1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: If you say I'm a LATINX rock band, immediately you've 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: shrunken the world of possibilities that you exist within. 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 2: When you do that, you definitely play with the media 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 2: and you get into spaces you would not necessarily get into. 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 2: If you say you're a Latino rock band. It has 6 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 2: nothing with identity either. It has everything to do with 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 2: the music business. 8 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 3: From Futuro media, It's Latino Usa. I'm Maria Ino josam 9 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 3: today one of our how I Made It segments with 10 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 3: LA based group Chicano Batman. Chicano Batman is a band 11 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 3: made up of for Latinos from southern California, whose singular 12 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 3: sound mixes psychedelic rock sensibilities with a host of vintage references. 13 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 3: The LA based group has been playing together for around 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 3: a decade and has been highly acclaimed for their electic sound, 15 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 3: but also their throwback style. Opening for acts like Jack White, 16 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 3: Vampire Weekend, and Alabama Shakes. The band has managed to 17 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 3: garner attention on some of the biggest stages across the globe, 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 3: including spots at Coachella in twenty fifteen and twenty seventeen. 19 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 3: Their latest album, Invisible People, takes listeners on a new, funky, 20 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 3: soul infused journey, from tunes that have heavy hip hop 21 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 3: influences to more synth based tracks. They've ditched their classic 22 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 3: matching suits to bringing their four distinct personalities and putting 23 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 3: those individual flavors into their most diverse album yet. We 24 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 3: spoke with two of Chicano Batman's members, gardlos Arevallon and 25 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 3: eduardoloaian As to learn a little bit more about how 26 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 3: they didn't get pigeonholed as a Latino band and how 27 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 3: they've reinvented themselves on their latest album, well also staying 28 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 3: true to exactly who they've always been. 29 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 2: My name is in Us and I play bass in 30 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 2: Chicano Batman. 31 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: My name is Carlos a Rivello. I played guitar in 32 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: Chicano Batman. 33 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: Chicano Batman sound has evolved. We've been a band for 34 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 2: more than ten years. That's fun. 35 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 4: It seems a lot of our music in the past 36 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 4: was kind of rooted in the ballads of Latin American 37 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 4: soul records. 38 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 2: The first couple of times that people saw us play, 39 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 2: they were just they still just stare at us. Honestly, 40 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: they're trying to figure out what the hell it is 41 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: that it came to see and how it is that 42 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 2: we're doing it. 43 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: What we're doing is so unique because of who we 44 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: each are. We've always been unified by the fact that 45 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: we always wore matching outfits on stage. We would wear 46 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: three piece suits, which comes from I guess you could say, 47 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: like the Beatles, how they would wear matching suits, and 48 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,239 Speaker 1: then a lot of soul groups would emulate that style. 49 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: We would do that and that was a cool way 50 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: to be unified as a group. But we started realizing 51 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,239 Speaker 1: what it was doing was also not letting our own 52 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: personalities shine within the group. 53 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 2: Diversifying and letting each one of us kind of express 54 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: ourselves just creates a whole different dimension about how sophisticated 55 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: and how deep our roots go into our own identity 56 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 2: as cists is not. Each one of these guys has 57 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: such a complex world of music that they're bringing to 58 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: the table that we had no idea about, and his 59 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 2: understanding of that music and where it comes from and 60 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: how it's evolved is a huge encyclopedia for this band 61 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 2: to tap into. That's what keeps this band grounded is 62 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: if we are who we are, the blood is the same. 63 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 2: We just keep evolving with different lens about how much 64 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 2: more we can do with what we've got. I think 65 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: what made Chicano Batman more mainstream is that we started 66 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 2: calling ourselves a rock band. 67 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: There's so much variation and possibilities under the umbrella term rock, 68 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: generic as the term is itself, there's just so many 69 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: ways you can move within that spectrum. We're not the 70 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: first group to come up with this kind of plan 71 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:45,359 Speaker 1: or template. There's this band called the Mars Volta, Omar Rodriguez, 72 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: Lopez and Cedric Bixers of all are Latinos, Puerto Rican 73 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: and Chicano in the group. They were being recognized, you know, 74 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: amongst bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers being taken on 75 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: the road with groups like Soundgarden Volume, and they never 76 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: were sold as like a Latino band. I saw how 77 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: much more freedom you had working within that medium By 78 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: identifying that, it seemed like a no brainer to do that. 79 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: Nobody wants to be pigeonholed. 80 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 2: We all want to be. 81 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: Free to express ourselves to the fullest extent we can. 82 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: There's so many times where you get told like you're 83 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: not good enough for that you know, or you're not 84 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: big enough. You don't have the credibility for something like that. 85 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:53,799 Speaker 2: What we get in the end is so rewarding because 86 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 2: we play in front of a lot more people that 87 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 2: would not have come to see us because they would 88 00:05:58,480 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: not go see a LATINX A'll. 89 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: Turn and we can stand shoulder to shoulders with the 90 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: best of them. We have something just as beautiful and 91 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: unique to offer if you give us the opportunity to 92 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: do so. 93 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 2: Sometimes you just have to like aim real high, and 94 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: then once you got access to mainstream, then you can 95 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: really be impactful on all those people that are looking 96 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 2: up to you. And I think we've had that experience 97 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 2: where people are saying, Wow, I can't believe you played 98 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: on a platform with Jack White, or you play Coachella 99 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 2: and all these different things and you're a Latino band. 100 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 2: Like that makes me feel like I can do something 101 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 2: with my life. 102 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 1: It's just a way to get your foot in the door. 103 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 1: And once you're in there, you know, I mean, we 104 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: never deny who we are or anything like, we're still 105 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: who we've always been. 106 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 2: It's like we're operating in all these different spheres that 107 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 2: we never thought we'd have access to. But at the 108 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 2: end of the day, we're still called Chiconovatman, and it's 109 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 2: an empowering name and we are still for Latinos rocking 110 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 2: in that world. 111 00:06:52,480 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 4: She's the day She's to do. 112 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: The name of Chicano Batman's fourth record is called Invisible People. 113 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 2: Elements. 114 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: We kind of wanted to do something very different, flip 115 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: it upside down. A big part of the inspiration for 116 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: this record was just that West Coast sound that we 117 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: grew up with, that's in our veins. Hearing the hard 118 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: hitting beats of Doctor dre Snoop Dogg, Tupacy. 119 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 2: We wanted to make an album that was the best 120 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 2: album we'd ever heard. 121 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: We started demoing the new record in twenty eighteen, and 122 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: it took a year of writing and coming up with 123 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: demos and figuring out direction before we finally track the record. 124 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: In February of twenty nineteen. 125 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 2: The label was saying, you guys should do a song 126 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,040 Speaker 2: for a record store day, so he said, okay. We 127 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: got in the studio and then we put together with 128 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 2: what is now known as blank Slate. We send it 129 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 2: over to the label and they said, no, this year 130 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 2: is too good, this has to be on an album. 131 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 2: I think we were just not worried about genres. This one, 132 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 2: we just disregarded all of those things and really explored 133 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: the uncomfortable ceiling. 134 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 4: We know. 135 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,839 Speaker 1: We wanted people to bob their heads because that's what 136 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: the music does that we listened to. 137 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 2: It's just a lot more raw, now more danceable. It's funky, 138 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 2: it's fresh, it's dark. 139 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 1: So the title track, Invisible People came about one day. 140 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: I was driving around Lincoln Heights with our lead singer 141 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: and I was talking to him about a song idea 142 00:08:57,960 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: that I had. I was like, what do you think 143 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: about making a song called Invisible People? And he was like, 144 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: all right, what are you thinking? So we're talking about 145 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. This is like the height of Trump. He's 146 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: already been using anti immigrant, anti Latinos rhetoric for years 147 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: up to that point. I was upset about that whole 148 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: situation and also just how Latinos were perceived in the 149 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: US by mainstream media. Invisible Why can't the Latino be 150 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: in the mainstream magazine? Why can we only be in 151 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: the magazines that we create for ourselves. It's like we're here, 152 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: but they don't notice us. 153 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 2: With the platform that we have for the public to 154 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 2: see Latinos as people is empowering see as an artist, 155 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 2: as people with us sense of humor, you know, educated people. 156 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 2: We're taking over the narrative of our existence on this planet, 157 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 2: in our communities, in our states, our roles in society, 158 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 2: our roles in families, and keeping them together. It has 159 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: to come from us. We're rich people and we have 160 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 2: a rich culture. And if we don't start rephrasing these 161 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 2: statements and these ideas and these ideals, then nobody's gonna 162 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 2: do it for us. You gotta find your own voice. 163 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 2: It's inside each one of us, and you just gotta 164 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 2: search for it, find it and lock it in. 165 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 3: That was Godless and Arnaz from the La based band 166 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 3: Chicano Batman. This episode was produced by Gini Montalgo and 167 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 3: edited by Andrea Lopez Cruzsano. The Latino USA team includes 168 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 3: Biel Macis, Luis Rees, Julieta Martinelli, Alisas Carse and Alejandra Salazard, 169 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:45,479 Speaker 3: with help from Adrianna Tapia and Raoul Perez. Our engineers 170 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 3: are Stephanie Lebau, Julia Caruso, and Lia Shaw. Our director 171 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 3: of programming and Operations is Natalia Fidehotz. Our digital editor 172 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 3: is Luis Luna. Our New York Women's Foundation Ignite fellow 173 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 3: is Julia Rocha. Our interns are Jimla del Serro and 174 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 3: Emi se Giros Art. The music was composed by Zeena RINOs. 175 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 3: If you like the music you heard on this episode, 176 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 3: stop by Lettingmousa dot org and check out our weekly 177 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 3: Spotify playlist. I'm your host and executive producer Maria Jojosa. 178 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 3: Join us again on our next episode, and in the meantime, 179 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 3: look for us on all of your social media AI loosveio, estella, 180 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 3: proxima Joe Latino. 181 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 5: USA is made possible in part by the Arcis Foundation, 182 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 5: dedicated to the idea that people can live in harmony 183 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 5: with one another and the natural world. Learn more about 184 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 5: Arcus and its partners at Arcisfoundation dot org. California Endowment 185 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 5: building a strong State by improving the health of all Californians, 186 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 5: and the wind Coat Foundation. 187 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 2: Tie true. I don't know what pink elephant is.