Cedric Bixler-Zavala

Cedric Bixler-Zavala

Artist

Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974) is a singer, songwriter, and artist from El Paso, Texas. He is best known for his seminal work with At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta, alongside co-founder and lead guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López.

His influences comprise a wide variety of artists and genres, including: Bad Brains on the punk-rock side; Pink Floyd on the psychedelic front; and ambient Krautrock duo Cluster. Additionally, in a 2006 Verbicide article, he was asked about the impact that visuals and surrealism had on The Mars Volta’s sound:

Your press kit mentions Lynch’s Twin Peaks as an analog to the new album. How strongly is your music influenced by the surreal?

‘100% influenced by it. We’re always talking about how we want our songs to look like Jodorowsky’s movies. That’s always our goal. To emulate what’s going on in our favorite scenes in our favorite movies.’