Joby Ford spares a moment to answer some of our questions about record labels, writing albums and getting his mariachi on.
yourGigs (yG): The Bronx had only played a small amount of shows before A&R guys were swarming around and labels were clamouring to sign you. What was it like to have such great success from the very beginning?
Joby Ford (JF): I don't know if you would call it success ... more like dumb luck. I have no idea how it happened. All of us have been playing music in no-name bands for 10 years. Then all of a sudden we get picked up. We were all very grateful.
yG: You probably could have signed to a major label right away. What made you decide to put out your music independently?
JF: Probably the fear of signing to a record label and it closes down the next day and you are contractually bound and your record never comes out.
yG: All of your LPs so far have been self-titled. Why have you not felt the need to give them individual names?
JF: Originally it was so iPods couldn't catalogue our music. It didn't really work though. Somehow iTunes figured it out...
yG: Joby, you were a graphic designer by trade before The Bronx and have designed a lot of the art for the band. How important is the art style and visual aspect of The Bronx?
JF: Very important. I like that my band gives me the freedom to do what I want. Generally they are pleased with what I come up with.
yG: How was Mariachi El Bronx born? Why mariachi?
JF: [It's] just music that we love, so we made a record. In LA it's everywhere. It just kind of works its way into your system.
yG: Is it refreshing to play in the mariachi style in contrast to the punk rock? Which style comes more naturally?
JF: I would say punk because we have been playing it longer as a group. We just started performing as mariachis.
yG: What is the process behind writing an album? Where do you draw your influences? Is it there a different process when writing a mariachi album?
JF: Usually Bronx records are point and shoot, written in a specific place and time. We wrote this mariachi record while on tour all over the world. I think that's why it goes more places than our punk records. [It] has a very open feel.
yG: What can we expect from your Australian tour?
JF: Seeing both mariachi and punk in the same night. All brought to you by The Bronx.
Bella Crea
|
|