Brawley-Based Artist W4ELU Reflects on His Journey Into Music and Storytelling

BRAWLEY - At just 22 years old, Pablo I. Barajas who goes by the stage name W4ELU—is an emerging music artist from Brawley. His work centers around love songs and emotional storytelling, with a sound that blends soft R&B, pop, and folk influences.

His journey into music began during the summer following his freshman year of high school, when artists like Ed Sheeran and Sam Tompkins first sparked his interest. Using his dad’s acoustic guitar and YouTube tutorials, W4ELU taught himself how to play and began writing songs that reflected the emotions he couldn’t find in existing music.

“Love songs got harder to come by,” he explained, “because I felt like I’d heard all of them, and most couldn’t reach the perspective I was looking for.” Taking advice from his mother—“If you’re looking for something you can’t find, that means it hasn’t been made yet”—he began crafting his own.

Today, W4ELU describes his sound as melancholic and soft, often suited for quiet reflection in a bedroom or a late-night car ride. His influences include Phora, Dean Lewis, and Rozei—artists he admires for their balance of compelling vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation.

His creative process is rooted in emotion. “I first reflect on what I’m feeling and start messing around with my guitar,” he said. From there, he improvises melodies and lyrics—sometimes starting with gibberish that slowly transforms into meaning. With help from collaborators and producers, his songs eventually evolve into fully formed tracks.

W4ELU says his songwriting draws equally from personal experience and imagination. “It’s a 50/50 mix,” he said. “Some are based on real emotions or events, and others are shaped to fit a narrative.”

Of all his work, the most meaningful song to date is Paper Hearts, a deeply reflective track written during a time of emotional growth. “It was made in realization of, ‘I will never understand that person, but I’m glad I met them.’ Whether they were a lesson or a blessing, I’ll always wonder what was going through their head.”

W4ELU is currently preparing to release new music this summer and is working on a genre-blending EP titled Car Radio, expected by the end of 2025. He’s also in discussions for future collaborations.

While he hopes to eventually perform outside the region, W4ELU is currently focused on local shows. “For now, I’m still learning my valley, so I prefer to perform locally. But I definitely want to expand soon.”

His long-term goals include releasing more albums, exploring different genres, and building strong connections with audiences through live performance. “Every day has a new feeling and a new story to tell,” he said.

Ultimately, W4ELU wants to use his platform to reflect the strength and spirit of the Imperial Valley. “We all go through struggles,” he said. “But as a community, we look out for each other. And we take the good and the bad and make something beautiful out of it.”