Meet The Trujillo Company, Brothers From Different Mothers

It's safe to call The Trujillo Company a power duo. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and Black Sabbath, the two-man outfit, which includes guitarist and vocalist Mike Trujillo and drummer Leny Trujillo, plays hard-rocking music that leaves a searing impression. The group played its first show in January 2018, but Mike Trujillo, 35, says the Trujillo Company's sound has been in the making for a decade.

"I first met Leny at a birthday party for our [mutual] friend Jim Beasley in 2009," recalls Mike, who is also a former member of the Denver indie/alt-rock act Take to the Oars. "Jim introduced us, saying 'Mike Trujillo, this is Leny Trujillo; you guys should jam or something.' We talked for a few hours about the bands we loved and the music that changed our lives. We tried to figure out if we were related, but he was from Pico Rivera, California, and I grew up in Denver before moving to Wyoming in third grade.

"It became pretty apparent that even though we weren't related, we were pretty similar guys and that there was definitely some parallels in our lives," continues Mike, who taught himself to play guitar. "In May of 2017, I finally reached out to Leny to see if he was interested in jamming. I sent him the few demos I had at the time, and after we played for an hour, we just looked at each other and knew that we had something special together. We had an instant chemistry as songwriters. It was the feeling of finishing each other's sentences."

The Trujillo Company's sound developed quickly once the two musicians started gigging in 2018, with the brothers from different mothers performing some notable shows during the project's initial year. Mike, who's been back in Denver since 2007, says the band plays out about once a month, aiming for higher-profile gigs at venues like the Gothic Theatre, where the Trujillos opened for Bob Mould (of Hüsker Dü fame) in February. Now, the band's set to drop a new album, Home. 

"There's no ego," Mike notes. "It's like, 'Hey, if you've got a cool idea, bring it forth.' We focus on trying to be in the moment and enjoy what we have. We have a unique connection, and we feed off each other naturally. And being that we are both Trujillos, there's some kind of cosmic connection there. We can generally read where each other is going without having to think about it. We like creating together and not being possessive of our ideas. Fortunately, we both have jobs that are supportive of us achieving our musical dreams. I'm a videographer for a roofing company, and Leny works for Comcast as a sales rep."
In addition to an upcoming album release at the Larimer Lounge on June 22, the Trujillos also have a concert booked with My Body Sings Electric at the Bluebird Theater in July.

"We like to put on a show that people want to keep coming back to see," imparts Mike.

As for the new album, "So far the title track has connected a lot with our audience," he says. "We have some ragers on there and some songs that will make you want to dance and listen to them over and over. With this record, we hope to cement ourselves on the scene.  We are nominated for Best Rock Band in the Westword [Music Awards]. It's our first time being nominated, so it feels pretty special. It's a testament to what we were able to do in a year."

The Trujillo Company album release, with Valdez and False Report, 8 p.m. Saturday, June 22 at Larimer Lounge, $12 to $15.