Interview with Manantial De Fuego
Sunday, August 17th, 2014
We met up with upcoming ska band, Manantial De Fuego at the popular Yost Theater on Sunday evening. Having a chance to headline for the night was an honor for the band. Here's what they had to say. Interview is shortened to the Qs & As only. Q: So what would you guys describe your style as?
A: "We have a lot of fusion. Rock and roll mixed with like, salsa, cumbias, ska, you know, a lot of, um, love songs in a way [the band laughs], love hate relationships. A lot of those two things are found in our lyrics. So yeah, we're a Latin band that plays rock."
Q: You guys mix those styles, I have to say that it's a very unique combination. What made you guys choose those specific styles and blend them? How exactly did you guys manage to blend them, a few of those genres are quite different from each other. I'm assuming it could have been a bit difficult to get those styles to flow together well.
A: "I think that that is exactly it, that um, 'We need something new, we gotta push forward' idea. We just decided to try different combinations of things until we found something that worked for us."
Q: So you're saying that you guys have had a different sound before with different genres. Does this mean that the band went through a trial and error phase to get where you are today?
A: "You know what, yes! We have because sometimes when we write the song and we play it a certain way the first time, afterwards we like 'No, we gotta make it different. This isn't good enough.' So, that's when we decide we gotta make some adjustments. Also, it's the audience and the crowd that we pay attention to. How they react to certain songs. So it is the crowd that has been guiding us to our sound, to what Manantial De Fuego is now. It's the feedback that we get from the audience."
Q: Besides the audience, what else has helped shape the sound of the band? Knowing that the LA music scene is what helped bring you guys up, are there any local bands that you guys look up to in particular?
A: "Unfortunately, we did not have a great experience with other local artists. We had a bad experience, which is why we decided to focus on this kind of music. We had a confrontation with a ska band, that, well, they were not good at what they were doing. So we decided that we were gonna show them how to do it."
Q: Payback, then?
A: "Yes, kind of like that. [chuckles] But we respect them, we respect them. We had some difficulties in a show a couple years ago. Which is why we decided to go on the path we are on today."
Q: So you guys had your first album out in 2011. Was this a long time coming, or how long before had MDF formed?
A: "It's kind of funny, you see, we started with metal, we were a metal band! We started with different styles and then we broke up around '07, we had some problems, you know, like everybody, but maybe around 2009 is when we all united and that's when we each brought more styles in."
Q: What brought you guys back together?
A: "What it is, I think, is that need that we all have to play music. And you know what, I think it's also that we can't see the band with other members, you know? We have to see each other in that same band."
Q: Do you think that the sound is unique to the people in the band? For example, if you replaced a member, do you feel like it would change completely?
A: "Yeah most definitely. Everyone here has their own style to add to the band. We put our differences aside to make the music for the people who love the sound."
Q: So have you guys actually had to change people in the past?
A: "Yeah uh, we actually had a guitarist [everyone looks at their guitarist] leave us several times. [they laugh] What it really came down to was this family & brotherhood."
Q: How did you guys all meet?
A: "Man, this was back in '04, I would see this guy walking around high school with his glasses and long hair and I'd be like 'Ay, John Lennon!' Then later I went up to him and told him that I am serious playing music. Then he introduced me to Marco and we just started jamming!"
Check out their music, follow the link below.
http://www.reverbnation.com/manantialdefuego