Everclear bassist talks Riverside upbringing and Pechanga heritage ahead of local show

While Everclear bassist and Riverside native Freddy Herrera was growing up in Riverside, he never envisioned being a musician as a career path.

Herrera had a passion for skateboarding and built custom furniture. When a few of his friends in the skateboarding community pitched the idea of starting a band and invited him to join, he began playing bass. Even though he was decent, his technique never evolved and he gave it up. But after a piece of wood exploded and cut three of his fingertips off on his left hand, be started playing again and found a deeper appreciation for music.

In the '90s, Herrera was a member of the Los Angeles rock band The Exies and toured with bands such as Mötley Crüe, Sum 41 and Buckcherry. But when the band parted ways in 2009, he called his friend, Everclear frontman Art Alexakis, just to chat. Alexakis told him the group had just fired the bass player and invited him to a rehearsal.

"I was desperate, had no money and was riding my bike trying to find jobs wherever I could. Music just wasn't happening," Herrera said. "We were just going to get together with a drummer, keyboard player and another guitar player. We spent 45 minute playing the songs, reminiscing and Art said 'Cool, I'll give you a call.' I packed up my stuff, walked out and there's 40 guys standing down the hallway with basses. I didn't know I was trying out. I was like, 'Oh man, I hope I got this.' Later that night he called me and said 'It's yours if you want it.'"

Everclear will perform on Oct. 15 at Pappy and Harriet's. This will be the band's third performance at the high desert venue since 2021.

His family was disenrolled

Herrera is Native American of Luiseño ancestry. He grew up off the reservation, and his mother was a farm worker, but he remembered taking family trips to the Pechanga Reservation for powwows during his childhood when there was hardly anything there except for a store and tribal members living in meager homes.

"I remember people helping each other," Herrera said. "We didn't have any money and people were feeding us just because we were there. I remember us doing the same when we did have money. It was such a great thing to see, and the elders were respected. I have hope that will be preserved because of my nieces and nephews. They're holding on to the culture, the dancing, and they go to all the powwows. It makes my heart happy and I hope my daughter can do the same."

In the early 2000s, the Pechanga Band of Indians began a campaign to disenroll hundreds of members. Herrera and his family were among the families who were delisted from the tribe, but declined to discuss further details.

Disenrollment has become a significant issue in recent years, with many tribes assessing lineage and rescinding membership to those with insufficient ancestral connection. In some cases, huge gaming income from big casinos has raised the financial stakes of membership.

When Native Americans are disenrolled from any of the federally-recognized tribes in the U.S., it comes with loss of access to benefits such as free or low-cost healthcare, housing, universal basic income and other tribal benefits. Lineal descendants, even if a parent is enrolled, are often ineligible.

In 2020, Herrera shared a selfie to his Instagram in 2020 with "Stop Disenrollment" written across the palm of his hand.

But Herrera expresses his Native American ancestry through "little hints" in his attire and "couldn't be more proud" to be Luiseño. Even though he doesn't let disenrollment define his identity, it's painful when he thinks of his other family members.

"A lot of people have this crazy view of Indians like we're very spiritual, righteous and everything," he said. "We are, but ... there is an evil side. I saw that through the disenrollment. I think it's harder on my mom and her generation because they feel so betrayed."

A busy year

In 2023, Everclear celebrated the 30th anniversary of its debut album, "World of Noise," which featured harsh, ear-splitting punk rock and was much different than the mainstream hits the band released later. The band also released a live album recorded last year at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles.

"It's a big undertaking to do a live record," Herrera said. "It's crazy because there are so many live microphones all over the venue when you do something like that. You want to capture the energy of the audience but you have to make sure the music is represented too. That took a while, and it was a lot of work. Art and Jim Kaufman coproduced it and did an amazing job."

The band has also performed nearly 100 shows this year while working on its first album since 2015.

Even though Scott Stevens of The Exies released the song "Spirits High" in 2023, Herrera said none of the other members performed on the single. They did, however, acknowledge the positive feedback from the fans and didn't rule out performing a one-off show with the rest of the band.

"Everybody has their own thing. Everclear is 100% my main priority. But it would be fun, nice for the fans and it should be considered," Herrera said.

While discussing Pappy and Harriet's, Herrera remembered the venue's history during the '70s when it was known as "The Cantina," an outlaw biker burrito bar and described the high desert as having a "whole different way of life" compared to now.

"You didn't go to the high desert if you weren't from there. If you went there, it was like moving to Alaska because you don't want to be bothered and you wanted to get away from the city" Herrera said. "I heard stories of people going into Pappy and Harriet's back then and they were carrying guns in holsters."

If you go

What: Everclear with The Ataris and The Pink Spiders

When: 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15

Where: Pappy and Harriet's, 53-688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown

How much: $41 to $151

More information: pappyandharriets.com

This report includes previous reporting by USA TODAY

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Everclear bassist talks growing up in Riverside ahead of local show