Chris Lozano (third from left) and his band members are going back to Nashville soon.
Thirteen-year Menifee resident Chris Lozano brings country rock to stages across the country, drawing on a life shaped by military service, family, and music.
Lozano first discovered his voice as a pre-teen, singing on his own before joining show choir in school. He remembers catching the attention of a teacher who overheard him singing and encouraged him to audition.
“They gave me a solo in high school and I felt the crowd getting really into it,” he said. “I got excited and thought, ‘I think I could do this.’”
After graduating, Lozano had to decide between following generations of family members into the coal mines in his small Colorado hometown or finding a new path through the military.
Lozano enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served 15 years as an infantryman. His career included assignments in Hawaii, Camp Pendleton, and Iraq, where he was deployed for almost a year.
Throughout his military career, music remained a constant outlet. While still serving, Lozano taught himself to play guitar. After retiring from the Marine Corps, music became a way for him to cope and reconnect.
“When I got out of the military, it was therapy for me to play because I could detach from the thoughts and the memories,” he said.
A karaoke night with his wife led to an unexpected turning point when the lead singer of a local band encouraged him to audition for a band. Lozano soon found himself playing with experienced musicians who had performed with country artists such as Toby Keith, Keith Urban and Jason Aldean.
Things moved quickly for Lozano after that night. He began traveling and performing for thousands of people.
“Next thing you know, I’m playing for over 7,500 people,” Lozano said.
He now leads the Chris Lozano Band, a high-energy country rock band that travels nationwide.
Last year, he, his wife and his drummer traveled to Nashville to record a new five-song EP at the historic RCA Studio C, after being invited by four-time Grammy-nominated producer Eddie Gore.
Many of Lozano’s songs draw from personal experiences. His first release on the EP, “Boots on Sacred Ground,” debuted on the Marine Corps’ birthday last year as a tribute to fallen service members.
“It’s a tribute to my brothers who never came home and their families who have to live with that every day,” he said.
Lozano also released “Freedom Leads the Way” — an anthem that calls for unity amid the current political climate.
He said he enjoys making music that tells a story.
“If you can feel the music in your soul, it’s a good song,” he said. “I want you to feel it. I’m going to tell you a story and I want you to understand it.”
On Feb. 10, Lozano will release “Queen of My Wild Heart,” a tribute to his wife of 26 years, whom he says has been with him through thick and thin.
The band is scheduled to perform at the Lorimar Winery in Temecula on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m., and they have three upcoming shows in Las Vegas next month. For more information, visit chrislozanoband.com. The band is also active on Facebook and Instagram at Chris Lozano Band.
New music is planned for release over the next few months, and Lozano will return to Nashville to finish a full-length album at RCA Studios.
