Adam Benitez  - Guitars and vocals

Alex  Najarro - Guitars and vocals

Cirilo Flores - Drums

David Benitez - Bass

Genre: Punk

Web Page: http://www.rascuache.com

Contact: info@rascuache.com

Outside a show, it's really cold (Adam offers one of his sweatshirts) and three of the Rascuaches (Adam - guitar and vocals, Alex - guitar and covals, and David - bass) are outside answering all the questions I can think of. The happy band, who enjoy jokes throughout their performances and everywhere they interact with each other, have been around for about 10 years in the L.A. scene. This time they chose to share some of their wisdom here: 

Where are you from and what inspired you to play music:

Adam: I was born in LA, There was nothing that inspired us to play but the way I remember it is that one day my sister came home and said "we're forming a rock in espanol band" so we said ok... we don't know how to play instruments but ok... so our sister pretty much forced us. Dave, and my sister and I used to have a band. She was our older sister so we couldn't really say no.

David: I started playing music because no one else wanted to.

Alex: I'm from Guatemala. The local scene in Guatemala City inspired me. I got the oportunity to be a roadie for a band so I started appreciating the underground movement and I decided I was born to make music so here I am. I've been here for two years.

Did the sound of the band change when there was a change in members:

Adam: Well kind of. Dave sings more backup and his bass playing is like crazy.

David: Don't say anything mean.

Adam: Yeah... Dave sucks and we really need to kick him out of the band... no... I think as soon as Dave came into the band we stepped up a notch. Dave forced us to be better and a lot more professional. I always David to be in a band because I like the way he plays, and I like the way he sings and he's really creative but he never liked my music so...

David: Nothing's changed...

((They laugh))

Adam: But we got lucky and he was sitting around and he was in between bands so it was like, hey you're doing nothing I'm your older brother, you're playing with us now!

Three adjectives that describe your sound:

Adam: rock and rolly

David: miseducational

Alex: mexperimental

Adam: like the song "Del Cielo" is mexperimental

What's with that song?

Adam: That song Del Cielo, David and I were in a band Dead Mariachi and I wrote it with the lead singer of that band so after that band broke up so I liked the song.

How about the part about the virgin?

Adam: he came up with the idea I got this song and it's this and this and this and it's just like what

Has the rock en espanol changed since you've been playing?

David: It's actually gotten big. 

Adam: 10 years ago, when they only used to do shows at the Hong Kong Low and it's like 30 people and the same 30 people and that was it. But now it's gotten big, it just keeps growing. It's so weird because we've played I couple high schools and kids come up to us and say "wow we really like what you guys are doing, we didn't this existed, we didn't know this was even there. I think there's so many people the would like this and would be interested in but they know. I think the more bands keep playing and keep pushing this it's just gonna keep growing and growing. 

What do you think it's needed to play bigger venues, to be heard by other people? 

Alex: Actually there's bands playing bigger venues, when international bands that come to town. 

Adam: When Jaguares play in the Universal Amphiteatre. There's people that like rock en espanol. But what can make it grow? I just think a lot of people don't know about it. The radio totally doesn't support  what we're doing. Viva and Superestrella say they're playing rock en espanol but they're playing the rock from the 80s, I mean there's so much going on and there's so much good music I just can't believe they ignore it. 

What do you think the media's role is in all this, besides radio?

Alex: I think it's among the people. Distances here are bigger than in Mexico and South America. Sometimes it's hard for people to travel long distance to see a band. So I think it all relies on the people, on how much they support the band they like. Because it doesn't matter if we don't get radio support as long as we keep supporting each other, just keep feeding the movement. That's all everybody is asking for. For people to be excited, to realize what they have, it's theirs and it's here, it's Spanish and it's in L.A.

Adam: This is for us, this for everyone here. Like we were saying while we were on stage, everybody wants to work together and I think we could do something. 

((David asks if he can say some apologies and thank yous))

David: I want to apologise for the drinking in the band... and the smoking and I want to thank that guy right there ((points to guy)), the greaser over there who bought me a drink, he's rock and roll. 

((everyone laughs))

 if we did this and oh look we'll make it alcohol, drugs and you know women. And it's kind of a joke because it sounds like that "Guadalupana" song. It pretty much sounds the same but it's not the same so it's kinda like a pun on so many levels. Cause we're just messing around. It's not like we're really oh my god, trying to put down women or saying we're like drunk and stoned all the time. It's just like a joke.

Alex: You're a joke ((to Adam))

Adam: I guess

You have day jobs?

David: Yeah just a small one

Alex: I'm a limo driver

Adam: The band pays for everything

Alex: We have jobs because we're bored

((laugh))

Why do you sing in Spanish:

Alex: because Spanish is our mother tongue, like our mother land. We sing in Spanish because it's the language of our parents and we're attached to it somehow and we identify with the Spanish movement.

Adam: It just seems like us, like the people who come to our shows, it's like hey that's us. Same thing... I don't know.

David: Maybe because there's too many English bands, and it's like a small rock en espanol scene and it's good to be a part of something that is small and intimate.

next>>

The record:

Alex: Amor de lejos... was released a year ago ((2001)) pretty much and we worked really hard. It was an independent and we've been promoting everywhere we can. Now we're working on a second one with the big support of Dave here. So, keep writing, writing, apply every single of our daily lives to what we do which is music. The first album did ok and now it's time to work. 

Adam: We do want to put out an album later this year, so we're writing songs to come up with something good.

The message:

Alex: Be who you are. We are regular guys, regular kids that have jobs, that have to go to school, that have to put with all the crap that the regular society gives you. We give the message that if you're stuck in traffic and you wann kill people, take it easy and be happy. It's just about being happy. That's all in life. Siempre para adelante, instead of going down, keep going. 

David: I don't know if we convey it in the music but I believe as people we believe that. 

Adam: I think that the music just talks about...

David: Seems like it's stoner rock

Adam: Yeah well... I think we just talk about life, whatever we do. The music is a reflection of us. 

Alex: Love, hate, passion, money. That's what we want to write about, that's what we're writing about. 

Last words

Let's all keep going to shows. Let's keep supporting and smiling at life, and growing together all of us. Doesn't matter which band you like. Doesn't matter if you like heavy metal or punkabilly, just keep doing your thing. That's all. Simple   

interview by: excA