Interview with Peruvian Indie Band: Mundaka

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[su_quote cite=”On why ‘Mundaka'”]‘Mundaka’ is the name of a beach in the Basque Country but for us, it is also a play on words (in Spanish). In Spain there is this derogatory term “sudacas”, which they use to refer to us latinos. We reclaim it and call ourselves ‘sudacas’ of the world (‘mundo’ in Spanish). We are Mundakas.[/su_quote]

Mundaka are: Rodrigo Vera Tudela aka Rovetu (Vocals), Lucas Stiglich (Bass), Richard Angeles Small (Drums) and Mateo Majluf (Guitar).

-Whats bands and artists have inspire your lyrics and music?

ROVETU:

Our music is inspired by a mixture of genres: reggae, punk rock, jangle pop, dream pop, and surf rock. Being more specific, the bands that inspired our music are: The Police, R.E.M., Modest Mouse, Plug Plug, Ride, Mac Demarco, Soda Stereo, Mogwai, etc. Regarding the lyrics, I would say they’re mainly inspired by personal experiences and getting a bit lost thoughts. Style-wise I would say it’s a mix between John Frusciante and Gustavo Cerati.

RICHARD:

Yes, Porcupine Tree, Billy Talent, Vampire Weekend, Dream Theater, Carajo, Delicate Steve. I listened a lot of prog when I was younger and it definitely takes the reins when I’m creating the drum section.

LUCAS: For me personally some of the bands that have influenced me the most are: Pavement, Electro-Z, The Clash, Ramones, Los Prisioneros, the smiths, Novos Baianos, The Magnetic Fields, Turbopotamos, Fania all stars, Yo la tengo, Pixies, El mato a un policia motorizado, 107 faunos,

-How has your country and it’s variety of sounds and amalgamation of cultures affected your sound?

ROVETU: More than our national folklore, I would say it’s the physical spaces that surround us what ends up being reflected on our music. For example, we live in a massive city that is covered by fog most of the year, next to the beach. It definitely impacts the way we sound. It is almost like a mixture of nostalgia and summer vibes.

LUCAS: I grew up playing cajon (Peruvian percussion instrument) so, naturally, afro Peruvian and creole music has had a strong influence on my rhythmic approach to basslines. My bass playing has both a rhythmic and a melodic approach.

[su_quote]On the last day we ended up being held hostages by the hotel because the promoter hadn’t paid the bill. It was all a bit crazy.[/su_quote]

-Why call yourselves Mundaka?

ROVETU:

‘Mundaka’ is the name of a beach in the Basque Country but for us, it is also a play on words (in Spanish). In Spain there is this derogatory term “sudacas”, which they use to refer to us latinos. We reclaim it and call ourselves ‘sudacas’ of the world (‘mundo’ in Spanish). We are Mundakas.

-A mantra or philosophy that represents the band?

More than a philosophy a thing we all have in common is that we let every instrument do what feels right within the main structure of the song. So far it’s worked.

-Coolest experience as a band so far? (If something beats being on stage with Mac Demarco then it must beyond my imagination)

Sharing stage –and backstage- with Mac Demarco was definitely one of the best. It was the biggest audience to date we had played in front of (about 1000 people) and the audience’s reaction to our performance was amazing.

Another of our top experiences was last year when we traveled to Trujillo. We were on this 8 hour bus journey with some of our favorite bands and friends to play at this festival. It was the best bus trip / weekend ever. We also got to eat the greatest pizza at this place called el Hornito and people in Trujillo showed us so much love while we were there. On the last day we ended up being held hostages by the hotel because the promoter hadn’t paid the bill. It was all a bit crazy.

-What does 2017 hold for Mundaka?

We are going to start recording a new album on the second half of 2017. For the new songs we’re using new elements and experimenting with different genres this time. It’s definitely a step higher for us, the whole process has been quite interesting for us.

We are going to play at SXSW next month and it will be the first time ever playing outside of Peru. Hopefully we get to do more international shows this year, we are always open for invites!