El Estrellero write tunes I love to listen to.From La Plata,Argentina they are Gregorio Jauregui (Drums),Alejo Klimavicius (Guitar and Vocals),Lautaro Barceló (Guitar and Vocals),Juan Irio (Bass and Vocals) and Juan Baro Latrubesse (Keys).They know how to surprise…when to be quiet,when to be loud and all the time making you want to re-listen again and again. The ultimate aim of any band I would think. They kindly agreed to an interview with us after we featured them on a Daily not so long ago. This is a great read from a great band.
How did you choose the name for you band?
Juan Irio: It was dictated by a heron across the sky, burning in purple flames.
How does the dynamic work between both of you? Do you always agree on musical direction?
Lautaro Barceló: Not always, either way is very organic. We do not have big argues. We prefer to stay generous instead of tricky. Is not easy because we are all composers and we all believe ourselves as some kind of wizards. But we learned (how) to deal with it for a bigger cause.
Do you think non-english singing groups get enough exposure in the major British and American magazines? Does it matter to you?
Juan Irio: Yes, but is kind of logic. We’re not waiting to see english bands in magazines dedicated to review bands who sing in spanish. Either way, it occurs and give us an advantage. The latin rock looks up a lot the english-speaking groups. Unfortunately, the english-speaking people lose the opportunity the listen music in other languages, at the height of any english or north-american band, even better than them. That disadvantage of navel gazing, has helped the latin groups to develop richness and complexity, and boxed up the english music. There’s an unexplored territory, that for us, the latinos, is about to be discovered. Is not casual that artist like Beck or Devendra, or many others, have found catching to use latin sonorities in their works. If you don’t explore, creativity finds its limit. Is time to open the gate and find really new stuff on the other side of the wall.
What was the first piece of music you loved, and why?
Lautaro Barceló: Because of my older brother, I grew up with Dookie (Green Day) and Nevermind (Nirvana). Some of that spirit remains in my music. The epic spirit. I can also name some local bands, as Peligrosos Gorriones, and some classical music as Chopin and Beethoven. I really like the Nocturnes of Chopin since i was a child.
What is your favorite song that you’ve written and why?
Lautaro Barceló: The last one, I hate the others.
How do you know when a song you’ve working on is complete?
Alejo Klimavicius: When every detail fits perfectly, and there’s no bugs in the structure, the song is finished. New arrangements and differents sounds can appear afterwards. Having reached a good sound does not mean that the song can not accept modifications. Anyway, we are always trying to improving.
Do your songs change much when played on front of a live audience?
Alejo Klimavicius: Not much. We seek to transmit the warmth of the album, and mix it with the adrenaline and the wildness of playing live. We try to convey a different sensation, otherwise, the experience is very similar to listen to it with your speakers.
Lautaro Barceló: We are temporal beings. According to Walter Benjamin, the auratic experience of here and now deveals the authenticity of an artistic work. We are very aware of it.
What song by another artist do you wish you had written and why?
Juan Irio: Today we talked a lot about “Under Pressure”.
Gregorio Jauregui: We have enough songs.
What artist(s) has been your biggest influence and in what way?
Lautaro Barceló: I have a lot of heroes. Most of them were dead in awful circumstances. As a writer, my idols are related to literature and poetry, I can name Emily Dickinson, G. K. Chesterton, Oliverio Girondo, Fernando Pessoa, Ray Bradbury, etcetcetc… In music, i really admire John Lennon, Elliott Smith and Jeff Tweedy.
Name a song that makes you happy and why does it have that effect?
Lautaro Barceló: Juan Irio’s new songs are awesome. I can listen to them only during the rehearsals. That unique and exclusive moment makes me really happy.
What is the best new band that you’ve heard recently?
Juan Irio: I really liked the last album of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
What do you think of music streaming sites like Spotify and Deezer?
Lautaro: They are good, for us is another tool to reach distant places. At the same time, I believe that these tools make shorten the path from desire to the object. The double click doesn’t have the same meaning as going from record store on record store, looking for that “out of stock” gem. “The Oddysey” is a magister work because it doesn’t talk about the blissful life of Ulises in Itaca, it talks about the long journey back home, back to the object of desire. The story ends when he reaches Itaca and recover his life. Spotify, Deezer, and all that “On Demand” services, are the instant of joy, but they have stole all the path. We have to recreate desire through the songs.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Alejo Klimavicius: I don’t expect to die.
Gregorio Jauregui: Barbie Girl, by Aqua.
Juan Latrubesse: The heron across the sky burning in purple flames, will sing its secret song in our funeral.
In October 15th they will be playing at the BUE Festival, with Iggy Pop, Wilco, The Flaming Lips amongst others. What an amazing lineup.
Thanks El Estrellero. Their latest album – Drama – is out now and can be bought here
Their playlists are below.
YouTube
super world indie tunes 