While mainstream music continues to become more commercialized and less visionary, many musicians aim to create music containing the substance that radio airwaves seem to lack. It is with this goal that L.A.’s Tomorrows Bad Seeds has emerged onto the music scene and is quickly gaining momentum as one of the hottest rising bands in Southern California. With a high-energy mix of reggae, rock, punk, soul and hip-hop, they create a refreshing and vibrant sound that can captivate any crowd.
Tomorrows Bad Seeds’ music is driven by its rumbling rhythm section, punching guitar riffs, harmonic vocals and lyrics charged by day-to-day experiences, love, and politics. What stand out most in the band’s songs are the positive messages. The band’s sound is a fuse of the different backgrounds of each band member and has been compared to Sublime and 311.
Tomorrows Bad Seeds is comprised of Moises Juarez (lead vocals), Sean Chapman (vocals/guitar), Mathew McEwan (vocals/guitar), John McEwan (drums), and Al Arnado (bass). After forming in October 2003, The Bad Seeds began aggressively touring the South Bay Los Angeles area with an increasingly substantial following, especially among the surf, skate, and beach crowd. The band’s live performances are electrifying and create a wave of excitement on stage. “We have accomplished more than I ever imagined, but who knows what the future will bring ‘cus were just getting started,” warns Moi.
Moises Juarez was born in the surf community of Manhattan Beach and raised in South Bay, California. He got his voice from his mother. Her Scottish roots include a long line of vocalists. Moi’s charisma and rhythm come from his father’s Latin side. Moi had a life long dream to become a singer/song writer/entertainer. He began break dancing at the age of 14. Although much too shy to sing in front of people, break dancing allowed him to over come his fear of the spot light and gain the confidence needed. At age 18 he was appearing as a dancer in music videos with musicians such as Sting, Missy Elliot, and Mandy Moore. He was selected from ten thousand applicants to audition in Los Angeles for the reality TV show Popstars 2 in 2000. He went on to win and join the musical group Scene 23 as Moises “Bad Seed” Juarez. In 2002, Moi got together with Mathew McEwan and started playing acoustic shows locally in the south bay. “Music is the only thing no one can ever take away from me, it lives in me. It makes me feel like everything is going to be alright,” says Moi.
Mathew McEwan was born in the South Bay to a very musical family. His mother was a writer and recorded many of her own songs; while his father was a guitar player in two rock bands, The Regulators and Smith & Wesson. Growing up, Mathew listened to a wide variety of music such as Cat Stevens, Lynard Skynard, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Metallica, N.W.A., and Bob Dylan. As a rebellious youth, Mat used his music as an emotional outlet. For hours on end, he and his cousin Johnny would play together in their garage. Mat played in several local bands in the South Bay until he met Moises and began his Bad Seeds journey.
John McEwan grew up in the South Bay. As a youth, he had a life long dream to be a musician. As the cousin of Mathew McEwan (guitarist of the Bad Seeds), Johnny wanted to learn how to play guitar, but found it difficult to learn from his cousin because Mat played left handed. With a strong desire to play music, Johnny began banging on pots and pans in the garage while Mat played the guitar. Johnny quickly realized his talent as a drummer, leading his aunt to buy him a drum set. Johnny played in several local bands with Mathew before meeting Moises and becoming a Bad Seed.
Al Arnado was born and raised in the South Bay. He picked up the guitar at an early age because there was always one laying around the house. His first experience in front of an audience was in a punk rock band. Through the years he ventured in various musical projects. He played in Sabbath and Zeplin tribute bands as well as writing and producing hip-hop tracks. It was in 2003 at the Redondo Beach break wall where he met Moi and Mat who happened to be looking for a bass player. Al agreed to play with the band. After a year of playing together, Al, Mat, and Johnny realized they were related through marriage. That’s when Al knew he was destined to be a Bad Seed. “It feels good to hear people tell me that listening to our songs inspires them or lifts their spirits which in turn inspires me and really lifts my spirits,” says Al.
Sean Chapman grew up in the south bay and is no stranger to the entertainment business. His mother was a fashion model and with his father a musician and record executive, Sean spent many hours in the recording studio with his dad sitting under the mixing console playing with his Gameboy. Sean started playing guitar at age 11. His first appearance as a guitar player was at his eighth grade talent show at Hermosa Valley Middle School. A year later Sean was playing guitar in a South Bay punk band while playing drums in an alternative rock band, which lasted three years. During that time, the punk band Sean played with performed shows with Tomorrows Bad Seeds locally in the South Bay. In 2003, Moises and Mat asked if Sean would jam with them and eventually Sean became the fifth Bad Seed.
Tomorrows Bad Seeds started recording their debut album in 2007, releasing “Early Prayers” on UrbanTone Records in June of that year. TBS has a very different approach to recording their music. Their record label gives the band full freedom to be themselves, keeping their individual identity, and allowing them stay true to their style.
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