Your First Impressions of an Emerging Teenage Alt-Rock Band, Trueblood.

By Bethany Mikrut

In November 2024, four Southern Californian brothers began posting music covers and content on social media and instantly blew up. They received co-signs from musical stars including Coldplay, Maroon 5, Goo Goo Dolls, Foo Fighters, and Laufey. The band consisted of four teenage brothers, Cameron, Dylan, Mason, and Ethan Trueblood. Deciding to go by their last name, the band Trueblood officially emerged.

After starting from the ground up, performing pop-up shows at beaches and block parties, their fame continued to rise and even landed them an opening slot for the All-American Rejects in April of 2025. Trueblood signed to Mercury Records in March of 2026, and they recently released their EP titled First Impressions on September 18th.

The inspiration behind their tracks is rooted in garage rock and punk elements from childhood musical nostalgia, including Radiohead and Nirvana, stating they take inspiration from "music that our parents played for us." However, their inspiration came from so much more, as their music tastes are constantly changing each month. When hitting the studios, they didn't go in thinking of nostalgia, but "we leaned towards it." Since Trueblood's band dynamic is so unique, that is what makes it work. Each member of the family has their own creative department and brings their own ideas. For example, their father works on a lot of their videos, including music videos on platforms such as YouTube, while their mother handles merch design and logistics.

First Impressions consists of five tracks, each with its own story. The EP opens with "Paint a Picture," which paints the first impression of the album with a wicked guitar and instrumental introduction. The track is followed by "It All Depends," an emotional track about longing for someone who has departed from their lives that they feel deep regret. "Make it Out" is the third track on the EP and handles feelings of emotional burnout and anxiety. The music video features them playing on a roof that plays odes and inspiration to some of their older social media videos. Similar to "Make it Out," the next track, "Matter of Time," discusses the feelings of isolation specifically through the age of social media, where users feel disconnected from their peers. The EP closes with "Come Back, I Miss You," which handles the deep pain after a relationship ends. This EP is an amazing project that summarizes what it is like to be a teenager in today's age. Their approach was that they just wanted to create "unique work," which they definitely accomplished.

After just finishing their second tour, Trueblood still focuses on grassroots connection and says they wish to carry through this journey. They state, "We didn't really change much with new audiences... but people actually chose to be there." They did, however, adapt to their new audiences by including fewer covers and more original music in attempts to create a new established fanbase outside of their viral covers. The band's live music journey has been rapidly growing, from playing hometown shows at the Observatory North Park in San Diego to embarking on tours across the country. The members expressed their amazement by stating, "There are people there who know our lyrics," sometimes even days after its release. They mention that each show has its own unique thing they love about it. Trueblood will continue to grow and change as a band after each live show, studio session, and rehearsal.

The story of Trueblood is rooted in family and brotherhood. Like twins, they claim to have telepathy between the four of them and even state, "It's rare when we disagree." Being brothers, they mention how it is easy to settle creative disagreements through communication. For example, if three members were on board to include a song on the EP, but one wasn't, they simply wouldn't include it. They express that the majority of their arguments are about food rather than music or creative decisions.

Even after being signed by Mercury Records earlier this year, Trueblood still promises to prioritize DIY and grassroots music. They mention how they have still been DIYing their music; however, now they have the industry backing them. They mention how they have been "connecting with people we never thought we would meet." Ultimately, being signed by a major label has been a momentous moment in their careers, but ultimately, at the end of the day, Trueblood is "family first" and will prioritize each other over their music. Even if Trueblood didn't exist, they would still be playing music together in their garage.

We look forward to seeing what Trueblood's next steps will be in the next few years and beyond. Make sure to support Trueblood on their socials and stream First Impressions out now.