Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Murillo.
Hi Jessica, 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.
My name is Jessica Murillo and I am the lead vocalist & guitarist for Houston based band Cactus Flowers. Cactus Flowers first hit the scene in 2019 with our first EP, Live at Steamboat Ampworks, followed by our first full-length release Incantations. I’ve always been intrigued with vinyl collection and design, so I knew that each release, starting with Incantations, needed to reflect that. Working in the service industry in Houston for over 10 years has allowed me the ability to not only save and self-produce projects, meet other artists and creatives in the city but also allow a flexibility for touring that was always a main goal and dream for the band.
In 2021, we self-released Solace EP on vinyl & cassette, coupled with a tour which originally started as a small collection of dates out West. Over the next year and a half, we would find ourselves traveling & performing in cities all over the U.S. Meeting new musicians and fans, and friends along the road and connecting through music; it is truly inspiring and motivating.
We have just finished recording, mixing, and mastering our second full-length album, and it will be released later this year. Written during our times traveling out West, the album is entitled Elation. Elation is defined as a feeling or state of great pride, gladness, high spirits, great happiness, exhilaration. We hope each song on our new album creates that feeling of elation in an individual. AND! There will be special vinyl printing of this release too.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Because we are not on a record label, everything we do is self-funded. Be it printing t-shirts, vinyl production, music videos, printing flyers – everything comes at a cost. But I’ve found out that over the years, if you really believe in what you want to do, then you should go for it, and the payoff comes in all different forms. Collaborating with posters artists over the years has been one of my favorite parts of the process of being a live musician that maybe I didn’t initially think about. Supporting each other, no matter what medium, is so important in the artist community. And surprisingly enough, it has been all the various merchandise sales at each show on the road that keeps gas in the tanks and us touring. Go to a show, buy a shirt or a CD, give them a listen on a streaming service. Every little bit can help.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At the core, I’m just a songwriter – and I guess that’s what I’m most proud of – to be able to write a story, to sing and perform my songs. To have people listening. And those songs. Creating opportunities to travel to places I would have never been. I’m continually humbled.
In 2021, I launched People.Parties.Places. presents, a promotional brand for booking gigs and showcases. Musicians typically reach out to connect with one another to try to play gigs in other cities, and I thought it could be fun to create an environment to facilitate this. We have done monthly series, gigs around Houston and Los Angeles, and more recently launched our first SXSW showcase this past March entitled ACID FEST. (In collaboration with Creation Dream Machine and the Liverpool Psychedelic Society). Proud mama moment in my career for sure!
It has been amazing to connect & spotlight musicians from around the globe, and I’m excited about exploring this next part of my booking career.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was born in Detroit, MI, but after one year moved to Houston, TX, where I was raised. We then moved to Columbus, Ohio, during my high school years. After graduation, I attended University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, where I received my Business Administration degree in Music Management with a minor in Entertainment Law.
I started playing classical violin when I was 9 years old and continued playing in symphony throughout my college career. My singing interest also started at an early age in church choir but was forced into the public when my mom entered me in a competition for a chance to sing on stage with Shania Twain. Fun fact: She entered at a K-Mart and the contest was sponsored by Gitano Jeans. My name got picked at random, and I had to sing in front of entire store of people and a judges panel. While I did not win, I got first runner-up and got to go backstage and meet Shania. I think at this moment, I knew I wanted to be a singer-songwriter. At age 13, I finally convinced my parents to let me get an acoustic guitar, and that was it – I knew I wanted to be rock & roller!
In college, I finally made the switch to electric guitar and started playing with various musicians on campus. Business savvy-wise, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the music industry while I was in school, so it was key to find a university that had a music management program. After graduation, I would go on to work for Daisy Rock Girl Guitars as their Artist Relations and Marketing manager. It was a dream job that included working with some of the top female musicians in the industry. While day-to-day everything was exciting, I just always felt this void that I wanted to be a musician and try living that lifestyle on my own terms, so I left the industry, and I moved back to Houston, Texas.
Fast forward to today – I get to play music with my best friends, tour, and continue writing and sharing my art with the world. I am so humbled, inspired, and fulfilled daily.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/cactusflowersband
- Instagram: @cactusflowersband
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cactusflowersband/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVPLMtx_VHFxADqBcTXA-bg
- SoundCloud: https://cactusflowers.bandcamp.com
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2CUm891xpEWnnG8JkuG5Re?si=uK6dlEnAQ7O9AodhckOs4w
Image Credits
@amp.rock
@nicolesergentphotography
@regularrobert
