DOLORES - No Pain No Gain (Beatdown Hard-Core - Interview with Leo)
Please introduce yourself and let me know how it all began with the band ? And above all - WHY the need to form THIS band ?
We are the band Dolores from San Jose, Ca. You could say we were founded by guitarist Joey Ruiz and myself (Leo Lopez, vocalist). We go way back and have played together in one form or another. We went through some line-up changes before solidifying our roster in late 2020 with bassist Luis Chevere and drummer Jordan Albano. That time during the lockdown really helped to hone our sound and bring us together as a unit, especially since all you could do is practice. We simply do it for the love of music, the love of hardocre, of hitting the road and playing to strangers hundreds of miles away in hopes that we will all be homies in the end.
Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
We are definitely fans of minimalist chunky riffs, laid back in the pocket drums, with a flavor only San Jose could cultivate, we like to call it 'Cholo Groove.' We take that as the core then add elements of bay area thrash, punk, and breakdowns in the vein of meat 'n' potatoes hardcore with some crossing over in the realm of beatdown. We constantly push the boundaries of what music can be, experimenting with new sounds and techniques to keep our music fresh and exciting.
Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ?
Lyrically, I tend to deliver scathing critiques of systemic oppression and social inequality, with songs that tackle everything from economic disparity to racial injustice. I construct content in a style of unflinching honesty and brutal energy, in hopes to make a powerful anthem for the disenfranchised and a rallying cry against the status quo.
About your latest release ?
Our latest single, "ONSLAUGHT" just dropped on June 21st, and is the first track off of our upcoming ep Imminent Obliteration. This will be our first release for Golden Robot Records after signing in Feb 2024. We recorded at The Panda Studio (Heavy Heavy Low Low, The Story So Far, Sunami) with engineer Charles Toshio. The ep will be out in August with artwork done by Andrew G Calleri (DEVOURED DESIGN)
Future plans ?
We want to get back to touring for sure. We have some runs already planned out with hopefully many more by end of year. We are most definitely interested in playing at a few of the festivals that have been going utterly gorilla shit!! We also have plans on releasing another ep by the end of 2024. So all in all we want to keep on the grind and keep reaching out to as many that will have us!
Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
I feel that collectively an insane dream of ours for this band would be playing at a festival exclusively for the kind of music we play, and that it's to a 1000 plus size crowd, lol.
Your BEST & WORST concert and why ?
We played Bend, OR in 2023. We were doing like a four day run with our homies in Infinite Sleep. They ended up having a family emergency and had to go back before the last day, The Capitol in Bend. We are driving from Eureka so it's a few hours. As we are getting closer to the venue and pulling around the block, we see this huge line of people stretched around the block. We are wondering what it could all be for? We start joking, like great we double booked and there is like a huge tour package in town. We pull around back, unload and head into the venue. The promoter is dapping us up, along with some of their homies and hyping us up about the night. We play it humble and talk about how we say all those people in line for some show, and they were like ya, to see you guys!! Needless to say, it was an incredible night, the place was packed wall to wall, moshing, circle pits, god damn cinematic!!
As for the worst show, luckily we all have played in other bands and have practiced our craft for many years. So we never had a bad show because of the performance. Now, have we played to like five people, who were probably in the other band or bar staff. Yes. Many times over lol. Those will alway be the worst because there is nothing like the energy of a packed room and the chaos that we can bring forth in an environment like that.
Next live-appearance(s) ?
We are beyond hyped to be playing the NorthWest Hardcore Fest with bands the likes of Ingrown, Dead Heat, These Streets, and many more!
Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ?
There are so many good bands absolutely killing it in NorCal right now, it's a damn renaissance. I'll start with some fellow Bay Area homies, Here at the End, Forced to Suffer, Caveman, Game of LIfe, Cruel Idols, Decades In, honestly too many to name.
Last word is yours..
Keep Hardcore grimy!! 408 San Jose over everything!!!
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