The Politics

The Politics are an Austin based indie-rock trio, formed in February, 2005. The band is comprised of Patrick Gonzalez (guitar and vocals), Steven Gonzalez (drums), and Andrew Campbell (bass). Patrick and Steve are brothers who grew up in El Paso, Texas. Andrew, originally from Friendswood, Texas, met Patrick as a freshman at St. Edward's University. After recording a self-titled EP in May 2006, the band has become a staple in the Austin indie scene.

In 2007, the band recorded their debut full-length album entitled These Bridges Will Not Stand. The release was followed by a Western United States tour, which received heavy blog attention from Ultra8201 and Rock Insider. While on tour, the group was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol. Having already ingested all of the contraband acquired in Los Angeles, the band escaped a close one. However, Patrick and the Politics' manager, Richard, received citations for not wearing seat belts, and Steve received a citation for failure to maintain speed. Andrew avoided a citation due to his ethnicity (Caucasian).

After the conclusion of the tour, The Politics began playing regular shows at the Beauty Bar and The Mohawk. In September 2007, the group received reviews of their album by Austin Sound, Covert Curiosity, and Hilltop Views. The band is expected to be playing several SXSW day shows and will conduct another national tour in Summer 2008.

Critical Acclaim

“Austin band, The Politics, draws from early 80s (Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, REM) and others (INTERPOL, Killers, etc.) to create a sound that is seemingly retro and modern simultaneously.”
-Chris Grady (June 2006)
Flamingocantina.com

“The Politics hail from Austin, TX. I had a little trouble trying to pigeon these guys into one genre and eventually just gave up (music should never be pigeoned anyways). It's great to see a band that marries jazz basslines, that new wave beat, and ole school rawk n' roll into one fantastic sound. Kudos gents!”
-Rock Insider (September 2006)
Rock Insider.com

“The band treated us to an albums worth of new material and carried themselves not as a novice band starting out (which I see quite a bit) but a band that has something special and want to share it with anyone who will listen. I felt like I witnessed something special and more than likely I did.” -ultra8201 (July 2006)
Ultra8201.com

“The Politics have been receiving a fair amount of attention from blogs around town. It’s well deserved notice as the trio have been electrifying clubs around town since their formation just earlier this year. While the group works within the dance rock mode that have dominated much of the decade’s sound, they compliment the throbbing beats with more powerful guitars that ring with garage and even touches of surf rock riffs.”
-Austin Sound (December 2006)
Austinsound.net

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