Pierce the Veil: From San Diego Punks to National Headliners, Navigating Grief and Finding Strength in Connection
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The air inside the Frolic Room, a Hollywood landmark steeped in 91 years of history, is a cool respite from the California heat. A classic Rolling Stones track fills the dimly lit space as early drinkers gather, a familiar scene of shadowy glamour and easy laughter. It’s an unlikely setting for pierce the Veil – the San Diego-bred post-hardcore band currently charting a course through major venues across the country – but a convenient meeting point during a rapid Los Angeles trip.
around a small cocktail table, amidst the vintage charm and a framed portrait of Barfly’s Mickey Rourke, the band members are surprisingly grounded. Singer-guitarist Vic Fuentes and lead guitarist Tony Perry opt for coffee, while bassist Jaime Preciado nurses a glass of ice water. Even I, joining the conversation, stick to a simple Coke. This isn’t a scene of rockstar excess; it’s a moment of quiet reflection for a band on the rise.
Pierce the Veil’s ascent has been steadily building since the 2023 release of their fifth album,The Jaws of Life,and the subsequent tour that saw them commanding the stage at iconic venues like the Forum in Los Angeles. Now, fueled by the lush, newly released single “Kiss Me Now” (from the deluxe edition of Jaws of Life), they’re gearing up for two shows in Austin, Texas, on October 10th and 11th.
Formed in 2006, Pierce the Veil’s journey from local San Diego punks to nationally recognized artists might have once seemed improbable. But Fuentes harbored a clear vision.”I looked up to bands like Paramore and Green Day – seeing that organic growth was possible,” he explains. “I always hoped we’d find our way, somehow.”
That “way” has been built on a foundation of unwavering dedication and a strong sense of community. The band members still live within 15 minutes of each other in San Diego, frequently enough rehearsing in a studio built at Fuentes’s parents’ home near Mission Bay. while their sound has evolved, incorporating more dynamic elements, their aesthetic remains rooted in their hardcore origins – a uniform of t-shirts, sneakers, Doc Martens, and a tapestry of tattoos.
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“I came up playing really fast SoCal punk, and I loved bands like Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords,” Fuentes shares, sporting a faded blue California t-shirt and a backward baseball cap – the sole member currently tattoo-free. “That influence is still woven into our music.”
The early days were a testament to DIY grit. Pierce the Veil honed their craft on the road, traversing the country in an RV, learning the ropes of the music industry from the ground up. this relentless touring not only propelled them to their current level of success but also forged a resilience that would be tested in the most heartbreaking way. fuentes describes the past year as a period of “the highest highs and the lowest lows.”
On May 22nd,tragedy struck. A private plane crash claimed the lives of several close friends and colleagues,
