By José Gandue @Gandour
One of the Colombian bands invited to Estéreo Picnic Festival 2017 edition, to be held at the end of March, is the group The Hotpants. These people from Cali, who made their recording debut in 2012 with an edition of their first demos, has been gaining momentum in the local scene thanks to the good promotion of his latest work, Despite the mistakes, everything turned out well.Their work features a contemporary sound, with an efficient use of catchy melodies that stand out above some noisy reminiscences of 90s shoegaze and a compositional style close to current alternative pop. To get to know them a little better, We interviewed Leandro Viana, the band's guitarist, who gives details of the latest production, the participation in Estéreo Picnic and the desired future:
What do The Hotpants sound like these days?
Rock in Spanish, hahaha.
Using that label doesn't say much, put some effort into the answer, take a little risk.
Okay, Los Hotpants sound like the independent side of Cali rock, like the 90s sound that marked the musicians of the band, that shoegaze side and indie sounds.
Amidst all the musical flavor of the Pacific, in the legendary world capital of salsa and all that, how do you survive making rock?
It's not easy, but in recent years, emerging, independent bands from different subgenres of rock have managed to come together to perform concerts, share audiences, and create a network that grows daily. From these processes have emerged collectives, musical projects, and entrepreneurs who believe in the sounds made in Cali and, likewise, in venues that offer the opportunity to play. The bands are aware that they need to have material for sale—LPs, EPs, all kinds of merchandise—to receive additional payments beyond the cover charges for shows. Another way is to apply to the city's various rock festivals, which have budgets allocated for band payments. Furthermore, since last year, some bands and artists have applied for grants and received funding.
The band's sound has been "softening" from one album to the next, hasn't it? Is it a matter of maturity, the passage of time, trying to be more accessible to a wider audience? Or am I simply wrong and this has always been the intended sound?
We consider each album to be a moment in the band's history. We feel we've matured in our songwriting, and that might lead us to a different sound. Each work is a distinct piece with sonic concepts that we always strive for, from the songwriting phase through to mixing and mastering. We might have some songs that feel more accessible, but we always want to showcase the band's honest sound without being pretentious.
The appeal of guitar feedback remains. How do you combine that intimacy felt in the songs with the noisy texture of the instrumentation?
Hahaha, feedback and noise are part of the band's essence. It's something we always ask ourselves when composing and producing songs. We look for that perfect balance where those elements blend together and don't sound overproduced, but rather something natural—a balance between the vocal melodic lines and the instrumental parts, from the guitar textures and drum sounds to the bass riffs and all the instrument colors. We explored a lot in pre-production with effects pedals, using different types of guitars and guitar amplifiers, and the same with microphones. Despite the mistakes, everything turned out well.
Which bands do they currently consider a reference point?
Yuck, He Killed a Motorized Policeman, Zoe, Daughter, Phobia, Ringo Deathstarr, Mac DeMarco.
In Colombia, do you feel that anyone is pursuing artistic paths similar to yours?
I think there are bands in Colombia with a similar sound. Panorama, In Waves, and Niño Naranja are some examples of bands in our genre.
How are the preparations going for Estéreo Picnic?
We're preparing a show where we'll play the singles that have been on the radio and the songs that we consider to be the band's signature sound. It's an important moment where we're pushing ourselves as musicians to deliver a show worthy of the festival and, knowing the responsibility we have, to sound exactly as we create everything.
What comes after the festival?
The media tour for the single's release is coming up. Life with its corresponding video. We have more concerts planned in Cali, Bogotá, and Medellín, and we'll be doing a national tour to promote the LP. We want to bring the band's sound to different cities.
Any achievable dreams for the future?
We want to establish the band in Bogotá. We're also planning to travel to Mexico later this year. We're interested in the market there.