Deadhead Possum (DHP) is a local indie band, comprised of guitarists Alex Aguirre and Raymond Ortiz, bass guitarist Natalia Camacho, drummer Jeremiah “Jerm” Bernaldez and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ewan Graves.

The band, inspired by shoegaze, grunge, emo and metal roots, got its start from a simple text.

“We started back in high school,” Graves said. “I always thought they were really cool, and I knew that they were musically inclined and very talented. We weren’t even that close, but I was just randomly like, ‘Hey, let’s start a band, bro.’ Then, we started it.”

After a few lineup changes, Ortiz, previously a member of the band Worm Ceiling, and Bernaldez also cemented their roles within the group. The band, which draws its name from the film “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, names groups like Pearl Jam, Modern Baseball, Mom Jeans and Title Fight as inspiration.

“I think all of us love those bands. I love that music because it’s very personal to those people, and I want my music to be personal and it’s very hard to do that,” Aguirre said.

DHP has some songs quite personal to them, such as the record “Rainbows are Meant to be Crossed” which is featured on the band’s most recent EP, “My Beautiful Messy Uncut Mind.” The song explores themes of grief and loss and reflects the most personal emotions of the DHP members.

“I had just lost  two very close people, so every time I sing it, I always get [emotional],” Graves said. “But it also means a lot because we wrote it during a time when we weren’t really  seeing each other as often. Whenever we would play it, it just felt like all our emotions, our stress, our whole lives–we put it into the performance of that song and it’s just very emotional for us.”

The band doesn’t just aim to make their music personal to them, but their audience as well.

“Being in a band is not so much about just playing music and performing it. It’s also just having a good message. People want to listen for a reason. Right now, there’s just a lot of hate, bigotry [and] very close-minded thinking. Our goal as a band is to bring awareness to all this stuff going on and letting people know they’re not alone,” Graves said.

“It’s what punk has always been. It’s not about putting yourself out there, it’s about lifting everybody else up,” Aguirre said, adding in. 

DHP does just that through their community service and outreach efforts. They play at various fundraisers and community drives, like one hosted by Mona Bar of Modern Art in service of La Posada Home, which serves women and children who were survivors of domestic abuse. The drive raised $600 in addition to hygiene products, cleaning supplies and baby formula.

Other El Paso bands join DHP for their outreach, benefit shows and concerts. Together, the local band scene has created a web of communities that support each other. However, like any music scene, there’s friendly competition, but DHP says they get the most from maintaining their authenticity.

“When there’s opportunity in your face, try to make the most out of it, because everyone here is trying to do that. If there’s a popular person there, everyone is trying to talk to them, but we just play our best and hope that they like it, and so far, that’s done us all right,” Bernaldez said.

DHP hopes that by staying true to themselves and supporting each other in the process, they can send the right message to their listeners.

“We shouldn’t have to conform to some sort of normality. There shouldn’t be a specific way that people have to live because everybody’s different. You go to different parts of the world, and even in those parts, there are different communities and different people. As long as they’re not doing harm to anyone else, everyone should be able to live their life happily and without fear,” Graves said. 

On April 20, DHP has two singles releasing on streaming platforms, titled “Joe” and “Decipher.” Ortiz names the songs as the best the band has created so far, and the band describes their excitement around their release.

To support DHP, you can follow their Instagram, or find their songs on Apple Music, Spotify, and Soundcloud @deadheadpossum.