The Heartquakers are a five-piece band rooted in California's Central Coast, where the ground shakes a little more often than most places — a fitting backdrop for a group whose name tips its hat both to the seismic geology of home and to artists that inspire the band’s sound. Based out of the Aromas and San Juan Bautista area, the band brings a sound built on classic rock, country, pop, folk, and bluegrass pulled from four decades of great American music, from the 60s through the 90s.

The band's roots trace back to 2023, when John Dominguez and former frontman Steve Harris started a little something they called The Dead Cowboys. Guitarist Chris McDougall came aboard early, and over the next two years the lineup grew into the shape it holds today: Dyllon Jacobson on lead guitar, Mark Saxton on drums, and Travis Hill on bass joining John, Chris, and Steve up front. As The Dead Cowboys, the band put in their miles — dozens of shows across the Central Coast, including standout appearances at the Gilroy Rodeo and Swank Farms' Hoptoberfest. In the spring of 2026, founding frontman Steve stepped away into retirement, and the remaining five took the moment to look inward, sharpen their vision, and emerge with a new name that better reflected who they'd become: The Heartquakers.

At the heart of the band is a simple idea — five guys who love music and love playing it together. They're a band of brothers in the truest sense, and the joy they find on stage is the same joy they aim to hand off to every audience they play for. Whether it's a packed bar in Hollister, a vineyard set on a warm afternoon, or a festival stage, the goal is always the same: get people dancing, get people laughing, and remind everyone in earshot why live music still matters.

Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be the band's biggest year yet. The Heartquakers will be hitting the stage at Capitola Village's VDUBS in the Village in May, returning to the Gilroy Rodeo in August, and bringing the noise back to Swank Farms' Hoptoberfest in September — with plenty more Central Coast dates in between. The name is new, but the mission's been there all along: good songs, good people, and a damn good time.