Javier Vielba and Rubén Marrón take the stage of the El Batel Auditorium in Cartagena this afternoon to review some of the best songs by the Valladolid band in a ‘guitar-duo’ format, although they will almost certainly also throw at the classics . A good opportunity to enjoy the western-country-rock of the Castilians
The pucelanos Arizona Baby will act in The Batel with its format guitar-duo, reaffirming their status as the last of the old-fashioned rock Mohicans. Before publishing their songs they were already on the Internet in an accelerated way. The renowned Sonora desert gave the title to the fifth long album by the most famous Spanish western-country-rock band; an album that responds to their acoustic rock budgets rooted in blues, but with looks in multiple directions. One of them is psychedelia.
Emuli of Johnny Cash, Elvis, Calexico, Fleet Foxes, Love …, Arizona Baby surpass everything that is put to them. They’ve stirred up the landscape with an irresistible deep-rooted adventure, desert epic, and evocative fantasy. His recipe for intense but acoustic rock works perfectly. Its American sound is credible, like the scenic power and magnetism of its singer, Javier Vielba, Doctor of English Philology and specialist in American Literature, who seems to have come from Jefferson Airplaine. He answers our questions.
Sonora came four years after Secret Fires. Has confinement helped Arizona Baby to cook something? When will new work?
We have been more focused on Corizonas, our side project, and I just released a new album with my El Meister project. Arizona Baby is waiting to resume its live activity as normally as possible. We have unreleased material for a great album of rarities that we may make in the future, and it may also include news. But, for the rest, the pandemic and the disastrous panorama of political tension does not inspire us in the least, so we remain patient with what we do, waiting for better times to arrive in which it is worth making the great investment that recording a film would entail. new album of new material.
What are the news that Sonora presented?
It is an album that came out two years ago and, except in Madrid (we have a pending account), we have presented it all over Spain. We have also presented it in Mexico within the Marvin Festival, along with some other dates in Mexico City. It is an album that has worked very well, and that has not only kept the attention of our parish, but has also helped us to continue attracting followers. We continue to expand our color palette without the band losing its personality.
You recorded it in three different studios. Were you looking for something different in each studio, was it due to date problems or due to tours and concerts? Have you changed your way of recording?
We never record two discs the same way. The music is alive, and any time and place can work. Sonora was recorded in three studios in three cities (Valladolid, Madrid and Seville), and following different methods. We like to test while we adapt to the circumstances. We were recording in batches to combine our tours, but also to capture the songs at their optimum moment of maturity.
What was the key to Sonora? Do you want to run away from clichés?
There are no keys. If anything, the maxim of being honest with our criteria and way of doing things. We wanted to make a collection of the best songs that we were able to do at that time. Freedom, honesty, whim. We are happy with Sonora, and again it has been a step to strengthen our personality, apart from shaking off some labels that perhaps limited what was perceived of Arizona Baby.
What is your biggest concern as a band?
Earn a living, be free and be happy enjoying what we do by sharing it with people.
What is your point of view on releasing albums?
It seems essential to us to value records as the works of art that they are. You have to buy records so that the groups do not become extinct. We will continue to make records, but not to store them, but for people to listen to and enjoy. Dear readers, buy records and you will save on antidepressants.
Your live album with Los Coronas, recorded at the Joy Eslava club, recently turned ten years old. What is the feeling?
The feeling is that time flies, but time has been well spent. We are very proud of our track record, but we don’t want to gloat over melancholy, and we look to the future in a challenging way.
The tour Two bands and one destinyApart from being the origin of Corizonas, it had an unprecedented repercussion. How is your new album going? Has the pandemic favored or harmed its development?
The pandemic has done absolutely nothing good. In spite of everything, Corizonas we have made a virtue of necessity, and, with great collective effort, we have carried out the composition, production and recording of a new album that will be released sometime in 2021.
This 2020, Corizonas launched the most unexpected and definitive version of Comfortably numbby Pink Floyd. Why that choice?
The line-up has weathered some bumps in recent times, and it has been a way of rebirth. We started with a version of Pink Floyd and reinvented ourselves with another version of Pink Floyd. Our drummer Loza came up with a great, very corysonic arrangement, and everything flowed naturally.
Fire in Castile is the second feature of El Meister. Is it a concept album, rather than a common concept album?
Yes. The concept is Castile and Castilian.
How do you manage to have three different projects (El Meister, Arizona Baby and Corizonas)?
Constantly working and struggling to keep the illusion of beginnings intact. It is always refreshing and very motivating to go from one project to another, but also very demanding.
Speaking of the uncertain future, how do you have the post-covid agenda?
Well, as anyone can imagine, the immediate future is uncertain and very complicated. We have not yet overcome the pandemic, one of the worst economic crises in our history is beginning, and many of us fear that citizens will take longer than desired to regain the fundamental rights lost during this year. We will have to be patient, prudent and we will have to be able to adapt to the circumstances. As Bruce Lee said: Be water, my friend.
And how do you see the panorama of the world of music? Do you understand the massive cancellations of concerts and festivals that have occurred in recent months?
Obviously it is not very advisable to hold massive events, but it has been shown from the entertainment sector that events can continue to be held safely by following strict hygiene and distancing measures. If to this we add more controls to detect the disease, it is possible that very soon the sector will finally reactivate (beyond some specific action) gradually and within the circumstances. From our sector the proportionality of measures and scientific rigor are supported. Patience and to continue slowly and with good handwriting.
Is the culture safe?
Culture is safe. Little word.
It seems that you don’t pay much attention to social media. Is it attitude or do you see them useful?
It is more rebellious than laziness. We don’t like the excessive exhibitionism of social networks € We like that there is a bit of mystery. We want to feed myths and legends. We find them useful tools to give news about what is happening in our activity (concerts, album releases, interviews, etc.), and to stay in contact with our fans. Beyond that, we like to ensure our privacy and spend our time playing, rehearsing, composing and continuing to improve as musicians.
What does Valladolid have for the American roots to take so much root in the music of some Castilians?
Everything is connected through history. Joaquín Díaz made North American songbook records (highly influenced by Castilian culture, by the way) in the sixties. In Pucela there have always been rock and roll bands. The really strange thing would be that bands like ours in Spain had not come out. Rock is universal; we are a universal band.
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