By Crystal Harrell
On August 30th, Coachella Valley-based band Tourists, will be releasing its full-length studio album, Magic, onto streaming platforms. To mark this occasion, Tourists will be throwing an album release party at Little Street Music Hall in Indio—sharing the stage with Caña, The Divines, and Lazuli Bones, and featuring pop-ups from CoVal Catering, Cold Vintage Clothing, and Nora’s Bond Permanant Jewelry.
Tourists consists of Nick Galvan on vocals and rhythm guitar, Zach Rivizzigno on lead guitar and backup vocals, Billy Gargan on Bass, and Xavier Ocegueda on drums.
“Billy and I met working at a restaurant together. He told me he had just started to pick up the bass, and that he wrote a beat tape with his buddy Zach. After listening to their project, it was like a match under a flame. I was inspired and started writing music in my room, and after showing Billy and Zach, we knew we had to keep the ball rolling,” shared Galvan.
The three musicians wrote “Starting Over” together in March of 2021, and the rest of the album that same year. They met Xavier in the summer of 2022, and he was the first and only drummer they needed to try out. Tourist officially debuted their first show in October 2022.
“Our first gig was actually a hip-hop show in Pioneer Town up in Joshua Tree. The bill was other rappers Xavier happened to be friends with, and we were willing to play anywhere. We were the only band on that night, but it was a great test audience. Never forget where you came from!” stated Galvan.
Tourists exudes a summer-y, bright, energetic, passionate and full sound, drawing influence from a wide range of styles including indie, pop punk, math rock, and many more.
For the band’s first album, Magic, it was a learning experience as Touists continued the recording process. Songs like “Starting Over,” involved the band siting in a room together and taking turns adding to a project file, while songs like “Rent Free” were written in a couple of hours at their home, then shared with the group to finalize together. The band’s songs always start with a distinct chord progression they like or a nostalgic feeling from a tone.
“Our favorite song we love to play together is ‘Starting Over’ because it was the first song we’ve ever wrote together. That song is special because it ultimately became the song that brought us together as a band during our early stages. It’s a reminder that music is a powerful thing that collides dissonant worlds to make something so beautiful,” said Gargan.
Tourists has a long-term goal of touring. The band is blown away by the response people in the Coachella Valley have had to the music so far, and look forward to seeing what the rest of the world thinks.
“As we are dedicated to our commitment to our band. We are the musicians that we are because of our community, as it’s been awesome to be a part of this journey with it. Being present in the scene while it’s grown to new heights has been extremely beneficial for us. We really want to thank all the musicians we’ve met on our journey because they’ve inspired us to have the desire to be better. Major shoutout to our scene as we love our community and people who support us, and want to continue to grow alongside it. We can’t wait to continue to work with everyone while we pursue more releases in the future,” said Gargan.
Follow the latest on Tourists music and show dates, follow the band on Instagram @touristsmusic.
“I believe music has always played the role of strengthening social bonds within a community. Your local musicians are your community, and are there to foster genuine relationships with you. In my experience, that closeness creates a mutually beneficial relationship—an environment where everyone can learn from each other on a personal level. That’s something a top 40 billboard artist at a sold-out stadium can’t do. I’ve made lifelong friends with my favorite local bands and the crowds they bring,” stated Rivizzigno.
