Rock n’ roll trio Flames of Durga debuts new lineup with outdoor Sunday show (07/26)
On Thursday afternoon, local band Flames of Durga joined me on the air at Z107.7FM. The group is fronted by twin sisters Béah and Cecilia Romero, who play guitar and bass, while Alejandra Robles Luna holds down the beat as drummer. The band has been well established in the local music scene for the past several years, and their energetic live shows frequently charge audiences at Hi-Desert venues like Pappy and Harriets.
“So Durga is a goddess from Hindu mythology, and she is this personified force of nature. She has eight arms, she slays demons and we are really connected with her energy. She rides a lion or a tiger. My sister Cecilia, or Ces, and I are also Leos, and we really resonate with that fierce feline energy and fire. We knew naming our band, we not only wanted a goddess name in the band, but we also wanted that fire element. It just naturally sort of came up to be “Flames of Durga.”
“Durga is a fierce feminine force of nature, and we definitely connect with that energy through our music.”
“We like to slay those demons in our music and on stage, and hopefully when people resonate, they’re able to slay their demons, too.”
Béah and Ces originally formed Flames of Durga in 2014 as an acoustic duo. Now, over ten years later, the band is embracing their new era as an all-female rock n’ roll trio with the addition of Alejandra, whose experience and connection to the Flames of Durga music sets the stage – literally – for an electric dynamic.
“I always joke that I play rock n’ roll for passion and I play pop for money. That’s what I did for so many years, and so I got to a point where I was a little burnt out. I said, the next project that I join needs to be really special and needs to be the right fit for me, and that’s how this felt.”
“I will have to say three women coming together rocking out is just like this whole other energy. I’m so stoked on it, it feels so great, so empowering, so right.”
“It’s so cathartic for all of us, too. We’ve all been going through the things we’ve been going through, and we’ve been able to alchemize it on this whole other level coming together and joining forces.”
The band looks forward to creating their first album in their new, all-female form.
“We’ve got some demos that we’re super excited about and also a lot of new material is just coming up that we’re really excited to work on together. This August we’re hitting the studio. We’re going to be working with Alex Newport as a producer. We worked with him on our singles Spirit Guide and Bicker, the last couple singles. We’re also going to be headed into Rancho de la Luna as well later in the year.”
Flames of Durga is debuting their new lineup this weekend with an outdoor performance in the hi-desert, and additional shows to follow.
“This Sunday we’re rocking Mon Petit Mojave, right on the Mesa. We’re really excited; it’s a super special set. It’s the longest set we’ve ever done, which is killer that the first show she’s playing with us is like over an hour long. It’s a super cool outdoor space. We’re starting during magic hour; it’s going to be sunset immersed in the Joshua trees. I believe it started during COVID as like this drive-in concert series; they’ve kept it rocking and rolling, and we’re stoked to be part of it.”
“We’ve actually never played Venice, but we’re going to be hitting up Venice July 31 at the Venice West. We’re supporting this really killer, high energy, punk-rock, rock n’ roll band called Strawberry Fuzz. We’re just stoked to join forces and support them; they’re also releasing a new album.
“Then we come back to the desert and play another desert show later at night with the Midnight Cowgirls. It’s going to be an all-female takeover in the Hi-Desert at Snakebite Roadhouse on August 1.”
“For Mon Petit Mojave, all you have to do is RSVP. It’s a free show, and it’s very community oriented.”
“We’re stoked to rock out into the sunset amongst the Joshua trees. It’s gonna be pretty epic.”
Flames of Durga is playing a free live show at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday (July 26) at Mon Petit Mojave, located at 57050 Sun Mesa Drive in Yucca Valley. To reserve a spot at the drive-in performance, visit their website.
For more highlights on music, local and beyond, tune into Z107.7 on weekday afternoons with Adeline J. Wells, on the air from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
