Xperience Did It! The Heartbeat Behind the E-Block

The Heartbeat Behind the E-Block: A Conversation with Luke Pascarella

Words and Photography by Penny Piper.

Some bands grab your ears. The E-Block grabbed my whole heart. From the first time I saw them live, I knew there was something magnetic going on—raw, soulful, electric. I fell in love with their sound, their energy, and the way they made the room feel. I needed to know more. What fuels this band? What’s happening behind the scenes? So I sat down with frontman Luke Pascarella to pull back the curtain and dive into the heart of it all.

If you’ve seen the E-Block live, you already know they’ve got something special—a heady mix of tight musicianship, raw emotion, and the kind of chemistry that can’t be faked. But what drives that energy? Where does it all come from?

I had the chance to talk with Luke about songwriting, band dynamics, burnout, and the dream behind it all—and what came through most clearly was love. Love for the music. Love for the people. Love for the whole messy, beautiful process.

RRX: Your songwriting has this amazing duality—it feels deeply personal, but still wide open for the listener to connect with. Who lit the spark for you? Who made you go, “I want to do that”?

LP: John Mayer was one of the first. He was just a dude in street clothes, playing guitar in this simple, relatable way. As a teenager, I thought you had to look like an ’80s hair metal god and melt faces to matter on stage—but Mayer showed me that wasn’t true. He made it real.

And then there was Adam Duritz from Counting Crows. His lyrics wrecked me in the best way. They were potent. There was this longing in his voice that painted emotional pictures I had never experienced before. He taught me not to hold back, not to worry if it’s “too much”—just put the truth in the song, even if it’s gushy or dramatic.

RRX: I love that. And speaking of truth—you all have built this massive catalog in such a short time. What’s the secret sauce to your writing process?

LP: I usually bring in the skeleton—chords, drum groove, maybe some lyrics and melody. I can play drums, keys, and bass enough to make a rough demo. But once we’re in rehearsal or the studio, everything’s on the table. Devin, Dan, and Aaron bring it to life in ways I could never imagine alone. That’s where the songs really happen.

RRX: It shows. You’ve got wild musical chemistry—like you’re finishing each other’s sentences, but in sound. How do you keep that trust alive without driving each other nuts?

LP: Mutual respect. Simple as that. I’m in awe of what each person in the band can do—and I never take that for granted. I also try to keep the music open enough so everyone can find their own voice inside the song.

And honestly? Love. That’s the core. This band is a family. We’ve been through stuff together—good and bad—and we still come back to each other.

RRX: That love really comes through on stage. But between writing, recording, rehearsing, and performing—not to mention life—how do you keep the fire lit without burning out?

LP: It’s love again. That’s the answer every time. Sometimes it’s a moment on stage—just a few seconds—where we lock into something, and it feels like we’re touching the spirit of the present moment. Other times, it’s hearing a song so beautiful it makes me cry while driving.

Music is the only thing that can hit me that deeply again and again. I’m grateful to give my life to chasing that. Burnout happens, sure, but if I’m patient, the flame always finds its way back.

RRX: That’s beautifully said. So what’s next? If everything goes your way—what’s the dream for the E-Block?

LP: I’d love to tour those iconic amphitheaters—SPAC, Red Rocks—the places where live music feels alive. Artists like DMB and Phish have built entire ecosystems on the road. That’s something we admire.

And we want to build our own studio space. Somewhere in our home neighborhood—the real E-Block. A place where we can create without compromise.

Talking with Luke reminded me why I fell in love with music in the first place. It’s not just the songs—it’s the people, the process, the belief that something meaningful can happen when you put your heart on the line and let others step inside.

The E-Block isn’t just a band. It’s a bond. A vibe. A movement.

And it’s only just getting started.