Watsonville Patio shaped an unmistakable indie rock sound through pop- and rock-derived melodic phrasing, anchoring it with shadowy ballads and luminous motifs that rested on lyrics both uplifting and forceful. The group formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995 with William Venturelli on bass, Josh Vasquez on drums, and Ralph Vasquez on guitar. Janice Grube joined as vocalist after responding to a notice in a neighborhood newspaper. Taking their name from the title of a Robert Bechtle painting, the Californians adopted Watsonville Patio soon after coming together and headed into the studio shortly thereafter. They quickly laid down eight tracks that formed the band’s first release. Following the 1996 appearance of their self-titled debut EP, Watsonville Patio, the quartet embarked on its initial U.S. tour. The press responded with enthusiastic notices while a devoted and steadily expanding audience began to coalesce. At that point Ralph Vasquez departed and Dylan Brock stepped in. Over the next several years the band issued its first two full-length albums, Hotel Roselynn and Population 02, and performed dozens of concerts. In 2000 Brock exited and Greg Windell took his place. The following year the group tracked its third album, Cover the Sun With One Finger, under the guidance of producer Brad Cobb.
