Sounds of the Barrio: An Interview with The Altons

Ahead of the release of their highly anticipated album Heartache in Room 14, Coog Radio had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Manjarrez, Adriana Flores, Caitlin Moss and Bryan Ponce of The Altons for an in-depth conversation about their music, upcoming tour, and what’s next for the band.

Jacob Cantú (JC): I’m Jacob Cantú. I’m the programming Director here at Coog Radio, the University of Houston’s radio station. I am totally psyched to be here with y’all, The Altons, and I figured we could get it rolling in by just asking, who are The Altons. And, you know, introduce introduce yourselves.

Bryan Ponce (BP): Hey, yeah, I’m Bryan. I play guitar and I sing in The Altons.

Caitlin Moss (CM): I’m Caitlin and I play drums.

Adriana Flores (AF): Hi, I’m Adriana, and I sing.

Chris Manjarrez (CMa): I’m Chris, and I play bass.

JC: Let’s go ahead and just, you know, get it rolling. And, you know, I’m sorry, I’m so psyched, you know, to be to to come see y’all here in Houston, I think late March and early April, where y’all is, when you are going to be here.

Also excited. I’ve been on the lookout for yall’s new album, Heartache in Room 14. Tell me a little more about the retro soul genre. For people who are just, you know, getting into the genre, your music.

BP: That’s tough question. I think, I mean, the genre is kind of just like a resurgence of bands that have been coming out lately that have just kind of taken some of the sounds from the 60s, 70s, and kind of modern takes. It’s a modern approach to old soul music, or what people call oldies.

JC: I love that. You know, I’m an old soul and, you know, it’s great to put like a definition to the genre because when I tell people like, “oh, you know who The Altons are, you y’all know who Thee Sinseers are,” and they’re like, “no,” I gotta explain it to them, but yeah, retro soul is something I’ve been getting into for the past two years. I tell everybody about y’all’s stuff and projects.

Last year your sister band, Thee Sinseers released their debut album, Sincerely Yours, which you know at least, at least visually hadsimilarities to the Thee Midniters album, and so question is, what are the Alton’s influences for Heartache in Room 14? What’s the significance?

BP: The influence for this one, I think, is saying I like how I like to explain it as hearing all the sounds around Los Angeles and hearing all the sounds around our neighborhood, whether it’s a guy washing their car, a girl washing their car and is playing oldies to like their neighbor having a party where they’re playing Cumbias, or your mom at home playing boleros or playing, you know, Los Angeles Negros. I think this album, and I think what we’ve done with the first three singles, it’s kind of what our it’s inspired our sound. You know, it’s like all these different sounds that you hear in your neighborhood, but they all come from the same neighborhood. With the album is there’s just different sounds, but it all sounds like it’s coming from one place, and that would be us.

JC: That’s actually really cool, you know, like listening to, just like, the few songs you have already, already released from the album, like “Del Cielo Te Cuido” has nice Bolero vibe. I definitely see that, like, the sounds of the neighborhood, like the boleros and then the soul. I definitely see that, that’s very cool.

BP: And then the name Heartache in Room 14 kind of comes from the studio that we recorded, which is Penrose studio. And Penrose Studios is room 14 in the building that they’re in.

JC: Oh, okay. Oh, so it’s like, the studio number?

AF: Yeah, we literally in room 14.

JC: Oh, okay, that’s cool. I thought, I thought it had something to do that the release date, on Valentine’s Day, right?

AF: That just worked out. That’s really funny.

JC: Do you have any other like, label mates, or just any other artists from the genre, that y’all really like that and support and, you know, show love to all the time?

BP: Oh, all, all of them. I think this was on, just on Penrose or Depth Zone. It’s you have, you have Thee Sacred Souls, of course, Thee Sacred Souls that have been killing it. Then you have people like Vicky Tafoya, or Los Yesterdays. And it’s all like a group of musicians that we’ve all kind of known, that we met through Penrose, and we’ve done different shows together. So it’s definitely anytime there’s success with any of those guys, or there’s anything coming up, it’s like, it’s nothing but love for all of them.

We really, especially between The Altons and Thee Sinseers, we really try to create a kind of family dynamic with all the musicians that we have, you know, we try to make it and because we know that there’s enough for for everything to go around, for everybody to eat. So there’s like, there’s always, there’s always a sense of trying to bring up or congratulate or celebrate somebody’s success.

JC: That’s great. I love all your projects, and that’s really cool that there’s that relationship there. And so my next question is, I was also there last year at the Heights Theater in Houston, at your last show. And so I guess my question to y’all, as you know, a patron of your shows, how’s this tour going to be different from the previous one, and what do y’all look forward to most coming to Houston specifically?

BP: That’s a good question. Trill Burgers is one.

AF: *laughs* Yeah, that’s a big one.

BP: Bun B. He took care of us last summer there,

AF: He did!

BP: The burgers are awesome.

AF: And then we’re going to be playing the new songs. So that’s going to be a big difference on this tour for sure. And every single time we’ve gone to well, every time we’ve gone [to Houston], we’ve been treated so well. So it’s like something to look forward to. So I feel like it’s just going to be a good time once again, and like I’m looking forward to going back and playing the new songs for everybody.

JC: Cool, yeah. We definitely, definitely love Bun B over here. Whenever Trill Burger first came out, I didn’t get to go for like, a whole year, because there was just lines and lines every single day.

AF: Oh, that’s dope.

JC: Yeah, but it’s calmed down a little bit, but there’s still lines all the time, but I finally got to try it out. Yeah, that’s good stuff, and I’m glad to hear that. I freaking love Bun B.

And you’re going to be singing a lot of the new songs. I hope a lot of the classics too. My personal favorite song from the new album is “Del Cielo Te Cuido”. Which song should listeners be excited for with the completed release on February 14th? What are your personal favorites?

BP: That’s a good question. I think, oh, man, I feel like I’m excited about all of them. I think we, I think we spent a lot of time on this album, and we put together a collection of songs that I thought we all sat down and we all kind of agreed, this is the order that this should go in. Like, these are the songs that are all going to fit and tell kind of tell a story together. So I’m excited for people to just put the, you know, get their vinyl, put it on, flip it to the other side, listen to all the all the way through. So that’s what I’m most excited about, is just hearing everybody’s reaction of how they like the front to back.

JC: Cool, cool, yeah! So let me hear like, what are the dynamics? What are the relationships with, with Joey Quinones and Thee Sinseers? And I know a lot of y’all like, kind of play in both bands.

BP: I’ll let Chris take this first one, because I think he’s the one that’s known Joe the longest.

CMa: Yeah, I’ve known Joe since he was 13 years old. We used to play in a band. We used to play in a band together. We used to play in a ska band together. So I was like his older brother. I’m six years older than him, so he’s like my little brother. That’s pretty much the way I see him. Because, you know, he’s just, he’s just a little guy, but, yeah, I mean, my little guy.

It’s like a little brother relationship, and seeing him blossom, you know, it’s like when I, when I started with him, he was just a trombone player. That was it. He was a utility player. He played horns and started singing backups, and he didn’t sing it all. And then seen him grow and grow and grow and start singing, start, like becoming a producer, started writing songs. So it’s been a trip.

JC: Yeah, yeah. That’s great. And I guess one last question for y’all, you know, Houston is a big, diverse city. We’ve also got a huge Chicano population in North Side and Second Ward. And I guess, you know, y’all got a big crowd from California. But how does, how does the Houston crowds, or even just the Texas crowds come out? Are they at least comparable to La crowd? We love y’all just as much here in Houston too.

AF: We get a lot of love when we go to Texas. I mean, like, we learned that, I think, the first time around. And we’re like, oh shit. There’s definitely, like, there’s a big following here. And like, you feel it’s nice to travel. We’re going around the United States. And then, like, kind of hit places that have a like, obviously, they’re diverse, but also you’re like, oh, there’s, like, a lot of raza here, like you could feel it, and the excitement’s there. And it kind of makes at least for me, it might kind of makes me feel like at home when I see that there’s like, people from all sorts of age groups, or people come like as a family with their Abuelita or their mom and their kids too, and they all know the song together. So that’s happened a lot in Texas, and I feel like it’s very special, because it makes me feel like I’m in LA, so it’s like a little slice of home away from home. And like, I always look forward to going back, because we’ve always been treated really well.

JC: Yes, I remember, at the last show here in Houston, one of my favorite, one of my favorite parts was, I don’t know if it was The Altons’ set or during Thee Sinseer’s set, but y’all, y’all played like the rift to “Tragos Amargos” by Ramon Ayala and everyone went crazy. I was like, “oh, shoot!”

BP: Yeah, that’s during The Altons’ set. That’s with our keyboard player, a friend, Eliza. But I mean, just like, what Adriana was saying is, like, we, that’s what we’ve learned, is that there is Chicanos and raza all over and it’s cool, because we could all connect culturally through that. And then, like you said, like, as soon as we play that, and we’re in the area, and like, everybody knows it, it’s like, it feels good. So we have, we have a lot of similar experiences. Whether you’re from LA, you’re from Texas, it’s like, there’s a lot of the same music. There’s a lot of the same type of parties that you go to, the same stuff being played. So it’s cool to connect in that way with different people.

JC: Yeah, it’s like, the raza’s national anthem or something. But, yeah, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. Thank y’all so much for coming out to me with for coming out to meet with me, and Coog Radio appreciates it. It was a pleasure being here with The Altons, and thank you.

The Altons: Thank you.