How To Make It in The San Marcos Scene with Dawn Altas

By Kyle Halligan-Duffy 

Music Journalist 

“Make every moment your own, you never know who it can reach” – Ian Vara (Dawn Atlas) 

How do bands gain a foothold in San Marcos? What do bands need to do to find gigs, record studio albums/singles and how do they become BIG?  

One local San Marcos band, consisting of Texas State students, have the answers. Dawn Atlas has had multiple years on stage, multiple singles, an upcoming album and an overreaching influence that has them moving and shaking all around southeast Texas. Dawn Atlas shares their influences, their humble beginnings and, more importantly, how other up and comers can follow in their footsteps.  

Dawn Atlas is Ian Vara on vocals, Kossivi Tossou on bass, Juan Riveros on drums and Lauren Newby on saxophone with other instrumentalists on rotation. The pop-funk band started with Tossou and Vara as a high school dream that eventually became something to strive for, playing big house shows and booking gigs from San Antonio to Austin.  

While their sound has evolved to a jazzier style, with influences like local band Cake in the Bowl, the band said their start was more of a grunge or shoegaze sound which you can hear in the more synthy early singles like “Far Cry” which they recorded in Vara’s bedroom. Past the days of high school and towards their time at TXST, their influences, and members, grew. Finding other bands, like Slick and Royal Regiment, who share their dream and influences.  

“I think it’s really important for new bands to be in touch with their current music scene,” Tossou said. “Especially through showing consideration for other musicians with shared goals. Building and maintaining good relationships with the other bands in your area can help with all kinds of things from learning about a new venue to setting up shows”. 

Dawn Atlas opening from humble beginnings to show front runners didn’t come without a few bumps. According to the band, it wasn’t until summer of 2023 that they found their sound. From UTSA college shows, to small record store sessions at Pink Zepplin or Alchemy, to many other shows, repetition eventually cultivated synchronicity.  

“I would encourage new bands to get out there and start playing in front of people as soon as possible,” Riveros said. “Talking about doing the thing isn’t doing the thing”. Getting out there with live sessions, however, is only half of it. “Presentation is a huge factor in getting gigs, Venues want to see an active social media, songs on streaming platforms or a decent recording” Newby added.  

Recording is something the band has gotten extensive research in recently as they have finished recording their first full length album Cardinal Affections (name pending) and the landscape of the studio comes with its own wealth of new experiences and new uncertainties.  

“We are used to rehearsing in a circle facing each other in someone’s living room,” Newby said. “But in the studio, we were separated with rhythm in the main room and horns in the ‘dungeon.’ I’m used to getting cues from bass or drums and only had a skinny window to see them. It took a higher focus to blend and mesh with everyone”.  

Even with all the new adventures in recording, Cardinal Affection is looking for a mid-fall release this year with singles spread around as soon as this summer and while the band doesn’t have many shows lined up right now, they are looking to set up a going away show in May as they will be relocating to San Antonio.  

The advice Dawn Atlas leaves for us, from maintaining lasting relationships with other bands, keeping up with promoting your sound and most importantly getting out there and playing shows, artists that want to make it in the San Marcos area can take a few pages from their playbook in order to claim their stake here and make their own moment because, as Vara said, you never know who, or how far, it can reach.