Published in Big Cheese Magazine July 2013 issue
Omar A. Rodriguez Lopez has certainly come a long way since the days of Startled Calf (the hardcore band he formed when he was just 15.) And his influence on the past decade – thanks to his involvement with At The Drive In and The Mars Volta. – should not be underestimated. Though completely different entities, these two bands have inspired many a musician in today’s climate such as Rolo Tomassi and Arcane Roots, not to mention the early days of Biffy Clyro.
Now it’s 2013 and a new phase in Omar’s life with his latest outfit Bosnian Rainbows. According to the man himself, the name was simply “a nice metaphor that we all gravitated towards.” The band was created in August of last year, not long before The Mars Volta announced they were entering a hiatus, which four months later was revealed to be indefinite. The 37 year old has stated that this is the first time he has felt in a proper band since the days of ATDI. “It’s a collaborative and collective experience. And mostly because I feel like a student by learning all the time.” he states. After all, the Volta was formed from the core of that band with just himself and vocalist Cedric Bixler Zavala.
Members of the new four-piece include Teri Gender Bender, vocalist for Mexican punk rock act Le Butcherettes. ORL was at the helm of production duties for their debut as well as contributing on bass. Drummer Deantoni Parks who was involved in the last incarnation of The Mars Volta is also contributing, as well as Kuda synths man Nick Kasper. Contrary to the post-hardcore and prog outings we’ve experienced in the past, here we find ORL leaning towards a more psychedelic effort on their debut self-titled record, however he is not a big fan of categorising what he creates. “That’s something for other people to do. For me, the sound would be something less tangible, which would be our chemistry, our humour together, the films we like or the conversations we have. That’s what our music sounds like to me.” Naturally, if you have grown up with the guy’s material, then there is plenty here to appreciate, but it may take a little longer for things to fall into place for the casual follower. As for the future of the band, could it be another case of as their profile slowly rises, the decision to pull the plug early is made? Teri is confident that will be a while off. “Hopefully we’ll conquer the world. That’s not trying to sound ambitious or pretentious. We just wanna keep playing for the rest of our lives. We’re a family, not just some fucking band. We lived together. Before recording the album, we lived in Hamburg together, just watching movies.”
The announcement of |The Mars Volta’s break up was a harsh act for long time fans to swallow, as it effectively ended his partnership with Bixler Zavala that spanned nearly two decades. Is the door still open for yet further opportunities in the future? “Of course. All doors are open. I have no interest in closing them. There’s way too much energy to do that. I open new doors. That’s where my focus and attention in life is.” Last year saw him reunite with his pals in At The Drive-In, one of the most anticipated reunions to occur in recent times. Omar on the other hand came down with heavy criticism for looking reluctant when taking part during those shows. So what exactly were his genuine thoughts about how it panned out? “I enjoyed being around those guys. By its nature, it was a nostalgic experience because it wasn’t an actual working band. That’s not a diss. People have a lot of qualms with me, but look up the word. It means a homecoming or a return to the past. It was just a strange time in my life to be doing that.” Of course, the legacy that At The Drive-In has left on the past decade spread across many genres cannot be exaggerated. However, Omar feels he can’t particularly take any of that credit. “That’s not my reality. It’s an abstract contract. I have no way of knowing if that’s true. I only know the truth as what sits here before me. We were just influenced by something that came before us and put our own El Paso version of it and happened to be lucky through circumstance to popularise it into the mainstream. It could have been someone who easily deserved it like Fugazi, but their politics prevented them from doing so. They had no interest in being mainstream, where as we did.”
By the looks of it, he is once again finding beauty within his art after some soul destroying years. “This is where my heart is. It’s beyond a relief. It feels energised. You feel charged up and plugged in.” Bosnian Rainbows are certainly a venture we should all get behind not just because of the individuals behind them, but as a celebration of accomplished musicianship.
Tom Willmott