Bosnian Rainbows
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | El Paso, Texas , United States |
Key people | Omar Rodríguez-López, Teri Gender Bender, Deantoni Parks, Nicci Kasper |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Bosnian Rainbows was a rock ensemble originating from El Paso, Texas in the United States, established in 2012. The group included former members of the Mars Volta such as Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar and backing vocals) and Deantoni Parks (drums and keyboards), along with vocalist Teri Gender Bender from Le Butcherettes and Nicci Kasper, known for her work with KUDU and Dark Angels (keyboards).
The band emerged as an evolution of the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group following Rodríguez-López's decision to pause his main venture, The Mars Volta.
History
In March 2012, after a three-year production period, The Mars Volta unveiled their sixth studio album, Noctourniquet. The subsequent tour was limited to 19 performances, primarily across Europe. Upon completion, Rodríguez-López returned to El Paso and assembled Bosnian Rainbows with Teri Gender Bender, Deantoni Parks, and Nicci Kasper—who had previously worked alongside Parks in Kudu and Dark Angels. Rodríguez-López characterized this new endeavor as a collaborative phase emphasizing mutual exchange.
He placed The Mars Volta on hold to embrace a more egalitarian band dynamic: "It’s a band — something I hadn’t experienced in over eleven years... Previously, I controlled everything and was quite authoritative." His ventures into filmmaking and reconnecting with longtime collaborators played a significant role in this transition.
During September 2012, Bosnian Rainbows toured under the name of the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group. Rodríguez-López explained that although initially planned as a solo tour, it evolved into a collective project spotlighting the new band's identity. Preparations occurred at Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg, owned by Johann Scheerer. A live recording from these sessions was issued as Live at Clouds Hill in December 2012. After the European tour segment, they recorded their self-titled debut album with Scheerer serving as producer.
Rodríguez-López acknowledged influences such as Can, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gang of Four, and Led Zeppelin. He described Bosnian Rainbows' style as featuring more concise and austere compositions that blend melodic and textural aspects drawn from these inspirations.
On January 23, 2013, Bosnian Rainbows debuted their single "Torn Maps" on SoundCloud before releasing it digitally via Bandcamp. This was followed by the release of "Turtle Neck" on February 12. Their first album was globally launched through Clouds Hill Ltd on June 25, 2013.
Reports indicate that a second album was recorded in 2013 with producer Rafa Arcaute; however, the band's activities halted in 2014 when Rodríguez-López reunited with Cedric Bixler-Zavala for Antemasque. The second Bosnian Rainbows album has yet to be released.
Line-up
- Teri Gender Bender – lead vocals
- Omar Rodríguez-López – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
- Deantoni Parks – drums, keyboards
- Nicci Kasper – synthesizers, keyboards
Studio albums
- Bosnian Rainbows (June 25, 2013)
Singles
- "Torn Maps" (2013)
- "Turtle Neck" (2013)
- "Morning Sickness" (2013)
Other
- Bosnian Rainbows Live at Clouds Hill (2012; included in Live at Clouds Hill boxset)