PASSIFLORA

photography & artwork by Peter Hutchinson

Lauren was finishing up a long day of unpacking boxes as she moved into her new place in Austin. It was the middle of 2020 so a fresh start was welcome. Beckoned by the sound of someone strumming a guitar she followed the melody through the alleyway to discover her new neighbor. The door of a small Winnebago RV was pulled open revealing a predictable combination of instruments and miscellaneous items that signaled someone was potentially living out of this van. That someone was Rudy Durham. He was sittingon top of an amp riffing on his electric guitar, immersed in a world of his own.

Lauren didn’t really know anyone in town yet and liked what she heard.When she found the source of the music, she walked up to Rudy and said, “Hey I like your guitar and I like to sing. Do you want to play music together sometime?”

The seed that would grow into PASSIFLORA was planted. 

I spent an afternoon speaking with PASSIFLORA in the comfort of the space they use to write and practice. They describe their sound as R’n’B Indie Soul. “It’s not mainstream. It’s a little funky, and we definitely don’t fit into one genre,” said Rudy. The band consists of Lauren Harris as the lead vocalist and she plays keys, Rudy Durham plays the guitar, and Raul Luevano is on drums. I learned about how they got started, what inspires their sound, and what they dream of for the future of PASSIFLORA.

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Dani: How did the band form and when did you start making music together?

PASSIFLORA: We started hanging out outside of music first. We built trust and a communication style. We had always talked about wanting to do music so we’d go out to a happy hour and be buzzed enough to be vulnerable. We ended up singing a cover together at like 1am in the garage one night and we realized we sounded really good together. What transitioned us from friends who mess around with music together, to a band that creates music together was when Lauren brought lyrics and a melody to Rudy and asked him to write some chords for it. They were going back and forth and Raul walked in with a snare drum. A song started to form. 

That song is West Side, their latest single available on Spotify and all streaming platforms.

D: Why did you decide to name the band PASSIFLORA? 

P: It was Rudy’s idea. It’s inspired by the flower, well it’s actually a vine. It looks like an alien with these squiggly tendrils and this crazy purple color, and they grow around here so somehow I learned the name and then popped it off in the group text with a link to the Wikipedia of the flower and everyone agreed that was it, the band had a name.

D: What does your process look like when you’re creating a new song together?

P: Rudy and Lauren both write. “You’re really good at starting songs and not finishing them,” Lauren said to Rudy as they laughed in agreement. “Sometimes you gotta sleep on it,” he replied. “So that's usually the catalyst. Rudy has a huge folder on his phone of poems and thoughts and random lines and we take inspiration from that as something to start with and follow it to see where it takes us,” Lauren said. “We usually write most of the song in like 25 minutes and then it takes a while to get it to a full song, but we love that process,” finished Rudy.

D: What are you most proud of so far?

P: We released an EP on March 10th of this year and we have another EP’s worth ready but we’re planning to release it as singles. We’re learning about how to market ourselves and navigate the whole business side of the music world. 

Our friend Benny who plays in a band called Bronze Whale gave us some sound advice and  Josh Litt, owner of Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches on the east side who is also Rudy’s boss loved Lauren’s voice and our sound as a band. He has all this equipment we could never afford so huge shout out to Josh Litt. We recorded the EP with him and he took it from there to get it mixed and mastered,” said Rudy. “We’re proud of the EP and we were chosen as song of the day for KUTX right before it was released which was really cool for us.”

D: What is the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?

P: “Being a person who is creating and having to put that out into the world and decide whether we’re making it for ourselves or other people. Thinking about if we’re meeting our own expectations and what those even are. We want to make sure it fits with who we are and who we want to be and it’s hard sometimes to feel like you’re doing enough, doing it right, and still fitting into what other people want from you,” said Lauren. “Collaboration is a challenging process too. We have three talented humans combining their brains together and it’s always a back and forth.”

D: How would you describe the artist community in Austin?

P: Austin has a crazy sense of community, especially in the music scene. The artist scene doesn’t have that elitist attitude that I’ve found in other cities. People will invite you to a BBQ and actually mean it. Other musicians we’ve played with have been really supportive and inspiring. They’ll stay for our set and it’s truly a gift to get to learn from the other people in this town.

D: What is the dream for the future of PASSIFLORA?

P: “I just love performing,” said Raul, “I want to keep doing that whether it’s small or big. I just want to be in a room where people are paying attention and connecting with our music.”

“To be able to live off of music and not have to work another job. I would love to perform with choreography and lights and if its possible I want to do it. I want us to reach our full potential,” said Lauren.

“I want the whole thing,” said Rudy, “being able to share the music I want to share and feel that exchange of energy with people. Nothing connects to me like a live show so I just want to do that and travel as a band and reach as many people as we can with our music.”

My biggest takeaway after spending a few hours with this band was that these three humans genuinely love each other. When I speak to bands, I often find an expected sense of connection formed of mutual respect, shared vision, and comradery. PASSIFLORA has a unique bond that transcends the music they create together. 

They support each other and display a genuine sense of friendship. Their musical collaboration is the byproduct of the way they share their lives. The band just happens to be the way they connect and push each other to be their best selves. Check out their Spotify or and follow their instagram to stay in the loop about upcoming shows.

IG: @passifloratrio

Tiktok: @passifloratrio

Spotify: PASSIFLORA (all caps)