With Mexican and Salvadoran roots in the San Gabriel Valley, East of Los Angeles, Angelica Garcia has spent the last few years creating a new, second family for herself within the welcoming community of Richmond, VA. The bond is christened with the announcement of Garcia’s signing to Spacebomb Records and the release of her first two singles for the preeminent Richmond label: “It Don’t Hinder Me,” an anthem celebrating her roots that blends Wall of Sound pop and Southern rock, and “Karma The Knife,” a Reaggeaton-meets-dancehall earworm. “It Don’t Hinder Me” arrives alongside a new Spencer Ford-directed video filmed in the surrounding neighborhoods of Garcia’s family’s home in El Monte, California, featuring family photos and shots at local favorites like Tyler Market & Tacos El Arco.

Garcia explains, “‘It Don’t Hinder Me’ is a song about being proud of where I come from. I went to a magnet school that united different sectors of Los Angeles county, everything from Pasadena to West LA to El Monte & more inland. The school mixed kids from different backgrounds. Back then I often saw myself as not being cool like the kids of screenwriters and stars. This song rebukes the idea that you have to come from glamour or money to be cool. My ‘beautiful’ & ‘cool’ version of LA is the immigrant household of my grandparents.”

Like Lorde, Billie Eilish and Rosalía, Angelica isn’t afraid to tear pages out of her diary and express emotions that might be difficult and oftentimes daunting to share. Garcia – who has recently toured with and supported acts like Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Natalie Prass, and Violent Femmes – sings about and pulls inspiration from her experience growing up in the predominantly immigrant Latinx communities of Southern California. The two new singles produced by Eddie Pendergast (a long time co-writer of Matthew E. White) showcase Garcia in her creative element and herald the arrival of a bold and buoyant new voice in music.

More news of Garcia’s forthcoming new album and details of live shows will soon be announced.