About the Band
Snake Lounge
Psychedelic Jazz Fusion Collective
Snake Lounge began as a nameless collaboration led by Daniel Arteaga (bass) and Bryce Ponnudurai (guitar) for the purpose of giving an educational presentation on musical soundscapes to the Florida Atlantic University Department of Music. This collaborative project included an informational lecture on the history and significance of soundscapes, followed by a live demonstration of an original composition called “Purple Veldt” which was a 30 minute psychedelic funk-fusion with several complex and improvised soundscapes. The goal of this presentation was to educate their peers on a topic that they were passionate about and expand their minds to the vast possibilities of unorthodox music. They aimed to create a groove-based tune with soundscapes that transport listeners through different sonic environments. The following Summer, Bryce and Daniel had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Japan. They learned and experienced a lot during this trip, one of the most significant things being jamming with the locals. It was these experiences in Japan that really motivated them to form a community-oriented collective back home. Four out of five of the Snake Lounge members were already a part of the presentation: Daniel Arteaga on Bass, Bryce Ponnudurai on Guitar, Alfred Williams Jr. on Keyboard, and Jake Nicholson on Drums. Shortly after the presentation titled “Soundscaping with Dan and Friends”, Marcelo Puccini joined the collective on synth and percussion, thus officially forming Snake Lounge.
The next project on the table was recording and submitting “Purple Veldt” to the 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Competition. Since then, Snake Lounge has been playing at venues and shooting content for social media to try to spread their message through their music and make a living doing what they love. They put out a self-produced live EP titled “Snake Lounge Comes Home” in September, 2024. More recently, Alfred (keyboard) decided to part ways with Snake Lounge to pursue other endeavors. The remaining quartet: Bryce (guitar), Daniel (bass), Jake (drums), and Marcelo (synth and percussion) continues to write music and play shows. They jammed happily ever after.