Viagra Boys join Nicole Alvarez backstage at Coachella.
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00:00Hi, I'm Nicole Alvarez, and we're live at Coachella with Viagra Boys.
00:03I behaved last night so that I could compose myself today and meet you guys.
00:10Be a little bit loosey-goosey today.
00:11Now, I'll get loosey-goosey later, but speaking of loosey-goosey,
00:14I know you probably get asked this all the time, but I want to know more details.
00:17You met at a karaoke bar?
00:20It was not a bar. It was a party.
00:23It was a party?
00:24Yeah, where they had a karaoke machine.
00:26Uh-huh, and the song that you were singing?
00:28No, no, Sebastian sang a song. He's not here with us, but he sang some Mariah Carey song.
00:34I don't remember what.
00:36And I saw him singing it, and that's all.
00:38And you were like, I need to start a band with that band immediately.
00:41Yeah, more or less.
00:43Okay, so who's the visionary of this band?
00:45Like, when did you find your voice or your persona?
00:49Thank you. He's a spiritual leader.
00:51You are?
00:52Yeah.
00:53Because you are unlike any other creatures inhabiting the musical space.
00:58The first time I saw you was here at Coachella, and it was in one of those tents, and I remember
01:03looking at you and going, what is this?
01:05I love this.
01:07And then the first song that hit, the first song I ever heard, and the first song that
01:10hit was sports.
01:11Were you surprised when that song took off?
01:13Yes, very much.
01:16Yes, because it felt like we just played some shitty riff, and then, you know, obviously
01:22Sebastian, like, said some words.
01:25Yeah.
01:25And then it's like, yeah.
01:27It was super close to ending up in the trash can, wasn't it?
01:30I think Sebastian had a pretty good idea of what he was doing with that song.
01:34But the riff, but, yeah, how it started, yeah.
01:37How did it start?
01:38It's the riff, and then he just writes songs?
01:40Yeah, yeah, yeah, we just had those four, this is three, three tones, that, you know,
01:46that we play all the time, more or less, all the time.
01:48Do, do, do, do, do.
01:49And, uh...
01:50It's four tones, maybe.
01:51For notes.
01:52For notes.
01:52On the bass.
01:52Yeah, yeah.
01:53I hate that.
01:54But, yeah, yeah, and he just came up with that vocal, that, yeah, about the sports.
02:00How would you describe...
02:00Doing sports.
02:02How would you describe your band to somebody?
02:04Because I've tried, because I want so many people to see.
02:06It's just such a fun experience.
02:08It's not like seeing a regular act.
02:11And I think you're also sneaky intellectuals, because I know the songs are like sports, but
02:14underneath there's commentary, there's social commentary, there's brains behind it, and
02:19you're so fun to watch.
02:20How would I describe you to somebody?
02:22It depends who you're describing it to.
02:25It's like, it's your, it's like your, um, uh, in-laws is like punk.
02:32Okay.
02:32But, you know, it's a nerd.
02:33I don't know.
02:34Devo, maybe.
02:35Devo?
02:36Okay, that's fair.
02:37I haven't just said that if Motorhead, um, went to a rave.
02:41If Motorhead went to a rave.
02:43That's actually pretty damn good.
02:44Or studios went to a rave.
02:45And maybe in the middle of the rave, they start some weird conversation with someone, and...
02:51Maybe.
02:51That's actually, that's, that is actually very spot on.
02:55What is the biggest misconception about Viagra Boys?
02:59The biggest misconception.
03:00The biggest misconception.
03:01We don't really feel that much of a part of the, you know, post-punk, whatever that is.
03:18Like, we take inspirations from really...
03:21Everywhere.
03:21And, uh, it's, it's, it's, it's you.
03:24I don't know, I don't know, people don't have any expectations on us.
03:27No, no.
03:28There isn't any.
03:29That's the beauty.
03:29That's the beauty of Viagra Boys.
03:30Because people don't expect anything.
03:32That's the beauty of Viagra Boys.
03:33So we can just do whatever we want.
03:34That is the beauty.
03:35So it's, it's not, yeah.
03:37It's good.
03:38So you can, you, you kind of have given yourself the way that you guys are.
03:41You've given yourself permission to do and be whatever.
03:44And there really are no expectations.
03:46I mean, seriously, yes.
03:47Yeah.
03:47That is what happened.
03:48It's kind of, it's great.
03:49It's like a tango album.
03:50Yeah.
03:51And we can do whatever we want.
03:52Yeah.
03:52So the next album should be, it's going to be a finished tango album.
03:56So let's talk about the new album, because I had seen an interview with Sebastian and
04:00he talked about that you guys wanted to do something different, but what is different
04:04for Viagra Boys?
04:05Like, what did you do with this album that maybe you hadn't done before?
04:08Did you challenge yourselves in some way?
04:10I don't think we, like, went in there trying to do something different.
04:15We just went on.
04:16Yeah.
04:17Like, people, yeah, people coming with ideas.
04:19It's just normal.
04:20It's like, and we, if it's good, it's good.
04:23And then we just keep on, keep on going.
04:25Okay.
04:26So it's no rules.
04:27But we partly produced it ourselves this time for the first time.
04:30Was that really challenging?
04:32I mean, it was a lot of fun.
04:34Yeah?
04:34Okay, that's good.
04:35And not fun.
04:35I mean, yeah.
04:36I think we just worked more than the other albums.
04:40You know, we worked more and harder than we done before.
04:42Okay.
04:42Because before we used to have, like, daytime jobs.
04:46And we did, this time we didn't have any.
04:48So we had more time.
04:50And I think that's major.
04:51Okay.
04:52And the album comes out next week on the 25th.
04:54Yes.
04:55Which is very exciting.
04:56Finally.
04:56Very exciting.
04:58What is your favorite part of this entire ride that you've been on as a band?
05:04I mean, the fact that you can actually, like, pinch yourself and, like, okay, this is actually working.
05:12Yeah.
05:12And you're, like...
05:13This is my life.
05:14Yeah, we can live from it.
05:14Yeah, we can live from it.
05:16And be in...
05:16That's insane.
05:17That's insane.
05:17And we can be in this, you know, we can do, like, pretty much whatever.
05:22Yeah.
05:22And we can still...
05:23Paid for it.
05:24Can get paid for it.
05:25Get paid for it.
05:26We can be here.
05:27And we can be in some weird, like, Italian festival in the mountains.
05:31Yeah.
05:31With the family.
05:32You know, we can...
05:32It feels very, very free.
05:34And also when you see people in the audience, you know, all the freaks in the audience going nuts.
05:39Yes.
05:39And you can...
05:39I like that you call us freaks.
05:41That's exactly...
05:42That's exactly...
05:43In the best...
05:44In the best way possible.
05:45Yeah.
05:46Freak to freak.
05:46I get it.
05:47Yeah.
05:47It's fine.
05:48And you can, you know, see that it means a lot to some of them.
05:52It does.
05:52It does.
05:53I'm really excited for you guys.
05:54And then, lastly, what are you looking forward to at Coachella besides performing?
05:57Are there any bands on the bill that you want to check out?
06:00See Misfits.
06:01Misfits.
06:02I can.
06:02You definitely, you definitely will be there.
06:04What about you?
06:05I would like to see Beth Gibbons.
06:06I'm a huge Portishead fan.
06:08I like her solo album.
06:10It's...
06:10It's...
06:11Okay.
06:13It should be fun.
06:14Yeah, I know.
06:15It should be fun to see her.
06:16Wait, one more question.
06:17What do you like to do for a good time?
06:19When you guys unwind, what does that look like after you get off of stage?
06:23And maybe you want to let out some more energy.
06:25What do you do?
06:26It's a family station.
06:28No, it's not.
06:28Say whatever you want.
06:29Say whatever the fuck you want.
06:30Tonight we're going to drink probably, but...
06:32What's your drink of choice?
06:33Just beer.
06:34Just beer?
06:35Beer.
06:35More or less.
06:36Maybe some shots.
06:37I offered them tequila and they said no because they're responsible.
06:39Yeah, but it's...
06:40I feel like an asshole.
06:41It's before the show.
06:42We have to play...
06:45Not all bands.
06:45No, I have to play the drums.
06:47I am very impressed.
06:49Thank you very much.
06:50And this is your second Coachella.
06:52Yeah.
06:52So happy second Coachella.
06:53I'm Nicole Alvarez, Viagra Boys.
06:56Bye.