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There aren’t many bands out there with the ability to drag themselves out of the coziness of their genres and master the sounds of another, let alone many that have the skills to play the array of instruments needed to cut it as a mariachi band.
Enter the Bronx, also now known as Mariachi el Bronx.
Originally a tattooed hard-as-nails punk rock band from LA and well-respected within the genre, this enterprising outfit have unlocked the key to wider appeal by interchanging their original identity with the traditional music of Mexico - sometimes even on the same night.
So, what made the Bronx step between two sounds, mixing genuine mariachi threads with tattoos and East-coast accents?
“We’re not really sure,” lead guitarist Joby J Ford explains to HV. “It’s just something we love. It’s a musical style that worked its way into our systems by default.”
Their self-titled debut album was released in September 2009 and since then, the band have toured the UK extensively - taking in Manchester along the way.
They’ve even got the hang of visiting Big Hands for the obligatory wind-down drink.
So, with a regular touring schedule and a slot with gypsy kings Gogol Bordello on the horizon, the UK will be seeing a lot of the Bronx - under both guises - over the coming months.
Aside from infectious grins and an almost subconscious ability to get people moving, the first thing that strikes crowds at a Mariachi el Bronx gig is the band’s lavishly embroidered outfits.
“A guy named Alias made them for us (and) takes about three weeks to sew them.”
Brad, the band’s bassist and horn player, goes one step further and rocks a face-hugging moustache.
According to Joby, “he’s had it ever since I have known him. I don't know what he looks like without it. He gets a lot of heat at borders because he doesn't have it in his passport photo, so no one believes it's him.”
The band are similarly dedicated when it comes to the business side of their affairs, releasing the Bronx’s debut album through their own label, White Drugs.
Was this born from the idea that in order to exist as a happy genre-swapping entity, sometimes a band has to undercut marketing and targeted audience jargon?
“I used to really think about that stuff a lot,” Joby explains. “These days everything is such a clusterfuck and everyone has a new plan on how to sell people stuff they can get for free that it’s just really exhausting. But, my view on this topic is if you put out good records, marketing, press, labels - all that crap doesn't matter.”
Aside from marketing issues, the band seems to be moving along well when it comes to enticing new fans. According to Joby, responses have been encouraging so far.
So, has going Mariachi opened doors for the Bronx?
“I think people gravitate to something that is new or different at times. We have definitely toured with bands and played places that I never though we would. For example, The Killers.”
Whether mariachi is more accessible to live audiences than punk is also something the band are learning as they go along.
“It depends on where we are, I think. Mariachi hasn't really made it to parts of the world that punk has infiltrated,” Joby adds.
“Sometimes it depends on age. I was in Oxford talking to a mother and her daughter. Mom came for mariachi and hated the punk set. Daughter came for the punk set and hated the mariachi. Can’t win them all!”
As well as the ins and outs of relationships and life, other topics the band’s songs touch upon include everyday survival and working in crappy jobs.
“I used to sell speakers to people on the freeway out of a van,” Joby adds. “I would yell at them to pull over. Then, when we got out of the car I would explain how we were delivery boys and the client ordered too many speakers and if our boss got them he was gonna keep them for himself, etc etc.”
“If things went well, we would hit a cash point for a few hundred bucks and everyone was happy. If things went bad, I would get a gun pulled on me and a very nice gentleman would help himself to my daily allotment of high-fidelity audio speakers.”
“One guy gave me his old car for a set of them. The car broke down when I was driving it home, so I just left it on the side of the freeway. That job sucked.”
With regards to when we Brits will next get a mariachi fix, the band is obliged to remain tight-lipped about festivals until line ups are announced.
However, Joby promises that the Bronx will be hitting UK over the next few months – complete with moustaches and finely embroidered suits.
Mariachi el Bronx/The Bronx will be appearing at Manchester Academy in May 8th, supporting Gogol Bordello. TAGS: Mariachi El Bronx, The Bronx Words by: Denise Tench
Links:
Mariachi El Bronx - Myspace
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