Channeling desert vibrations into a surf pop sound, Union Pacific is the project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zach Vito. A Tucson native and one of San Francisco’s newest songsmiths, he relocated to the Bay Area late last year, building a sonic bridge between his homes in Arizona and California that mirrors the dual qualities in his music–sparse, straightforward moments (See: intros to “Learn Love” and “Standing Over”) melt into warm, sun-soaked tunes packed with open-heart lyrics, sing-a-long harmonies and dreamy guitar tone that flirts with, though never gets lost in, psychedelia and lo-fi garage rock. The resulting style is a sometimes off-kilter and always endearing brand of pop music that works just as well on a sunny afternoons as it does on rainy nights or San Francisco’s signature grey days, depending on which direction you want your heartstrings to be pulled.

After quickly integrating himself into the Bay Area music community, filling a gap in the scene with his warm, accessible and sand-covered tunes, Zach recruited drummer Skyler Warren, bassist Eric William Mohommad and guitarist Kyle Da Silva to complete the Union Pacific lineup in time for the release of their debut cassette on Lolipop Records. Recorded in Arizona by Carl Johnson and mastered by Burger Records engineer Patrick Haight, the self-titled Union Pacific EP officially dropped on March 4, and while the band has yet to host a record release party, they are playing their very first show as a San Francisco-based outfit tomorrow, April 2, at Hemlock.

Listen to the entire EP over at Lolipop Records, and if you dig the desert beach vibes, come out to the Polk Street music house for Union Pacific’s house warming and pick up a copy of their blue, limited edition cassette.

Union Pacific, Lures, Midnight Sons
Hemlock Tavern
April 2, 2014
8:30pm, $6 (21+)