El Warren

Story

I am heavily influenced by melodic but off-kilter rock music from the 1960s through contemporary times. Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, Feelies, Wilco, Sufjan Stevens, Neko Case, Camper Van Beethoven, Grateful Dead, M Ward, etc, but also alt-country performers such as the Jayhawks, James McMurtry, and the like. I lived in Texas for a while and that rubbed off on me. I write songs on 12-string acoustic guitar that I then overlay with harmonic and dynamic variations via voice, electric guitars, and other instrumentation, then finish off with my principle instrument, the bass guitar. My lyrics range from hyper-personal to hyper political. My January 2018 album Just a Little More includes a songs about dismantling borders (To Churn the Soil), my family members' experience of racism and anti-semitism in Alabama and the obligation to fight white supremacy (Southern Lights), homelessness (Tears on the Dashboard), going to jail (Gone Gone), resisting militarism (Too Late), but also Bacchanalian songs (Just a Little More Caffeine & Alcohol), relationships gone bad (Maybe Just a Little More Than You) and regret at the weekend's end (Sunday Blues).

Profile

• Guitarist
• Producer
• Audio Engineer
• Record Label
• Musician
• Bassist

Instruments

• Bass Guitar
• Bass Guitar
• Guitar
• Vocals
• Guitar
• Bass
• Bass Guitars
• Bass
• Drums
• Guitar

Genres

• Rock
• Punk
• Folk
• Country

Influences

• The Feelies
• Wilco
• Sufjan Stevens
• Husker Du
• The Decemberists
• Neko Case
• Television
• Calexico

Equipment

• Aria 12-string Acoustic
• Aria Solid Body Guitar W/humbucker Pick-ups
• Fender Jazz Bass

Languages

• English
• Spanish

What is music to you? What does it give you?

Life of course. It is my favorite way to express myself.

What is your music dream?

A couple of great albums that move people in various and differing ways.

If you could change the world - what would you start with?

Poverty, violence against children, and stopping war.

Which is the most memorable song from your childhood?

Like a rolling stone by Bob Dylan

Who are your favorite musical artists or bands?

Too many to list! My interests have varied greatly over time. I enjoy lots of indie, folk, rock, country, blues, klezmer, Balkan, middle eastern, and punk music. I like off-kilter melodic music. M. Ward, Sufjan Stevens, and the Jayhawks are some of my current influences.

What inspires you to make music?

I can't help myself...

What is the message you want to send with your music?

Quite varied. The vitality of independent thinking and forming one's own opinions while listening to and valuing those of others

How do you feel when you perform in front of an audience?

Very, very alive

How do you see the musicians’ reality nowadays? What could be improved?

Challenging, dispiriting and competitive, unfortunately

What do you think of Drooble?

Quite interesting model. Not sure how financially viable it is, so hopefully it stays around!

What frustrates you most as a musician?

non musicians misunderstanding of the creative process

Do you support your local scene as a fan? How?

Attend gigs when I can!

What qualities should a musician nowadays have in order to get their music heard by a larger audience?

IDK!!

Share some awesome artists that we’ve never heard of.

Black Marshmallows, Cryptohelix

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