Born into a family where music was ever-present and shaped by the backdrop of civil war in El Salvador, Ces’ musical foundations were formed early. His father, a radio jockey, introduced him to música americana alongside Spanish romantic balladeers, instilling in him a deep appreciation for lyrical storytelling.

After migrating migrating with his family to Melbourne during the war, Ces began studying piano and guitar at age 10, absorbing the city’s rich multicultural influences. A later return to El Salvador exposed him to the poetry of Alfredo Espino and to brass music through his school’s marching band, where he learned alto sax and valve trombone—experiences that deepened his connection to both music and writing.

Resettling in Australia as a teenager after stints abroad in Costa Rica and Canada, the guitar became central to his musical identity, shaped by alternative rock, jazz, and folk music. At 18, he formed his first band with his brother Dennis, beginning a long-standing musical partnership that led to various projects, including Thomcords, with whom he released the EP All Roads Lead Home.

Ces later pursued music studies at Monash University and Victoria University, where jazz-based training broadened his musical language. In 2014, he began recording his debut solo EP All’s Not Lost, a genre-spanning project blending bossa nova, rock, funk, jazz, and American folk. Exploring themes of love, loss, and human connection, the EP was released independently in 2017 through his label, Flying Monk Records, following the singles Sin Hablar and Ms. Mac.