Mustard Service Celebrates Its New Album With Zest Fest

For a band that chose its name through a random name generator, Mustard Service has been going strong since 2015 and has gone from hometown favorites to selling out shows across the country.

"Just five dudes being silly" — there's more behind the short-and-sweet statement on Mustard Service's Instagram bio. There are also signs of a successful band: a loyal following, clever captions, tour snapshots, festival lineup announcements, and consistent music releases.

Consisting of Marco Rivero (lead vocals, guitar), Gabriel "Nuchi" Marinuchi (guitar), Augusto "Tuto" Di Catarina (bass, vocals), Leo "Big Guy" Cattani (keys), and Adam Rhodes (drums), the band calls its sound "zest pop," which also happens to be the title of their 2017 debut album. But in layperson's terms, Mustard Service's sound blends indie, surf, jazz, and some bossa nova, delivered by catchy guitar riffs à la Mac DeMarco alongside Rivero's smooth vocals and clever lyrics.

Ahead of the release of its third album, Variety Pack, on August 4, the quintet is hosting Zest Fest at the Miami Beach Bandshell on Saturday, August 5, featuring a lineup of local bands, including Donzii, Seafoam Walls, and Better Than This.

"It was crazy that 300 people went to that Zest Fest," Rivero says of the first Zest Fest at the Bridge in 2019. "We just did an installment in San Diego and LA and sold somewhere around 1,500 tickets, so we're really excited to throw it here in our hometown. We can party since we don't have to go to the Airbnb. I'm personally really pumped."

Mustard Service recently shared "Alolé," the latest single off of Variety Pack. The album's name perfectly describes the wild mix of genres and moods across 13 tracks.
"This one I like because I didn't write it," Rivero says of "Alolé." "Nuchi wrote it, who's Argentinian, and he has a lot of Argentine references. He says it's a bunch of nonsense lyrics."

In 2018, Mustard Service had just wrapped up its first out-of-state show when it received an Instagram DM from Spanish indie-rock band Hinds inviting it to join them on tour.

"I didn't ask how much, I didn't ask for how long, I just said yes," Rivero says. "They taught us everything we know about stage presence and interacting with fans."

When on stage, Mustard Service consistently delivers an energetic set that crowds can't help to mosh to. These days, the band is consistently on tour, each time playing bigger venues than the last. The band recently announced its inclusion in Austin's Levitation music festival in October, featuring acts like Brian Jonestown Massacre, Ty Segall, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

"I would give the reason for our success — if you can call it that — is the internet," Rivero surmises. "We got put on some playlists when we were coming up, and that gave us a nationwide audience, but the fans that were here in Miami when we started have always been super loyal and always come to the shows. I've been seeing the same faces for the last six, seven years."

However, Rivero acknowledges other factors at play: "It's a lot of work but also the luck factor, right place, right time," he adds.

Inspired early on by other local acts like Jacuzzi Boys and Folktale San Pedro, Rivero hopes that Mustard Service can inspire kids to start their own bands "and not make any money," he adds jokingly.

Ultimately, Rivero hopes the band's success will one day let them quit their day jobs.

Zest Fest. With Mustard Service, Donzii, Seafoam Walls, and Better Than This. 6:30 p.m. Saturday, August 5, at Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; miamibeachbandshell.com. Tickets cost $25.75 at dice.fm.