A R I Z O N A

Biography

Fast Facts About A R I Z O N A

Arizona (AKA A R I Z O N A) formed in 2015 in New Jersey. The band consists of Zachary Charles, Nathan Esquite, and David Labuguen. Charles provides lead vocals, Esquite plays guitar, and Labuguen plays keyboards. The band is currently signed to Atlantic Records.

The band released their first album, GALLERY, in May 2017. The album peaked at No. 4 on the Top Heatseekers chart, No. 24 on the US Alternative chart, and No. 143 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Arizona has collaborated with a wide array of artists, including Avicii, R3HAB, Kiiara, and Don Diablo. Kiiara, a well-known pop singer, was featured on “Cross My Mind, Pt. 2,” a reworking of one of Arizona’s tracks. For “Pt. 2,” Kiiara sings the second verse of the track.
They’ve released four singles since 2016 – ”I Was Wrong,” “Oceans Away,” “Cross My Mind,” and “Nostalgic.” All except “Oceans Away” hit the US Rock Charts.
Arizona also has a live album, U.S. of A.Z., which was released in December 2017. The album features songs from Gallery, the band’s debut studio LP.
In 2019, Arizona followed up Gallery with Asylum, which was released via Atlantic. The album peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Arizona has opened for Panic! At the Disco. The group supported Panic! For a North American arena tour in 2019.
The band was also featured on SCOOB! The Album, the companion record for the 2020 animated film starring Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, and Amanda Seyfried.
In 2017, Arizona covered Drake’s “Passionfruit” at Spotify Studios NYC, part of the streaming platform’s effort to record and release covers by notable artists.

instruments played

Guitar

keyboard

vocal

Wiki Link

A R I Z O N A: History of the Band

How They Met

Zachary, Nathan, and David, the three members of Arizona, met at Berklee College of Music and Emerson College, two notable schools in Boston, Massachusetts. As college students, each member of the band had independently found work in the realms of songwriting and producing, earning a living by contributing to others’ music. However, it wasn’t until they joined creative forces and started writing songs together that the three young musicians formed Arizona.

Getting Off the Ground

After choosing their band name, the members of Arizona began self-producing songs and sharing them via Reddit. On the site, they were discovered by Jake Posner, who went on to become the band’s manager. Not long after, their careers started to take off. In 2016, Atlantic Records A&R rep Mike Caren signed the band to Atlantic Records, a major US label. After getting signed, Arizona started releasing singles, including “Cross My Mind,” which became one of their first big hits. German DJ Robin Schultz created an official remix of Arizona’s “I Was Wrong,” which further propelled the band towards star status. After the release of Schultz’s remix of “I Was Wrong,” the track dominated the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic chart for several weeks, making the single a crossover success.

Opening for Others

After releasing their first few singles, the band went on to support Coin and Kevin Garrett throughout 2017. The former, a renowned indie-pop band, helped to expose Arizona to a wider audience, as did the latter, a solo pop artist. Their diligence in touring and performing as a supporting act is a testament to Arizona’s determination. They were committed to getting their name out there, but they knew that compromise and sacrifice would be a part of the journey.

Mainstream Success and Headlining

Prior to releasing an album, the band had already gained millions of streams on Spotify. Their single “Oceans Away” was their top track on the platform, with over 35 million streams at the time. The band continued their mean streak following the release of GALLERY, their first album, in May 2017. After the release of the album, the band went on to play at South by Southwest, Governors Ball Music Festival, Firefly, and Lollapalooza. With a wildly successful string of singles and an album under their belt, Arizona embarked on their first headlining tour in late 2017, visiting some of the biggest cities in North America. In addition to starting from the ground up as musicians, the band has been self-starters in the visual realm as well. In an interview with Billboard, the band members shared that they design their own graphics, revealing that the group is multi-talented – which should come as no surprise to fans. Their story is one of commitment, devotion, and stopping at nothing to pursue the goal of making music together. It’s a tale of success that anyone can admire. Sources: Meet Arizona, The Small Band with the Big Sound | Nylon ARIZONA's “Cross My Mind”: Premiere | Idolator Arizona: Everything You Need to Know About the Emerging Electro-Pop Group's Fashion | Billboard