LOS LOBOS

When I was a kid I was actually convinced that Los Lobos was a Mexican wrestler who happened to play the odd bit of music. I was also convinced Fraggles were real but that’s another story entirely. In reflection I really don’t think I was too far off the mark as the Tex Mex combo have slipped in and out of commercial success in their nearly 30 year career with a sense of musical anonymity that has seen play the part of Popstars, Rockstars and Mariachis while still retaining an avid and dedicated fanbase.
After performing together for nearly ten years before reaching commercial success with the Ritchie Valens cover ‘La Bamba’, the five piece built an air of mystery and resourcefulness that other acts could only dream about. So what’s the secret? How do you remain fresh and inspired?

‘I’m amazed that I wake up and I constantly feel inspired and excited by the music I make even after doing it all these years.’ Exclaims guitarist Louie Perez from his home in Southern California. ‘Even though our lives have changed and I have a family now I never feel that things are stale. There’s always a fresh experience to be had. It’s like Keith Richards said, “inspiration just falls out of the sky.” I’ve been writing music with David for 35 years now and it’s always this process of discovery and making emotional connections.’

This would definitely explain the constant playfulness that sees them flirting with so many different genres. ‘When I listen to music I always look for something that moves me as a human being. Like I was watching TV and the Icelandic band Sigur Ros were playing and I was just overwhelmed by the beauty of what they do. I listen to a lot of different types of music…usually in the car. I think I have Social Distortion in the CD player at the moment but I rarely listen to music when I’m at home. It’s too distracting.’

Considering the way the music industry has evolved even in the last five years with the advent of Itunes, mp3 and digital distribution, has this had any impact on the way you record an album? ‘I wanna put something to you and see if you agree. When people make records they structure songs in an order for a reason and with things like Napster people have greater freedom to pick and choose but this also takes away from the overall experience of an album. It obviously depends on the artist but it can be like mixing up the chapters in a book and I guess it just takes some of the sacredness away. We put a lot of effort in structuring the music to create an overall experience and for us that’s important.’

Being the incredibly versatile cats that they are, Los Lobos have also contributed music to films such as Mambo Kings, Desperado and Once Upon A Time In Mexico.
‘When you go to make music for a movie, it can be quite difficult because directors usually don’t have the musical knowledge to express what they want. We’ve worked with Robert Rodriguez a couple of times and he is a one-man industry. Not only is he an amazing guitarist but he is constantly on top of everything. He’s one of those guys who can just hang out and every time we play in Austin Texas he comes up on stage and jams with us. It’s also really nice to see someone being so successful outside the Hollywood system and doing such groundbreaking work.’

Part of being successful means that you’re in a position to give back to the community and Los Lobos are no exception. ‘ We have the Los Lobos Scholarship Fund which goes to helping students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds enter college. We don’t choose the students personally but we’ve been doing that for a while now and it’s been pretty successful. We also have a close relationship with The Farmers Union as well, playing fundraisers when we can. We’re actually playing tomorrow night with Carlos Santana for a charity that he runs. It’s good to be able to give something back.’

Next months sees them coming to Australian shores headlining the 17th Annual Blues & Roots festival Held in Byron Bay playing with Public Enemy, Michael Franti and Bob Geldof among others. ‘It’s such an honor to be playing with such an amazing line up.
Festivals are great places to play as well cause everyone’s relaxed and you get to hang out with good people.”

Los Lobos have now released their first live DVD release entitled ‘Los Lobos Live At The Fillmore.’ ‘Practically everyone has a concert DVD now so we thought it was about time. The Filllmore Theatre in San Francisco is a beautiful venue and we’re glad that we finally got round to it.’ The DVD really captures the spirit of what Los Lobos is about as the band pours their heart and soul into 20 tracks in front of an audience of hardcore fans.
You can tell that these are a group of musicians who simply love playing music together which creates a sense of honesty and intimacy, which is impossible to fake.

Now for the cliché desert island question. If you were stuck on an island and were only allowed to take one book with you, what would it be?
‘Umm…that’s a good question. It’d definitely have to be Ask The Dust by John Fante
(Now a movie with Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek). It’s an amazing story that captures what it’s like growing up in California even though the stories set in the 30’s.’