Prayers at Terminal West

Prayers is an electronic rock duo founded in 2013 by Rafael Reyes and Dave Parley. Prayers are the first musicians/artists use the term Cholo goth[1] to define their genre of music which lyrically explores the harsh realities of gang and street life over throbbing beats and swirling synthesizers.[2] Prayers is influenced by Christian Death, Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, Pet Shop Boys and other Gothic rock and dark 80s music, as well as by Reyes' life as gang member in the Sherman Grant Hill Park 27 gang, one of San Diego's oldest gangs, also known as Sherman 27.[3] He was jumped into the gang as a teenager.[2] Prayers' music, lyrics and image breaks down stereotypes within the Goth and Cholo subcultures.[3][2] Prior to forming Prayers, Reyes, who was born Cotija, Michoacán and came San Diego as young child, had created two other bands, Baptism of Thieves and Vampire, and performed in a solo project, Nite Ritual.[4] Reyes and Parley, a Tijuana native, began recording immediately upon meeting.[5] In three days they had recorded their first CD, SD KILLWAVE which they released independently on first as a CD and download and then on vinyl. Reyes conceived two videos, "From Dog to God" and "Ready to Bleed" for SD KILLWAVE. The first was shot by Charles Parker, while the second, a narrative, was filmed by Gavin Filipiak, who continues to work with band. Prayers' videos caught the eye of the Cult frontman Ian Astbury who requested the band open for them on their 2014 spring tour of California and Nevada.[2] Later that summer, Prayers released their second CD, GOTHIC SUMMER and Filipiak directed the video for the title track, which subsequently won the 2015 San Diego Film Festival Award for Best Music Video and Best Music Video Editing.[6] In 2015, the band chose Undocumented Management[7] as their managers. On May 26, 2015, Prayers premiered the title track of the Travis Barker-produced third CD, "Young Gods" as a video single, through Noisey/Vice Magazine.[8] The video features a real brawl, with no punches pulled, between members of Sherman 27 who volunteered to be in the video. The album Young Gods was released June 23. While Dave Parley performs under his birth name, Reyes utilizes his alter-ego Leafar Seyer for Prayers.[8]