Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Elizondo of Help! I’m Alive!.
Hi Jesse, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We began in 2018 with just me and my friend Andy Villarin. It was just us two. One day I got on Facebook to make a post asking if anybody wanted to jam. When I logged on the first post I saw was Andy’s post asking the same thing. So I messaged her. She came over a day later and got behind the drum kit and we just started rocking every day for a few months. Our first show was a benefit at Avant Garden in Montrose for a friend who passed. After that, we just started playing all around Houston. As we kept going, we added a bassist (Kevin Tarney of Gather the Corners) then he left and we got our current bassist (Beth Garcia) who’s been in the band the longest. We kept the ball rolling. Playing more and more shows and making a name for ourselves. Then Andy decided to move to Hawaii to be with her then girlfriend so the search for a drummer began. We recruited a friend and local drummer (Gigz of Gigz music). We kept it going then added Beth’s husband (Jacob Garcia of Fuska) moving Gigz to guitar. Then we played even MORE shows. From House of blues to Trip six and house of j. The ball kept rolling and the songs kept getting tighter. Gigz then left to focus on his family. We then added my childhood friend Alan Longoria to replace him. Now we have a full lineup and an album worth of material which will be released in early 2023. We have shows lined up for the near future and then we plan on taking a break to fine-tune the album and prepare for realest.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely been rough at times. From drunken stupors to insane shenanigans and broken equipment with no financial backing. Andy leaving was a very hard blow as she was extremely talented and brought an awesome flare to our sound. There have been times when our personal lives have gotten in the way and we don’t have practice for weeks. But we always find a way to get together and jam and create.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a musician. I play guitar for my band Help I’m Alive in Houston Texas. I’m most proud of playing a few festivals in town and opening for a Japanese band, Paranoid Void. I am very driven to be a professional touring musician it has been my main dream since I was a kid. I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years now and it’s my main dream to make come into fruition.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
When I was two years old, my Uncle Joe played guitar and had the sickest 80s-style guitars. One day my brother and sister were playing with it and would t let me touch it because they feared I’d break it. So uncle comes in and asks what am I crying about and I tell him I want to play the guitar and he sits me in his lap with his guitar and eats me strumming it. Then 9 years later I’m 11 and driving home with my dad. I see the sign for Fuller Vintage guitar on 610 and Yale and I bet my dad to stop. He says no so I bust out the ole waterworks and low and behold he turns around and we go in. The salesman asks me what I’m looking for and then puts a fender electric guitar in my hands and I swear I could feel the electricity coursing through my veins. It was the most electric feeling I ever felt. At that instance, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @helpimalive.htx
- Facebook: Facebook.com/helpimaliveband
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jesse-elizondo
Image Credits
Robert Rose Ig @regularrobert
Nicole Sergeant Ig @nicolesergentphotography
