Features

Tell us about your new album – How would you say it’s different from the last?

It’s more evolved. The first record was so exciting and we were so naïve, we were just trying to make sure we did it right. Trying to be respectful and trying to honour the tradition of Mariachi music and do it our own way. It felt like such a huge achievement to get that done.

We wanted a chance to evolve and get better and become more confident and to me that’s just what the second record is. It’s something that we love and we understand that it can be chaotic – it’s something that we take seriously. Guys coming from a punk rock band in LA called The Bronx who are mostly white, doing Mariachi music was something I think a lot of people were going to be skeptical about. So we had to be careful.

When you first began the Mariachi side project from The Bronx, what kind of game plan did you have in mind? Did you ever expect it to be where it’s at now? Anything you’d do differently?

No, no. It’s the most inspired I’ve been in my life. And going into the new Bronx record it’s a whole new level; it’s left field from the norm.

Was it a strategic ‘gap-in-the-market’ move? Or unprecedented..?

It was very out of nowhere. We kept getting offers to do acoustic stuff with The Bronx and we hate doing that type of stuff…The Bronx is an awesome, aggressive, upfront, abrasive band and that’s the way we want to keep it. It was Joby’s idea to try and do Dirty Leaves, off our second record, Mariachi style. There’s a moment that you come across in music I think where you go from becoming someone in a band to becoming a musician. That’s when you cross over that boundary of writing out of your comfort zone into something really new and that’s what it felt like…

“The experiment of El Bronx was partly a disguise to get us into parties where we didn’t belong, places we didn’t expect to go – and it worked!” Under The Bronx heading – where did you feel you didn’t belong?

To a certain extent for the most part outside of our awesome and completely insane fans we’ve always been a band’s band or a critic’s band. We have so many friends that are fellow musicians, for example The Killers tour - it was something that The Bronx could have never done, we signed to Island at the same time that The Killers did years ago and we’ve known those guys and been friends with them since that time. But that tour just wouldn’t make sense. Not that it’s something that we dream about, going on tours with big bands but it’s just nice to experience everything.

Life’s too short. I want to play with as many people as I can, I want to put out as many records as I can and I want to do things differently and be myself. Leave a mark. In a box that’s one genre big you can only make a mark so big. If you want to make a bigger mark you got to step outside that box!

Comparing the two is like spilt personalities. Is there one you prefer more than the other – or is the beauty being able to chop and change and broaden the group’s horizons, performance-wise?

The beauty of it is being able to go back and forth. With the second El Bronx record we got a lot of awesome opportunities from it. There are definitely times where you want to plug in and play loud and you want to scream. It’s nice to be able to have that outlet to have both bands and vice-versa. It’s nice to be able to sit down and do something a little more stripped down and be able to just kind of chill out. Creatively though it’s the best thing in the world because both bands are good for each other and it keeps us inspired and it keeps us motivated.

We want to make a Bronx record so bad right now and we’re chopping at the bit to do it. That’s where you want to be as an artist, you want to be in that spot where you just can’t wait to make something and you’re so inspired and you’re so excited that there’s no doubt in your mind it’s going to come out great.

Do you find the audience differs much between the two or is it one in the same?

It’s a trip. The audience thing is awesome. Bronx fans have been pretty amazing about El Bronx, they’re into it and they love it. The funny thing about it is we do these things with El Bronx and people have no clue that The Bronx even exist. I kind of feel like you’re lying to them in a way because they don’t really know who you are. It’s like when you’re dating someone and hiding the fact that you went to jail for ten years or something. It’s kind of funny. It’s a cool thing, it’s a social experiment that we really get a kick out of and at the end of the day we’re just so stoked to be making music and be able to make records that people are paying attention to and listening to. Having said that it’s a very humbling experience.

You obviously have an appreciation for Latino culture – How have the Latino community responded to the project? Is it important for you to make sure the band is seen as respectful rather than a parody or imitation?

Absolutely. It’s not really going to go anywhere if it doesn’t make sense; it’s got to be the real deal, its got to be authentic. I think that in music and in art you can put your own spin on things and you can do what you want to do as long as you come from an honest place and you’re truthful with your art and where you’re coming from. We’ve done that with The Bronx and we’ve done that with Mariachi El Bronx. I think people get that and they understand that it’s a style that we love and we were inspired by.

Hispanic culture is something that is obviously everywhere in L.A. but it’s something that we’ve all grown up with and personally I love it. It’s been good so far and we’ve done a couple of Mariachi festivals and played with real Mariachi groups and all the crazy stuff and it’s been amazing. The response has been great.

What could Western Society take on board from Latino culture?

One of the things that I love most about it is the stress of family and friends. It’s one of those things I always loved growing up going over to any of my Hispanic friends houses, as there’s such an importance on family. It’s such an awesome thing: people that really care about each other, have an amazing and genuine environment to grow up in, [it] had a big effect on me. I love my friends, I’ll do anything for them, and it’s those things that are really important in life. That’s one thing I learnt growing up in Mexican neighbourhoods - how important it is to stick by your family and to love your family.

What do you appreciate and find appealing about Mexican music? What does it bring to a mainstream/commercial format?

Musically, it’s like music of the people. I love music that celebrates the trials of life, the ups and the downs, the positive and negative sides of love, death, family, friendship and work, everyday stuff. I love that about it. It reminds me a lot of punk music in that way. It’s very hands on; it’s very in the moment.

The music sonically is a lot different and even getting down to a different sound in every town you go to, a different take on it. I like that about punk. When I was growing up, the West Coast had so much more of a relaxed, arty sound, then you had the New York art, which was totally different.

The hardcore that came out of New York sounded so much different than the stuff that was coming out of London. I like that stuff – music nerd stuff – I get really into it and I like exploring it. The fact that it’s primarily in Spanish was something that was always intriguing to me too. To a certain extent, it sounds like circus music, and what you’d expect people to be singing about is a party. But it could really be about a drug dealer or the woman that they loved dying in their arms. I love how multilayered it is and how deep it can go. It’s just something that I find extremely interesting.

Who are you currently listening to?

I just bought Gary Clark Jr’s record, that guy’s alright! Davilla 666. I just got back from Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas, and watched bands play and they were really cool. This band called Thee Oh Sees were awesome, I finally got to see The Damned play too!

Mariachi El Bronx are performing Big Day Out and sideshows this summer. Follow the band via their site HERE.

All Images Copyright Ashley Maile, Lisa Johnson and Big Hassle