In Rod We Trust - An Interview with One Half of Rodrigo y Gabriela

Starting out by busking on the streets of Dublin well over a decade ago, Rodrigo y Gabriela have worked their way to the top, touring all over the world and playing at the Hollywood Bowl back in August with their idol, Megadeth’s Marty Friedman.

“A lot of people ask us if those days busking and playing to make our way in Dublin were tough,” says Rodrigo of the band’s time in Ireland, “but actually, those were some of the best days of our lives. We weren’t even thinking about success at all – we were just having a good time. I think sometimes, when you clear your mind of expectations, that’s when you allow things to really happen.“And looking back now, I’m proud of what we did because it was pretty brave. Not a lot of people would have the guts to do it.”

Rock music with a Mexican approach became the duo’s hallmark – and their unique style set them on a trajectory, which led to the release of their highly successful, self-titled album in 2006. It also brought them into contact with some of Irish music’s up-and-coming stars.

“We met Damian Rice before he became big,” notes Rodrigo. “We would’ve been busking with him at the same time at one point, and supported him right at the beginning of his career – we played shows in Vicar St. and a couple in London. But a lot of people don’t realise that it was David Gray who was really important in helping us. We supported him when he came to Ireland, and then we were invited to tour with David. That brought us all over Europe and, through his label, we got the deal that landed us our proper first album outside of Mexico.”

Rodrigo y Gabriela’s frantic, precise guitar playing is a technical and musical marvel: they have the gift of sounding just as good live as they do on record. Despite their success, however, Rodrigo acknowledges the frustration that can attend being a two-piece guitar duo.

“The challenge is always to make things sound original,” he proffers. “And we have to come up with new stuff all the time because, really, it can bore you to death just hearing two guitars only. We’ve recorded five albums and tried to develop our sound. On our last record we were trying to come up with more rock riffs on the guitar. It’s really about trying to find the balance – of coming up with new elements, while also not losing sight of our origins.”

They certainly can’t be accused of lacking originality. Back in 2012 they teamed up with Havana’s C.U.B.A orchestra for their Area 52 collection Their last LP, 9 Dead Alive, was an intriguing concept album that focused on death and found musical forms to highlight important historical figures. Rod explains the socially-conscious thinking behind it.

“Culturally speaking, I think we’re losing a lot of our values,” he suggests. “We have the responsibility to give people good information about these significant figures that might inspire them somehow. With 9 Dead Alive we weren’t even thinking about radio play.”

Each track is recorded live, with very little production gloss, making for an intimate communion, as the duo celebrate the likes of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Viktor Frankl and Antonio de Torres Jurado with their intense rock riffs.

Rod y Gab’s newest album may be their most original yet, ironically by embracing that most conventional of musical components – lyrics. Singing covers like Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ has become a feature of their live shows in recent months, and Rodrigo confirms that their new offering won’t be an entirely instrumental affair.

“We wanted to change the approach of the Latin sound that we’ve been associated with, in terms of melodies and doing proper rock riffs. We also said that if we were going to write lyrics, they’d have to be honest. I think we’re at that stage now.”

Before heading back to the studio, Rodrigo has just enough time to talk about a certain controversial politician whose proposals would see his home country walled off from the US…

“We’re not a political band, but we do disagree with him,” he says. “It’s not that I support Hillary wholeheartedly. I mean, is she a great option? No. Is she a better option than Trump? Yes, I think so. She is supported by a lot of progressive people who surround her, so even if you don’t agree with what she’s done, she has that. And almost anyone would be a more progressive option than Trump.” Rodrigo y Gabriela perform at Sligo Live on October 28 with a special guest.