique personalities, and definitely our variety of genres which we can tap into.
Miguel Padilla: Well, I believe that it’s the music we play, how we brainstorm ideas, and how we can sound different from everyone else.
Steven Balladarez: Our sense of putting different genres together.
Octavious Mortis: I would say that what puts us apart from other groups is the diversity of our music.
KRL: How often do you practice?
Pedro Montes: I try to practice at least thirty minutes everyday.
Miguel Padilla: I practice weekly, three times a week, but I have long sessions of practice by myself. But band wise, it depends on others schedule.
Steven Balladarez: All day…Every day!
Octavious Mortis: We try to practice at least once a week, but sometimes it doesn’t work out because of our schedules.
KRL: Do you have other jobs than working on your music?
Pedro Montes: I currently work as an insurance agent at Fiesta Auto Insurance.
Jared Cato: I work as a lunch man in Cutler Elementary, as well as being the bartender for Me ’n Ed’s in Reedley, and my brother has a business cleaning solar panels, so I do that, too. Kinda gets in the way of playing music sometimes.
Miguel Padilla: I work in the fields, but I am trying to get a job at a restaurant.
Steven Balladarez: I do. I work at Mountain Mike’s.
KRL: What do you like best about in a band and playing music?
Miguel Padilla: I love music. To me music is life and can vary your mood and how you feel.
Steven Balladarez: It’s the deepest reflection of one’s self, and to me is the greatest form of creativity. I like the chemistry we have as just friends aside from a band.
Octavious Mortis: The best part for me is making music and performing it to see how people react to it.
KRL: What is the hardest thing about being in a band?
Octavious Mortis: I think the hardest part is getting everyone together because of our schedules, but once we do get together, it’s smooth sailing.
KRL: What goals do you have for the future?
Pedro Montes: Our goal is to influence millions of people and start a new generation of music that will love for decades! And as long as it gets the rent paid that’s my personal goal.
Miguel Padilla: I would work on music as much as i can to give good music to the people.
Steven Balladarez: Just to progress musically!
Octavious Mortis: In the future, I’d like to make a living with music.
You can learn more about The Media, and find out when and where they are playing, by liking their Facebook page. You can also check them out on YouTube, and find their music on Sound Cloud.
You can find more arts & entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section.
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