On Creating Musical Atmospheres: Sunbuzzed
As we prepare for BABES FEST 2019, we’re sharing interviews with some of the creatives on our lineup. Today, we’re featuring words from psychedelic bruja rock band Sunbuzzed. You can catch Sunbuzzed performing Day Two of the fest during our music showcase at The North Door.
Photo of: Sunbuzzed band members
Who: Sunbuzzed
Sunbuzzed, the self-described psychedelic brujas, hail from Denton, TX with each member individually coming from all over the state. The coven of four started playing music together in late 2015 and has since casted audience members into a spooky, intense and mindbending spell. Drawing from shared latinx culture Sunbuzzed aims to channel brujeria and magic into their music. Honoring the ones who came before while still carving out a new path unique to themselves. Heavy guitar, driving drum beats, haunting vocals and cathedral-like organ paint the sound that is Sunbuzzed.
Tell us about Sunbuzzed—how did the band become what it is today?
Sunbuzzed came to fruition pretty organically. We played our first show in fall 2015 but at that point we had known each other for a few years. Lead singer and guitarist Lo Ramirez and lead guitarist Cari Cinquemani have known each other since high school when they met in marching band. They later met drummer, Ellie Alonzo, in Denton through mutual friends and immediately hit it off. A few years had passed, and the trio met keyboardist Daniel Serrano in late 2012. We spontaneously decided to jam one night without much thought into the outcome and that led into our first house show. After that first show we knew we wanted to pursue music together as Sunbuzzed. It has been a fun and wild ride so far and we have been incredibly grateful to share our music with those who will listen.
What makes your psych rock spooky?
We think our “spooky” comes from the overall vibe and tone of the music we make. We all love the macabre along with horror and the occult which we feel comes through in the music.
What does it mean to be “sunbuzzed?”
Sunbuzzed can mean different things depending on which member you ask, but collectively we try to be about connectedness between each other and the people around us. Good energy—and most importantly—good times.
Photo of: Sunbuzzed The Band Members
Who/what has inspired your sound?
Our shared Latinx culture has been a major influence in what keeps us continually inspired. The music, art, and literature constantly help us find motivation to create. Some more specific music examples would be: Selena meets The Doors meets Pink Floyd, with a splash of Abba and a whole lot of evil.
How do you get in the flow of your work as a group?
Getting in our own headspace between the four of us really helps us find our flow. We have experienced both, “having the flow” and “not having the flow,” and it boils down to making sure we have a positive and fun atmosphere going into it. We know we get into the right zone when the music flows easily and naturally.
What does it mean to you, as a group, to find and maintain synergy?
Our Sunbuzzed synergy comes from our familial love for each other. We all had known each other before the band was established, and it’s important for us to remember that we all had our respect and friendship before our music started. The music has brought us even closer together, but we try to maintain a healthy balance of “business” and fun throughout our lives together.
What’s the Denton music scene like? How did you carve out your own space within it?
Denton has a fun and lively music scene. We are really happy to be part of an art community that is so supportive and has such a great diversity of music. Denton has always been really kind and supportive to us since we started and it has allowed us to create a unique and sacred space within its music scene.
Who are you listening to right now?
Collectively: Budos Band, Tera Melos, Savila, Rosalia, Kraftwerk, Full of Hell, Los Destellos, Megan thee Stallion, FANSO, Dos Santos, Rakta, & Combo Chimbita.
BABES FEST is an ~ annual convening of minds ~ in Austin, Texas, celebrating and amplifying women and nonbinary artists. As a weekend-long exhibition, our performances, panels, pop-up markets, film screenings and networking hours span music, film, art, creative education and comedy. Our daily schedule, 3-day passes and one-day passes for BABES FEST 2019 are available now.
~ everybody’s welcome. ~