Austin-based Bridges Ablaze, the buzzing rock band born from the serendipitous encounter between two incredibly talented artists—Brien Allen and Ruben Zamora—continues to captivate audiences with their transformative music journey. Bridges Ablaze announce their live video for “Apocalypse.” Hot off the release of their singles “Take Me,” “Heartbroken Angel,” “Numb,” and “Apocalypse” (over 28M plays on TikTok).
From chance meeting to dynamic partnership, their story is nothing short of awe-inspiring. In the heart of El Paso, TX, Ruben Zamora, originally destined for a career in the Military, found himself contemplating his future. Despite previous band experiences, Ruben’s unwavering passion for music propelled him towards a career in the industry. His professional approach to the chaotic music world has been instrumental in his success. A fateful visit to Guitar Center would accelerate his life’s trajectory.
On the other side was Brien Allen, pursuing a Petroleum Sciences degree at the University of Texas. Brien’s musical journey began in middle school when he taught himself the guitar, overcoming challenges with a unique determination. Inspired by musicians and situations that pushed him, Brien’s dedication to improvement became his trademark. All this led him to an encounter at an Austin Guitar Center.
Their paths aligned as if scripted—Brien and Ruben, drawn by the magnetic pull of music, met in the afore-mentioned Guitar Center, recognizing each other’s exceptional talent. The mutual admiration sparked a connection, leading to the formation of Bridges Ablaze in 2019. With a lineup of talented musicians, Bridges Ablaze made their mark with a compelling cover of 30 Seconds To Mars’ “The Kill.”
Their quest for the perfect producer led them to Robby Joyner (Fire From The Gods), where synergy on a personal and musical level flourished. The collaborative process became a harmonious blend of respect, flow, collaboration, and vulnerability. In 2023, armed with insights gained through mentorship under industry luminaries, the band orchestrated a professional release strategy, assembling a stellar team to execute every detail with precision.
About Bridges Ablaze
Bridges Ablaze is a rock/metal band from Austin, Texas. Bred by an “all-in” passion and a mutual disdain for the status-quo, Bridges Ablaze is the predestined voice for a generation that refuses to be put into a box. The duo, composed of founding members Brien Allen and Ruben Zamora, doesn’t bend their identity to any one idea.
Rather, they draw from specific influences, ranging from deathcore to jazz and beyond, to craft their own sound that is equal parts unique and anthemic. Brien Allen and Ruben Zamora are both central songwriters as well as lead singers and lead guitarists for Bridges Ablaze, making their sound unique. With a diverse palate of influences, the duo seeks to push the edge of the known sonic envelope while defining their own distinguished sound in a world of oversaturated subgenres. Bridges Ablaze sings about all kinds of authentic life experiences, making their music both cathartic and relatable as well as recognizable. One goal of the music, aside from being catharsis for Brien and Ruben, is to inspire the listener to feel what they need to feel – be it excitement, joy, sadness, or rage.
Their debut single, “The Kill” (originally by 30 Seconds to Mars), was engineered and produced by Cory Brunnemann and was released on April 1st, 2020. The song was originally an experiment – a sort of “proof of concept” for the project. Slowly (and at times, quickly), the project became something progressively more and more involved. After multiple years of rigorous artistic and business development, the band finally released their debut music video for “The Kill” on January 21st, 2022 on YouTube.
Given the positive response to their cover of “The Kill”, Brien and Ruben decided to record an album with Robby Joyner in Houston, Texas. In 2023, the duo released the singles “Hellbent” (January 13th), “Never Too Late” (April 14th), “Forever Fallen” (July 21st), and “Heartbroken Angel” (October 20th) on all streaming platforms with accompanying music videos on YouTube.
In 2024, the band continued releasing singles without signs of slowing. “Numb” (January 24th), “Apocalypse” (June 12th), and “Take Me” (August 23rd), as well as acoustic renditions of their songs “Heartbroken Angel” (April 24th) and “Numb” (May 8th) were released across all platforms with accompanying music videos on YouTube. The band intends to release more singles in 2025, culminating with the release of their debut album in 2025 or 2026.
Since inception, the band has been releasing singles and music videos consistently, with many more releases planned for the future. Since 2022, the band has grossed over 2.5 million views on YouTube and over 2.5 million streams across Spotify and Apple Music. In the last year, Heartbroken Angel also grossed over 28 million streams on TikTok due to being added to TikTok’s “Rock Playlist”.
SOURCE: Official Bio