Lowrider Grooves and Soul Sisterhood: Thee Sinseers Bring East LA Soul to San Diego

There is an undeniable, living heartbeat to the music of Southern California—one measured not in beats per minute, but in the slow roll of a classic Chevy down Whittier Boulevard, the warmth of analog tubes humming in a garage, and harmonies that sound like they drifted out of an east-side summer afternoon. At the center of today’s Chicano soul renaissance stand Thee Sinseers.

Hailing from East Los Angeles and anchored by the visionary songwriting and production of Joey Quiñones, the nine-piece ensemble has spent years proving that timeless R&B isn’t an artifact preserved behind glass; it is an active, communal force. Part of the fiercely respected Colemine Records / Karma Chief stable, Thee Sinseers weave sweet soul, gritty doo-wop, mid-century Jamaican ska, and lush brass arrangements into a sound that feels both nostalgic and vital. Along with key vocal pillars like Adriana Flores and a powerhouse horn section, their music captures the romance, devotion, and swagger of modern street-level soul.

Ahead of their performance at UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater, ListenSD connected with members of Thee Sinseers to talk production philosophy, navigating creative spaces, lowrider roots, and their essential San Diego rituals.

ListenSD: Joey, you aren’t just fronting this group; you live deep in the engine room as an arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. In an era where so much retro-leaning soul gets reduced to digital pastiche or vintage filters, what is your philosophy on keeping the arrangements true to genuine mid-century R&B while still making it hit hard for a modern room?

Joey Quiñones: I can’t tell you how much time and money I’ve wasted focusing on trying to get the same microphone so and so used, or the same tape machine that whoever used for this and that or whatever, just to realize that if you just have a good song, you have people that stand by it. You get the right players, the right people, and you set the energy and make them feel as comfortable as possible. And you play it all together, and you learn it all together, and you build the song together. It’s gonna create something special. If it sounds old, cool. If it doesn’t, it’s yours.

ListenSD: Adriana, your presence and vocal tone bring such an essential, grounded warmth to Thee Sinseers’ sound—whether you’re holding down percussion, locking in tight three-part harmonies, or taking center stage on lead vocals. As the sole woman navigating both this nine-piece lineup and a historically male-dominated retro-soul scene, how do you approach carving out your sonic space on stage, and how does your vocal perspective shape the emotional core of the band’s live set?

Adriana Flores: I’ve been part of this musical community for about 10 years now maybe even longer. Luckily enough I’ve always felt welcome. We clicked musically and in the writing process so being a part of the harmonies was the natural next step. Helping with the lyrics maybe giving different perspectives felt like the next step in the progression as well. That musical chemistry you feel when you click with creative partners is hard to explain but that doesn’t take away from how powerful it is. You can create something out of nothing with these people so you keep coming back for the magic. Yes it is a boys club a lot of the time (most of the time) but they give credit where it is due and if you’re in there writing and creating with them your work speaks for itself. On stage there is a give and take between Joe and the other vocalists that balances the weight of being in the front. We carry it together until the end and try to have fun with it.

ListenSD: San Diego has such a deep, storied love affair with souldies and lowrider culture—from Barrio Logan to cruisin’ Highland Ave in National City, this music isn’t just a trend here, it’s woven into everyday life. When you roll south down the 5 into San Diego, do you feel that distinct regional frequency from the crowd compared to other stops on tour?

Joey Quiñones: I do, it’s a great feeling. It reminds me of cruising down Whittier Boulevard, where we’re from. All the car clubs that started there, and our families that are still alive and present in those car clubs. It reminds me of my childhood, the ways that sometimes I did not even want to be there. But I remember the music being so good, and it’s part of me, and it always will be. Much love to San Diego from LA.

ListenSD: You’ve gone from squeezing onto legendary stages like The Casbah to commanding massive outdoor spaces like the Epstein Amphitheater. How do you personally process that shift in scale—does walking out in front of a sprawling sea of people bring the exact same pre-show jitters as standing practically nose-to-nose with a sweaty front row in a dark club, or does the adrenaline hit you differently?

Eric Johnson: I’d say doing gigs with smaller crowds that are more intimate, the smaller clubs…those tend to be more fun. You get to perform with more nuance and have the audience really feel it. From such a big stage, it can sometimes be harder, actually, to feel that energy off of the audience. It’s obviously incredible to see all those people out there, but it can also feel disconnected sometimes. Overall, it’s just been amazing to see the growth and see how much love we’re receiving for this.

ListenSD: There’s an incredible community around the Colemine and Karma Chief family—you sharing stages and players with The Altons and that entire circle of East LA musicians. How does operating within such a tight-knit collective keep everyone honest musically, and what keeps the dynamic sharp when nine people are locking into a single groove every night?

Joey Quiñones: I don’t think we ever get too hung up on the writing process amongst each other. Sometimes songs just happen, and they come to the table, and we can tell that when we support it and we all support each other, incredible things happen. We all are genuinely fans of each other. We support each other. We’re families, we’re friends, we’re tourmates, we’re business partners, but really we just love each other and the music that we all create. And any time an idea comes, it just feels like we have to support it and make the best of it.

ListenSD: We always love checking in on our artists’ local rituals whenever they hit town. When you pull into San Diego, do you have a mandatory taco shop, late-night food run, or record store you have to dig through before the show?

Joseluis “JJ” Jimenez: I love stopping into the Bali Hai for their mai tai, followed by Beatbox Records in Barrio Logan for records and Por Vida next door for coffee. When I get food I like to be a fancy tourist and go to Ironside for the oysters, the lobster roll and a cocktail.

Interview by Narda Crossley