Clever lyrics, catchy tunes, and three guys—these are the three main ingredients that formulate Orange County’s newest emerging punk rock trio, Drowning Fish. With a drive fueled by passion and dreams, Drowning Fish is not just another band that doesn’t give a damn. They’re going somewhere. As far as Mario Morcos (guitar and vocal), Marc Morcos (drums), and Alex Spitz (bass) are concerned, Drowning Fish is their life.
Traces of the band’s evolution reach all the way back to 1994, when brothers Mario and Marc decided to give a name to their new-found obsession. That name of course—Drowning Fish. Although the two had been playing their instruments for some time by this point, it was not till then that more serious thought was put into the formation of a band. For the first time, attempts at songwriting were made, and band practice became a little more than just musically challenged sessions of “Name That Tune.”
As the years passed, what began as just casual and fun, slowly turned more serious. Eventually, the duo found themselves with a variety of original songs, yet unable to perform anywhere due to the absence of a bass player. So the search began, and a countless number of flyers, ads, and inquiries were posted, placed, and made.
The search for the right bass player was a grueling, and seemingly endless task for the two. The few times someone was picked to fill the position, and the band was finally able to get out and start establishing themselves via live shows, circumstances would take their hopes hostage, and Drowning Fish would be forced back to two members again. By the Fall of 2000, discouraged by how much time and energy was being invested into their quest without result, a decision was finally made to temporarily call off the search, and head for the recording studio.
With the pressures of searching for a bass player off for the time being, Mario and Marc were able to focus on devoting all their time to the making of their first release—a 15-song album to be entitled Memories Made, Times Forgotten. The 15 songs were chosen, and the two got busy dissecting each tune to perfection… and practicing the bass lines they themselves would record in the studio.
The entire process took much longer than the two could have ever imagined, spending ten months just hunting perfection in the form of tunes, guitar riffs, background vocals, etc. for all 15 songs—one song at a time. The Summer of 2001 finally brought the band into the studio, where they would spend 16 strenuous eight-hour days over the span of two months recording. And then finally, by the Fall of 2001, it was complete. Memories Made, Times Forgotten was a reality.
The Summer of 2002 has brought the band important milestones and deserving success. With a brand new full length album selling from a bedroom by the hundreds a month, a rapidly growing fan base fueled mostly by the buzz of word of mouth, and the long awaited ammunition of a recently acquired bass player, Drowning Fish is alive and on the threshold of everything possible. Since June 2002, 1925 full-length CDs have been sold (as of May 30), over 8100 promo CDs (along with thousands of fliers) have been personally burned and handed out, and print ads have been purchased both online (AbsolutePunk.net, WorldWidePunks.com, SanDiegoPunk.com) and offline (OC Weekly – June 28, 2002).
Drowning Fish is not just another band without a clue. With plans such as “High School Invasion Tour 2003,” daily practice sessions, 60+ songs (with new songs always in the making), and a true passion for live shows, this hard-working and highly motivated trio seem to know exactly what they want, and how they will get it. With a future that proves wide, long, and promising, expect this to only be the beginning of what you now know as Drowning Fish.
