Mauve Pocket’s Fast Rise

Five months after meeting for the first time, Mauve Pocket went from casual backyard jam sessions to landing a coveted gig at L.A.’s legendary Whisky a Go Go — a meteoric rise for a band without a name or a drummer when they booked their first gig. 

Blending hard rock, soul, R&B, and grunge, the four-piece has quickly become one of Santa Barbara’s most buzzed-about bands. Lead vocalist Jenna Krebbs says that “serendipity” is probably the only word for it.

It all started with a note slipped under a neighbor’s door in March of this year. 

“I moved into a new apartment and for a couple months, I heard guitar shredding through the ceiling,” Krebbs explained. “So, I left a note, put my number on it [and] said, ‘Let’s jam.’”

A few days later, the two finally met face to face, only for Krebbs to realize that she and guitarist Jake Slocum shared more than just a love of music.

“He walked into one of the bars I worked at, and we quickly found out that we were born in the same hospital in Dallas [Texas],” Krebbs said.

No rehearsal. No idea of each other’s musical abilities. And yet, when they finally played together, the songs flowed effortlessly.

“We just clicked. We didn’t have to communicate; we could do the right harmonies without even talking about it,” Slocum said. “But we had no anticipation of finding other people at first.”

But when seasoned bassist Aidan Kockler walked into Old Kings Road, the bar where Krebbs worked at the time, gears started turning — fast.

Kockler is no stranger to Santa Barbara’s thriving music scene. For years, he made a name for himself with the band Deadset, giving the group a bassist with both skill and connections.

Music influences, genre taste, cover ideas — all were aligned, and numbers were quickly exchanged. Before long, Kockler was hosting jam sessions in his backyard.

It was apparent that their musical and interpersonal chemistry needed an outlet, Krebbs explained. Within three weeks, their first gig was booked at Santa Barbara Cider Company.

But they still needed a drummer. 

“I was texting one of my close friends, Bailey [McDonnell], asking if he knew anyone,” Krebbs said. “He sent me back a selfie of him and this fool with a cigarette in his mouth.”

Turns out that “fool with a cigarette” was Taylor O’Shann — “Taz” — a lifelong drummer.

“Taz walks into the bar a few days later to meet with us and starts talking about how much he loves music, how big a role it plays in his life,” Slocum said. “[We all] got emotional.”

O’Shann had plenty of talent to offer; the group immediately knew he was the piece they’d been searching for. 

But an important part was still missing: their name.

Despite putting potential names in a hat and asking friends, family, and regular bar patrons to vote on their favorites, the bandmates said none of the contenders felt right.

They toyed with words that might pair well: “Pocket Hands,” “Pocket Aces.” Eventually, “Pocket” stuck. Then Kockler’s mind started wandering to other bands that incorporated colors in their names — Deep Purple, Black Sabbath. 

But what about a color? Krebbs threw out “Mauve,” and everyone’s head turned. The soft, light shade of purple resonated, and phonetically, it sounded perfect.

And so, Mauve Pocket was born, quickly moving from their first gig to playing several nights a week at local bars and venues that opened their arms to them. 

“We’re extremely blessed that Santa Barbara did this for us,” Krebbs said. “It was more than just us being good musicians. It was these people, this community who created us.”

After just their 10th show, something remarkable happened: A producer from the legendary Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles sought them out.

“It’s one of the most iconic places in the entire world. It’s pretty phenomenal we got booked and gained traction in that amount of time,” O’Shann said.

While the ultimate goal is to play more venues like the Whisky, the appeal of performances outside of Santa Barbara pales compared to what this music-loving scene has given the band.

O’Shann explained that the hope is always to play around the world, but they never want people to forget that Santa Barbara will always be in the heart of what they do.

For most bands, achieving musical congruence can be a challenge. But Mauve Pocket’s biggest problem? They just can’t stop writing.

Their upcoming album promises a harmonious blend of all their backgrounds, with each song weaving together lyrics and styles into what they call a “mauve collage.” 

“Acting Alive,” and “Strange Dopamine,” are just two tracks from their 10-song debut album. As for the release date? All we know is it’s coming soon.

Meant to be? Or maybe just the tatted, short-haired bartender was bold enough to slip a note under a neighbor’s door and spark Santa Barbara’s hottest new band. “One thing I’ll never forget is when we were all walking around one day,” Slocum said. “And someone stops their car, full hard stop in the middle of the road, rolls their window down and yells, ‘Jenna, you’re fucking awesome!’”

For more information, see @mauvepocket.