el Dolor

Raw tales of pain and heartache, hangovers, and isolation from Weld County, Colorado.

El Dolor.
The Pain.


El Dolor take their name from the Spanish word for "pain" -  a fitting moniker for a band that transforms heartbreak into art. Led by the masterful songwriting of Derek Miller, this five-piece ensemble crafts stories of broken hearts and shattered dreams, wrapping them in arrangements that can fool you into toe-tapping before the lyrics punch you in the gut. Their sound defies simple categorization, drawing from a deep well of influences that spans Americana, country, folk, rock, and rockabilly while incorporating atmospheric delay and tasteful distortion.

The current lineup, featuring Derek Miller, Julie Kinsey, Toby Sheets, Josh Bearor, and Chris Anderson, represents the culmination of over a decade of musical collaboration, with some members playing together for 15 years. This deep musical connection shines through in their live performances, where the band has earned their stripes sharing bills with renowned artists, including Clem Snide, Chris Knight, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, and the Vandoliers.

Since October 2024, El Dolor has been methodically releasing new material, with additional releases slated for 2025. Each release showcases their ability to blur genre lines while maintaining a consistent emotional core, creating a sound that's both familiar and entirely their own - proof that sometimes the most beautiful things can come from a place of pain.

Derek Miller

Guitar, Vocals, LYRICS, MUSIC

Julie Kinsey

Strings, Mandonlin, vocals, acoustic guitar

Julie began her music career drumming for Texas punk rockers Pork and Hurtbox, while daylighting as an editor for the Austin Chronicle. She moved to Colorado in the early 2000s to become an environmental scientist, where she met Derek. The two have been playing together ever since.

Toby Sheets

Drums, Vocals, audio and visuals

Toby attended UNT as a Classical Percussion major in Denton, TX. He toured the country for several years with bands Sixty-Six and REO Speedealer before settling down into a career as a recording engineer in Dallas. After moving to Colorado in 2010, he joined Derek and Julie. He is a lover of jazz, Texas boogie, and world music.

Chris Anderson

Electric/Upright Basses

Chris has been playing bass for twenty years, ranging from classical ensembles to surf and pop punk. After finishing his undergraduate in bass performance in Minnesota, he moved to China, then Mexico, and eventually landed in Colorado, seeking new music to learn and play along the way.

Josh Bearor

Guitar, Vocals

Josh has been playing country, blues and folk music as a solo artist for over a decade. You might find him slinging tunes at regional taverns, VFW halls, or streaming live for happy hour on his social media pages. When he's not playing music, he's likely carving the Colorado twisties on his Harley.