Sons of Zapata is an American rock band formed in Brawley, CA in 1999. The group’s line-up includes lead singer and rhythm guitarist Anthony J. Jauregui, lead guitarist Jesse “Corky” Jauregui, bassist Mark Valencia and drummer Steve “Crail” Garcia III. The bands name is a testament to their patriarchs as they once jammed together in their own rock band “Zapata” back in the sixties and seventies.
Prior to Valencia’s departure in 2003 to attend college in Los Angeles, the band released the Corndog EP and and followed up with two separate self-titled EP’s. The recordings secured numerous shows for the band throughout the southern California region and they played consistently up through 2014 until its hiatus. The original line-up regrouped in 2020 and released a three song EP titled “Rebirth” in April 2021 and immediately followed-up in May 2021 with a video release for “Fugazi” one of the tracks off the album. Euphoria, their follow-up six song EP was released one year later in April 2022. Awakening was released as a single in March 2023 and the band is currently working on a third EP set to be released early 2025.
The band blends elements of rock, alternative metal, nu metal and post-grunge in their sound as they have referenced bands such as Deftones, Tool, Faith No More, Incubus, RHCP, SOAD, Radiohead, Chevelle, 311, Glassjaw and Failure as their primary influences.