Meet Adrian Garcia

We recently connected with Adrian Garcia and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Adrian with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

Work ethic is a very tricky thing when it comes to art. For me, work ethic is sometimes run by fear. The fear of not accomplishing a deadline, a short term goal… long term goal. It’s the fear of failure that sometimes sets the groundwork for work ethic to take its shape and end up as something that sticks. I think once I came to terms with that and the understanding that the accountability was all mine, things became clear. If you’re true to yourself and focused on a goal, work ethic will always find a way into your life even if you’re not that good with it (like I am lol)

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Adrian Garcia. I’m the frontman of cinematic indie band PANS and “The world’s first Cuban ondes Martenot player”
That last bit is self-proclaimed but probably true haha!

I’ve been a part of Miami’s music community for nearly 20 years. During my high school years at New World School of Arts, I started my first band and fell in love with the craft. I always loved playing music but creating my own was a new area of self expression for me. I was lucky to have those formative years. I was always kind of the indie kid growing up. Even when bands like The Strokes were making “indie” mainstream I was moving backwards and getting into Radiohead, Bjork, DJ Shadow, and then a bunch of 20th century classical music. In college I saw a band called Other Lives perform and it was like a light bulb turning on in my head. They were on stage with a vibraphone, timpani, cello…violins! It resonated deeply with me and just felt so refreshing. I instantly knew that was the sound I wanted to chase. That set me on my path with PANS which has created more beautiful relationships and experiences than I could count. As PANS, I released an album during the pandemic and have been releasing music since. We’ve been able to create a cool niche for ourselves. There’s not a lot of bands in Miami with strings and bass clarinet. I think people appreciate what we do. I’m very blessed to still carry so much love for it after all these years.

This year I released a couple of singles “Dusty Hands” and “Our Ways”. These along with other singles will be part of a larger bit of work to be released early next year.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think the best skill to have is to listen. As a musician and collaborator it’s so important. Learning how to bounce ideas back and forth in a constructive way can really get things moving. After that, I would say hone in on your craft. Put in the work to become better everyday whether it’s improving your playing, singing, songwriting etc. The more love you put into it the easier it tends to become.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

2024 has been a very difficult year for me. I didn’t perform as much this year which tends to cause all sorts of anxieties. Usually I set up summer tours with PANS and that’s where I get my performance fix. We actually end up doing more shows out of town on average than we do locally. I might change that up for 2025. Overall, lots of changes. The end of a long relationship, losing my home/studio that served as my creative oasis since 2018 and the yearning to leave Miami to explore my music endeavors elsewhere. Imposter syndrome has also been at an all time high. Getting older and realizing I’ve sacrificed opportunities for financial and mental stability for the sake of my passion has all been too real. It’s very strange because the concept of the new music shines a light on all of this. Somewhat like a prophecy. The title of the upcoming EP is “Passing the Ghost”. It’s been a phrase that has loomed over the entire year. Shedding the old self. Moving on from what no longer serves you. Recognizing when evolution is afoot. I tend to be very complacent sometimes. To a detriment. I think focusing on the work and trusting the process has really been the mantra of the year. I’m looking forward to sharing the music and seeing what comes next.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Travis Morin
OIGO
April Nicole
Richie Hell
Miranda Reinike
@nycmusicians
@c_adoara

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