Willowake is a South Bay Los Angeles–based alternative indie-rock three-piece, comprised of Jr
Polanco (guitar & vocals), Gavin Alvarado (bass) and Dax Corcoran (drums). The band formed
during their senior year of high school in 2021, initially honing their live chops via backyard
house shows hosted by Jr.

In September 2022 they released their debut single “Bitterfaced,” marking their first milestone.
To celebrate, they played their first proper venue show at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco—
opening for Ultra Q/Mt. Eddy to a sold-out crowd. Since then the group has maintained steady
momentum, performing sold-out shows across the West Coast in established venues such as
The Echo, the Constellation Room, the Lodge Room, Genghis Cohen, Teragram Ballroom and
the Voodoo Room.

In early 2023 they released their fan-favorite single “I See Ghosts,” which helped the band break
into radio rotation on KROQ. In June 2024 Willowake followed up with their debut EP, An Alter
Ego, co-produced by Jakob Armstrong (of Ultra Q/Mt. Eddy and son of Billie Joe Armstrong of
Green Day). During summer 2025 the band began seeing rapid growth on TikTok and
Instagram, accumulating millions of views across both platforms. Their heavily anticipated new
single “Echo Odd” dropped in August 2025 as the first track from their upcoming EP Having Bad
Dreams. That single has already achieved 300 k+ streams on Spotify and over a million views
of its video on TikTok; the band currently boasts 80 k monthly listeners on Spotify and 750 k
total streams.

Rooted in the vibrant South Bay music scene—where acts ranging from Black Flag and
Pennywise to The Bags, Fishbone and The Untouchables laid early groundwork—Willowake
bring a fresh indie-rock energy informed by local history but focused squarely on their own
sound.