Local Artist: Hindu Pirates

What do you get when you mix 1 part teenage angst with 2 parts rock n' roll, 3 parts talent, and a shot of surf/punk style? Hindu Pirates. Hindu Pirates are a group of 5 Huntington Beach guys (Austin Ferreira - vocals, Casey Snyder - lead guitar, Derek Bostelman -bass, Ben Tinsley - drums, Joey LoBasso - rhythm guitar) fresh out of high school and ready to channel their raging hormones and zest for life into something more than a 5 year stint at Saddleback or OCC. These guys are going to climb that rock and roll stairway to heaven.

I got to see the amazingly talented quintet at the House of Blues Anaheim just last week. Many bands go their whole careers without getting to play such a well-known venue and these guys are checking it off their bucket list before they've even got fully grown facial hair. It's quite an accomplishment, not to mention a testament to the quality of their music. Hindu Pirates shared the bill with some of the finest bands in this fair county: The Union Line (just embarking on their national tour with Local Natives), Rye Douglas Band, Pacific Hurt (comprised of former members of Aushua), and Kiev. The show was amazing - nothing less than what I expected from such a lineup - But what impressed me most was seeing Hindu Pirates live for the first time. I had already been listening to their first full length album, Pelican Daze, the week prior to the show, so I was interested to see how they would fare in a live setting. They did not disappoint.

[Pelican Daze Album Artwork]

As my friends and I leaned against the upper balcony of the HOB, looking down upon the scene below, we could not help but turn to each other every five minutes, if not every minute, to say "I can't believe these guys are just out of high school." Captained by their fearless frontman, Austin Ferreira (clad in matching captains shirt), the Hindu Pirates never betrayed their age (or lack thereof), owning the stage like a bunch of well seasoned veterans. The way Ferreira manhandled and screamed at that mic stand would have made Mel Gibson proud. Hindu Pirates' sound is very reminiscent of The Walkmen, The Subways and The Libertines, or what those guys would have sounded like had they grown up in sunny SoCal rather than soggy old England or NYC. Raspy, sliding, hungry vocals are mixed with danceable garage rock drum beats, Dick Dale-esque distorted surf rock guitar, bouncing bass lines, and simply good lyrics about what else - girls and dancing. They're not trying to be the next Bono - they're just trying to make good music people can dance to. They're 18 with a music vengeance, and you'll want to be a part of their vendetta.


Head over to their myspace to fill your eardrums and stay up to date on upcoming Hindu Pirates shows. They have a show coming up this Sunday at 1:00 in the back lot of the Huntington Beach Surfing Museum. They even make house calls. As their myspace page says, "We want to be the soundtrack for your next big rager!" House of Blues Anaheim one day and Bobby Smith's 18th Birthday the next... it's the roller coaster ride that is adolescence. 


Pelican Daze Key Tracks: "Pretty Little Lady", "Huntington Hop", "Choo Choo", and "Gun in Hand"


- Amy


On my iTunes: Hindu Pirates' "Choo Choo"