Based in Southern California, Country Thunder is a kick-ass Country Music band playing all the best high-energy cover tunes from the genre's greatest artists, old and new (not to mention a few catchy original songs written by front-man and singer-songwriter, Trey Hirsh). This uber-talented group of musicians knew there were tons of under-served Country Music fans in Southern California. So they set out to get them all together on a more regular basis. They started out in the South Bay communities of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, and things took off from there. Now in addition to playing the band's favorite watering holes on a regular basis, Country Thunder does everything from large corporate events to weddings, private clubs, casinos, and city summer-concert series. Country Thunder is made up of Trey Hirsh on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Dave Maciel on lead guitar and vocals, Dan Matsuura on bass guitar and vocals, and Darren Pujalet on drums.
Band Members
Lenny "Trey" Hirsh - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar. Country Music singer-songwriter and guitarist, Lenny "Trey" Hirsh, received UCLA's Hal Gaba Songwriting Scholarship Award in 2014, and he won "Best Country Song" in West Coast Songwriters' International Songwriting Contest in 2013 for his song "Mess with Texas" from his album "Livin' the Dream." Trey has been dubbed “One to Watch” by NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International). Having attended the annual Stagecoach Country Music festival since 2008, Trey knew there were plenty of Country Music fans in Southern California, and he wanted to party with them more than once per year.
Dave Maciel - Lead Guitar/Background Vocals. Dave Maciel has been playing music since he was 7 years old. His first instrument was the piano. At 9 years old, Dave was already an accomplished concert pianist. By age 11, he was a drummer for a cover band which played many venues in the South Bay. By the time he had reached 13, Dave had already recorded two original rock albums with different bands where he worked as a drummer for one, and the lead guitarist for the other. Dave currently holds two residencies in Manhattan Beach at a sports bar named Shark’s Cove and Shade Hotel. When he isn’t playing clubs, Dave writes and records for many artists and enjoys learning to play new instruments and teaching lessons lessons.
Dan Matsuura - Bass/Background Vocals. Dan grew up listening to Country Music on KFROG with his grandpa in his younger years, but never understood or enjoyed the style. In his adolescence, Dan found his identity in a more aggressive scene, joining and quitting multiple punk rock and heavy metal bands. As an adult, Dan has found a new appreciation for Country Music after life has kicked his ass multiple times. "Yeah, he's gone country, a new kind of walk. He's gone country, a new kind of talk. He's gone country, look at them boots. He's gone country, back to his roots."
Darren Pujalet - Drums. When not jamming with Country Thunder, Darren Pujalet is a drummer for the popular Grateful Dead cover band call "Wall of Sound." He was a also founding member of the electro rock band "Particle" that toured across the US, Europe and Asia. Darren has also toured the country playing drums with Mickey Hart in the bands "Hydra" and "Mickey Hart’s Mystery Box". He has also collaborated and performed with Robbie Krieger, Phil Lesh, Joe Satriani, John Popper, the B-52’s, Rob Wasserman, Buckethead, 311, Matisyahu and others while performing around 1300 shows over the last 2 decades.