Mando Saenz   -  Biography

Born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Saenz grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, and was raised by his music-loving parents on an eclectic diet: songwriters of the 60s and 70s, traditional Mexican music, the Everly Brothers. An early start with guitar lessons at 11 and 12, however, did not yield any great interest in a music career. Instead, Saenz dabbled, singing in private through high school and college while learning to strum along.

He enrolled in graduate school in San Antonio, then shifted his focus to playing out and getting serious about songwriting. Soon after moving to Houston on a half-hearted job hunt, he continued to write new material, including "When I Come Around." He also began making the rounds at various local open mic nights and recording demos during the day with his brother, Marcos, a Houston-based engineer.

He eventually had enough recordings to release an album, then naturally booked more shows. Nashville producer and publisher Frank Liddell liked the album enough to release it on his Carnival imprint in early 2005.