Twin Tribes - if you don’t know the name, you’re missing out. This darkwave band is from Brownsville, Texas and their sound is… well it’s Texas big. They’re dark, dramatic, atmospheric, hypnotic, and, while 80s nostalgic, starkly unique. The moment I heard them I was hooked and needed to know more. So after a great performance in St. Louis, I got to know them a little in the following interview!
Hit play on their debut album Shadows, and enjoy!
Interviewer: So when did you guys first start playing together or form Twin Tribes and how did that happen?
Luis: We started Twin Tribes in the summer of 2017. I had been working on some demos and wanted to start a project but couldn’t do it on my own so I called up Joel to see if he was interested. We had already known each other from a previous band so we had experience working together. He really liked the demos and from there we started working on the album Shadows. That’s how Twin Tribes started.
I: What were your biggest inspirations musical or otherwise?
Luis: My music inspirations vary from older post-punk and darkwave bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode to contemporary bands like She Past Away and Drab Majesty.
Joel: One of my favorite comments I've heard about our music is that you can hear a lot of influence from the 80's, while also hearing a new fresh take on the genre. I feel that’s a reflection of our inspirations. The Cure, Depeche Mode, Drab Majesty, Choir boy, Second Still are just a few that come to mind off the top of my head.
I: And now you are a band that has toured across the U.S., was it very difficult preparing for something like that? What do you think was most challenging?
Joel & Luis: Difficult may not be the best word. I think stressful is more like it. I tend to worry about the van breaking down, a tire busting, weather conditions, or will one of us get sick and not be able to perform. If there was anything truly challenging, it was when our band money was stolen on our flight to New York at the end of the year, right before our Midwest tour. We ran the gamut of emotions, shock, disappointment, sadness, anger. In the end, we were grateful to all of the fans and friends that helped us recuperate the funds through our Gofundme, and through personal contributions aside from that. We were truly humbled by all of the support.
I: So you've now seen many different goth scenes across the U.S., were there any that surprised you or you find particularly memorable?
Luis: I think each place that we have visited has a unique scene in its own way, but some of the most memorable scenes to me were San Francisco for coming out to see us and pack the place on a Monday and Chicago for literally starting a dance pit while we were playing.
Joel: Let me start off by saying that every city we have been in, we have been welcomed by members of the scene. We've met some amazing people, and shared some great memories at every stop so far. The one that took me most by surprise, however, was Chicago. The venue was packed to the gills, and the energy was simply electric.
I wonder what they thought of New Orleans.
I: What place had the best food?
Luis: It’s very difficult to enjoy all the good food places each city has to offer when you’re under a schedule, but my favorite meal of this last tour was a hot dog from Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit thanks to Ken Magerman from Amaranth.
Joel: We don't really get to eat a good meal in every city due to some tight scheduling between shows, but I think I’ve had two great meals on this last tour. It’s a split decision for me. One was at Fire-N-Smoke in St. Louis. Texas has some of the best bbq there is to taste, but St. Louis brought the thunder. The other was at La Chaparrita in Chicago. I ate a huarache, and tried some fermented pineapple juice for the first time there. Delicious. Thanks to Benny Hernandez and his lovely wife for taking us there!
I: What were your first thoughts after getting back from tour?
Luis: I think we felt glad that the weather wasn’t bad enough to stop us from traveling, excited to meet all of the people in each stop and to finish the year playing shows was a great way to end 2018.
Joel: My first thought was making sure I saw my son, and got together with my family. We were away for Christmas, so I had to make it up to them.
I: Is there anything that you think may stick with you from this experience?
Luis: I definitely would like to come back to the Midwest when we tour our next album. It was great to meet new friends along the way.
Joel: I try to retain as much as I can when I'm out there. The sights, the people, the food, the other amazing bands we come across and are lucky enough to share the stage with every night, the camaraderie between the three of us. Shout out to our brother, Cris Lynch who has endured the road with us on both tours last year. Not everyone gets to experience touring, so I try to enjoy every second of it, and not take it for granted.
Or Nashville
I: Alright so fun question, what was the weirdest, craziest, or most awesome thing that happened to you both on during this tour?
Luis: The most memorable thing to me was being inside a hot dog restaurant with Amaranth and Panic Priest at 3am and everyone giving me shit for putting ketchup on my hot dog.
Joel: Receiving a rose from a random, kind stranger at the end of the night at our last stop in Wichita. Great way to end a tour, I'd say.
I: So I recall hearing this tour was to raise money for a new album! When do you predict this new album to be ready for drop? And what should we expect from it?
Luis: The album so far is still in its writing stage. Themes we like to use come from occult books, movies, experiences etc. It’s still too soon to talk about the concept but we hit the studio in June and hopefully will be ready by July.💀
Editor’s Note: You can catch Joel and Luis at any of their upcoming live shows in Texas and California. Follow them on Facebook at Twin Tribes and go buy their music on Bandcamp! There’s also rumors floating around that there might be a 2nd repressing of their amazing debut album. Between that and a possible new album, we can’t wait!
Chandler with Joel and Luis @ The Crack Fox - December 28th, 2018
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