west8five

West 8 Five is an energetic young band that originally formed in New York City. Their music is a soulful blend of catchy pop/rock with Latin rhythm and style.
It's like a night out for margaritas and tequila shots
with Maroon 5 and Jack Johnson
The band's Spanish/English fusion creates a uniquely contagious sound that unfailingly gets fans on their feet. A quick look at the fan base tells the diverse, culturally transcendent story of this band - breaking boundaries in the tradition of some of the best music of our time. West 8 Five began as an acoustic duo back in the spring of 2003 when lead singer/guitarist Adam Piotrowski met fellow singer/bassist Felipe Cano at New York City's HB Studio, an esteemed theatre school. The duo quickly discovered a strong creative chemistry, naturally blending their musical, personal, and cultural backgrounds, giving life to an exciting new sound. As the music progressed they brought in drummer Jeremy Portwood and began playing live show dates as a band. Finally during the recording process of their first album they added percussionist Demian Arriaga to complete the current roster.

The recording of their debut album, Life Is Good, began in the early summer of 2005. The band spent time traveling back and forth from NYC to Boston to complete the record. The recording process shaped and defined West 8 Five as they crystallized their new sound and direction. They were honored to work with such talent as mix engineer Carl Nappa (Nelly, N’SYNC, Extreme), percussionist Eguie Castrillo (Tito Puente, Jennifer Lopez, Ruben Blades), as well as Steve Cattazone, Leo Mellace, and Jeff Yurek of Sanctum Sound Studios in Boston (The Click Five, Wyclef Jean, My Chemical Romance). In April of 2006, West 8 Five released Life Is Good to a beyond capacity crowd of 450 at the Coda Lounge in NYC.

Their following grew quickly in NYC and the band began packing shows at the city's hottest music venues such as The Mercury Lounge, The Knitting Factory, The Cutting Room, and Crash Mansion to name a few. Soon after, they were invited to play with Grammy award-winning artists Ozomatli at the closing show of the Breckenridge Spring Massive Festival in Colorado. Following the release of Life Is Good, the band has recently relocated to southern California for a host of new opportunities following a wave of press throughout the entertainment and music community. West 8 Five has received recognition and been featured in: Stuff Magazine (Mar '07), Spin Magazine (Nov '06), Hamptons Magazine (end of season issue ‘06), and Garageband.com.

"Congratulations...it's brilliant!
- Marta Iglesias, Press Manager,
Juane

"I'm very impressed...West 8 Five's
eclectic sounds and song craft make
them unique. I especially like when
they kick in the Spanish!
- Malcolm Campbell, Publisher, SPIN
Magazin

“Watch out for these guys, they’re
going to be huge. I love them!
- Rick Dees, Radio Host, Movin’
93.9FM, Rick Dees In The Morning,
The Weekly Top 4

“One of the best undiscovered bands to
hit Southern California! Their music
is the perfect combination of rock,
pop, and a Latin flair.
- Patricia Lopez, TV/Radio Host,
LATV, DirecTV, Movin’ 93.9FM