Rising Starlets of the April Chase Band

Local and rising starlets in the band April Chase performed for an audience of more than 200 at their CD release party on Saturday night celebrating their new EP “Still Breathing”.

Other local bands performing with April Chase were Vincent Do, Beta State and The Parade who all rocked the stage before the stars of the show performed their new songs live along with some older favorites. 

The event was held at a humble venue in San Jose on Concourse Drive, off the beaten path, but was the perfect size for an up-in-coming band to show off what they had put their heart and soul into.  

The performance attracted an all-ages crowd, from high school to college students.  

Mark Sahagun, guitar player for April Chase and a Milpitas resident since he came to the United States from the Philippines when he was 16, said his favorite song from the new EP is All You Need to Say.  The second song on the album is, “very dancy,” Sahagun said.  

As guests ordered food from and food trucks, at times singing from a karaoke from a machine on one of the trucks, Milpitas High School senior Steffi Saflor said her favorite song on the album is Too Short to Ride.

Saflor said she first found out about April Chase when she saw them with My American Heart a couple months prior. When she discovered they were local she instantly became a fan. Saflor is proud to have a talented band be local.

“It’s pretty cool to have a band that is really good come from your own town,” she said. 

Tim Ferguson, lead guitar and back-up vocals expressed how personal the new album is to him. It deals with time he said, “ It deals with relationships and wrong timing of them, but at it also reflects my relationship with my parents.”

“This album is a summery of all our best efforts,” Ferguson said. 

The band recorded the new album in San Diego with help from Jesse Barrera. Sahagun said it was a benefit having Barrera help with the album, “[Barrera] helped us not only with the record, but brought us together as a band,” he said. 

When April Chase finally hit the stage, the crowd dance and sang along to every song they played. Lead singer Carina Valdes rocked the crowd and kept the energy going strong from the beginning to the end of the show. 

Ferguson said the band has high goals with the release of their EP and hopes that a tour is around the corner. 

For more information about April Chase and their new album “Still Breathing” visit http://www.facebook.com/aprilchasemusic. The album is also available on iTunes.