In short
Podcast Summary: Broken Record - Hermanos Gutiérrez
Episode Overview In this episode titled "Hermanos Gutiérrez," the Swiss-Ecuadorian instrumental guitar duo, Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez, share insights into their minimalist music style, influences, and experiences. They discuss their journey from independent musicians to signing with Easy Eye Sound and their recent album, *El Bueno Y El Malo*. The episode blends discussions with live performances from Auerbach's studio in Nashville, TN.
Key Themes
- Minimalist Approach to Music
- The brothers create hypnotic compositions inspired by classical Latin guitar and vintage film scores, especially from Spaghetti Westerns.
- They deliberately avoid flashy guitar techniques and focus on emotional expression.
- Brotherly Dynamics
- Their relationship is foundational to their music; brotherly spats sometimes fuel their creativity.
- They reflect on how their bond and shared experiences enhance their songwriting.
- Cultural Background
- The brothers discuss growing up with influences from both Swiss and Ecuadorian cultures, appreciating the duality it brings to their music.
- Estevan and Alejandro recount their experiences of navigating both identities and how they shape their artistry.
- Significance of Live Performances
- They share anecdotes from a recent performance in Mexico City, including playing through a volcanic eruption, highlighting the unpredictable nature of live music.
- Collaboration with Dan Auerbach
- The brothers describe how they caught the attention of Auerbach after just 15 seconds of playing, leading to a successful collaboration.
- They emphasize the joy of working with Auerbach and how it has enriched their sound.
Key Takeaways
- Musical Influences: Their music is heavily influenced by Latin guitar traditions and film scores, creating a unique sound that transcends language barriers.
- Creative Process: The Gutiérrez brothers have a natural writing process where one contributes an idea and the other fills in the gaps, leading to spontaneous and authentic music.
- Cultural Insights: Both brothers share how their mixed heritage adds depth to their music and how it influences their emotional expression.
- Performance vs. Recording: They differentiate between the intimacy of performing live and the process of recording, suggesting that their live shows are an extension of their bedroom jamming sessions.
- Future Aspirations: The brothers express interest in potentially scoring film soundtracks, but emphasize the importance of finding the right project.
Notable Quotes
- "We have a gift and we're very grateful for that."
- "We want to keep it honest and real, not trying to impress anyone."
- "The relationship between us is the main source for inspiration."
Live Performances The episode features live performances from Hermanos Gutiérrez, including:
- "Tres Hermanos" - A collaboration with Dan Auerbach, showcasing their signature sound.
- "Thunderbird" - A live piece demonstrating their musical synergy.
Conclusion The conversation with Hermanos Gutiérrez presents a compelling narrative about the intersection of culture, family, and music. Estevan and Alejandro's insights into their creative process and personal stories contribute to a deeper understanding of their artistry. Their journey from independent musicians to collaborative artists reflects their commitment to authenticity and emotional connection in music.
For listeners interested in exploring more of their music, a playlist featuring their favorite songs is available through the podcast’s resources.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:06Pushkin. This is an iHeart Podcast. In today's super competitive business environment, the edge goes to those who push harder, move faster, and level up every tool in their arsenal. T-Mobile knows all about that. They're now the best network, according to the experts at Ooclas Speedtest. And they're using that network to launch Supermobile, the first and only business plan to combine intelligent performance, built-in security, and seamless satellite coverage. That's your business, Supercharged. Learn more at supermobile.com. Seamless coverage with compatible devices in most outdoor areas in the U.S.
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2:14Learn more. Visit BoschHomeUS.com. Hermanos Gutierrez may be an instrumental guitar band, but they have zero interest in shredding. Instead, the Swiss Ecuadorian brothers Esteban and Alejandro Gutierrez take a minimalist approach to playing. They create hypnotic sweeping compositions inspired by classical Latin guitar and also film scores from old spaghetti westerns. In 2022, after releasing three albums independently, Hermanos Gutierrez signed to Easy Eye Sound, a label owned and operated by Dan Arbach, guitarist and vocalist of the Black Keys. Last October, they released the album El Bueno y El Malo to critical acclaim.
2:57The album features the song Tres Hermanos, where Auerbach joins the brothers on guitar. Today, we'll hear Estevan and Alejandro play that song along with a couple other songs live from Auerbach's studio in Nashville, Tennessee. I also talked to Hermanos Gutierrez about how their brotherly spats sometimes fueled their playing. Then they recall a recent performance in Mexico City where they played during a volcanic eruption and how Dan Arbach knew he wanted to meet with Hermanos Gutierrez after seeing them play for just 15 seconds. This is Broken Record, liner notes for the Digital Age. I'm Justin Richman.
3:37Before we jump into my interview with Hermanos Gutierrez, let's hear them play Thunderbird live from Easy Eye Sound Studio in Nashville. Thank you.
4:18Thank you.
4:47Thank you.
5:18Thank you.
5:47Thank you.
6:20Thank you.
6:47I don't know.
7:17So beautiful listening to you guys. Thank you so much. Those are sweet guitars. Those are beautiful. Thank you, man. Thank you, man. Are those both Gretsches? I have a Gretsch, yes, sir. I have a Silvertone 1446. Man. Yeah. Have you guys always played those guitars? No, not always. I played a Fender Mexican Series when I started. Yeah, that's the guitar I started with. And I played a Gibson. I think it was a 339 or 35. like the small one. Oh man, so cool. I want to Gretsch. I really want to Gretsch. That's like my dream. Yeah, these are cool. I mean, I should just do it. I don't know why I don't just buy it, but sometimes I like to have these dreams that are kind of off the distance.
7:58It's not so hard, bro. I know. I should probably just go on and grab one. Just go buy one. Did you guys program the playlist on your Spotify? There's a few artist playlists on there. You have one called Sounds of the World. Yeah, that's us. That's from us. Yeah, we did that, yeah. I was loving the volume. I was loving all of them, but the volume one in particular. Always the first ones, they're the best. Obviously, being part Ecuadorian, part Swiss, growing up in Europe, did you have access to a lot of music from Latin America? Man, not really. I think when we could listen to this music was every time that we went to Ecuador to visit the family, you know.
8:39And so our grandfather was the one who showed us a lot of stuff. I remember that I have a little tape of Julio Jaramillo that he bought me on the corner of our town and I still have it. And it's like my first memory of having the access to Latin music. I remember I bought one of those copies in Ecuador, you know, the black copies, not the original ones, from Fania. And they had those compilations from Fania tracks with a lot of salsa. That was the first time, but not until I was maybe 15, 16 years old. So I got back to Switzerland. I was listening to those kind of tracks, and I think they were not so available here in Switzerland.
9:24I was lucky enough to grow up in L.A. where there's lots of Spanish music, but it's always just whatever is programmed on the radio. And so there is a radio station, though, called K-Jazz. I was out of Long Beach, and they used to have a show called Jazz on the Latin Side on like on Saturday night. So we would always, whenever, you know, we'd always jam like late and then turn on like around midnight or 1 a.m. jazz on the Latin side and it would be like Ray Barreto and like all these, they called them like rare groove at the time. It sounded like the coolest thing. It sounded inaccessible. You know, it was like, I don't know what this music is.
9:58I don't really speak Spanish. I don't know what they're saying. It sounds like rock music and like jazz, but it's coming from like, you know, Ecuador or Peru. And it just was like, it felt like it was a whole new world of things to discover. That's amazing. It was such a cool thing to have as a music fan. I like the name Rare Grooves. That's cool. Rare Grooves. Yeah, that's what, I don't know why it was called that at the time, but at the time I think a lot of DJs would spin it and call it Rare Grooves. Ah, cool, man. What were you guys listening to when you first started playing guitar? What were your guitar inspirations?
10:27Who were your guitar heroes? I started to play the guitar when I was in second grade and I started to play the Argentinian folk music. there's a special type of it's called milonga and it's like this finger picking style and i fell in love with that music and i just played this kind of style because my teacher also just showed me that yeah so that was my first access to guitar music was classical guitar you had a classical yeah yeah i still have the one that i got it from my father and that's the one when i learned to play the guitar yeah wow how did you fall in love with that what made you i think you could like hear the sadness and like the melancholy, melancholia, how do you say it?
11:09Melancholy. Melancholy in the sounds, even without somebody to sing it, you know, and that impressed me because I was also like able to put my feelings into the way how I played the guitar because that was what my teacher told me, hey, you can play a tone different. You can play it just to play it, but you can also put feelings into it. and that's what I really learned and yeah I'm grateful for that that I learned that Was that in Switzerland? Yes. Where you took lessons? Yes, yes. Were you into music before you discovered Milongo? It's called Milonga, yeah I think that was actually the first thing that I really learned of music yeah, because I didn't know, our father didn't listen to rock music or all the cool stuff he listened to classical orchestra music, Sunday mornings I remember that I think I got to know the cool sound when I was like around 15 to 20 years old.
12:07So then I kind of discovered, oh, there's way more cool music, you know, like rock music and all this stuff. Were you into the music your dad played, like the classical stuff? Not really. It was like, OK, it's Sunday morning, you know, but it was like also kind of interesting to know that there exists music that is just instrumental. And you can feel all the passion and all the feelings in that music. What's the age difference between you two? It's eight years older, that guy So Alejandro, was the Sunday morning classical sessions Was that still happening when you were young too? Yeah, I was just about going to tell you It was my brother Esteban who inspired me to pick up the guitar Because I grew up with this sound every time he was playing the guitar It was just a big inspiration So when he left for one period, like for one year he went to Ecuador There was just an absence of that kind of music in our place.
13:01So what I did, I picked the guitar and I was like, I want to learn how to play the guitar. And I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials. And back in that time, it was the time of Jack Johnson, singing song right at the surf tool, you know. And I really tried to learn those chords, but I never liked to play covers. So I really tried to have my own style from the beginning. And one guy which inspired me a lot was Jose Gonzalez, like the Swedish Argentine guy with his guitar and the first record that he played, like Crosses. That's such a good track and such a good album. And there's the other side, which is more coming from film and cinema, like the movies from Alejandro Iñárritu, the Mexican director, with the collaboration with Gustavo Santaolalla, which, you know, so I think it was just a mix of a lot of things happening around that time.
13:54Gustavo's incredible. incredible he's the king like all around yeah even like on the last series with the last of us you know like he's he's so present and gives so much depth to movies and it's incredible yeah he's a bit of a mad genius it seems like to me of course so you didn't have guitar lessons you kind of just learned it on your own never just on my own and the funny thing is when he told me hey i'm learning the guitar because i knew that he kind of started to play a bit before I left. But then he told me, hey, I learned in that year to play the guitar. And I was like, okay, cool. He can play chords a bit.
14:33And then I came back. Yeah, strum. Yeah, I was so impressed, you know, like finger picking. And also he came up with stuff that I was like, wow. And so, yeah, I'm really grateful that he started to do that. And then the first time that we played together was just magical, you know. We just connected and we felt like, hey, that's it. It's really cool what we have. Before he even started playing guitar, Esteban, were you playing music with other people? No, not really. No, no. I was always like playing by myself, sometimes jamming with friends, you know. But I also never liked to play cover songs.
15:09It felt always like, I don't know. And then when we started to play, he came up and he said, hey, why don't you visit me? I have like an idea on the guitar. Bring your guitar. Then he showed me a song and he said, hey, something is missing. why don't you play over it and i came up with a melody and he was like that's exactly what i was missing and and that's like how we write songs you know it's always one of us comes up with an idea and then something is missing and the other fills it up without telling or asking the other one hey what do you need and you know like a melody or something it's really we have a gift and we're very grateful for that aleander do you remember what that idea was that you played him that first idea?
15:50Yeah, it was the first track, El Mar. That was the first song we ever written together. Do you mind playing some of the chords? Yeah, of course. Without Esteban first, maybe just the chords as you brought it to him.
16:20Yeah, that's it. And actually we played it the other way. So he had the melody and I had the chords. But now with the set and trying to build like a certain dynamic, we changed it. So I applied the melody now. But that was the first melody ever from their manos. So cool. Was there ever a thought early on, like in those initial times, you guys had those first ideas to put words or to sing? Were either of you guys singers? No. Did you feel like? Luckily, never. No, no, no. No, never. We never thought about it, and since we're huge fans of just soundtracks and film scores, and within our limitations, we were like, no, it's not going to work with vocals.
17:01And to be honest, it was not like a conceptual thing. Like, okay, if we don't have vocals, we have the potential to maybe travel more around the world because there's no boundaries, because no vocals everyone can understand. So yeah, it was just very clear from the beginning on. It's just got to be instrumental. Were you guys growing up before music? Did you guys get along very well or were you guys like combativist siblings? No. What was your guys' relationship? We always had a close connection. I think we're battling now more than when we did when we grew up. Yeah, music is keeping us together right now.
17:37It's really that way. Yeah, but then I'm the oldest, he's the youngest. We're in total four. And we always had this connection, you know. And then when he got older, we kind of started to have the same interest, like in fashion, jewelry. We love vintage stuff. And yeah, everything that we produced by ourselves was always so natural and so much fun to do artwork, songs, all these merch that we produced by ourselves. It was always very cool, and it still is. Are you guys designing it by yourselves too? Yeah, we did for the first four records. We did all the artwork and stuff. At what point after those ideas started percolating did you guys realize you wanted to record stuff?
18:24It was actually that night because we were jamming. We had like three, four songs of that song that we played you. And so his roommate came into our room and he was like, wow, that's amazing. From which band is that? And we were like, that's our music. And then he was the one that said, hey, you guys should record, play concerts and put out an LP and whatever. And we were like, all right, yeah, let's do it. Where were your first shows? We played in Zurich. We started to play in Zurich, like small venues. And then we decided to record our first album, which is called Ocho Anios, because of our age difference.
19:04In Berlin, we went to a friend, we did a road trip, we packed all our amps and stuff. And we didn't know what we're going to do, you know, we just wanted to record and then yeah it happened and it got how do you say word around like friends were passing our music and uh it we never had like the the the idea of of yeah getting more known by our music we always like to do it and to have it as a memory for ourselves because it's it's beautiful what we do and i never heard my brother talking so i feel good man i feel good yeah usually he's the shy guy and he's like yeah i'm in the back but i don't know there's a connection between you guys it's just between you and me you know right because otherwise when there's some people i i don't like to talk that much and i'll feel good right now so yeah
20:00were you guys exploring other like career paths or anything like what were you guys up to at the time beside music was there anything man i was working in the coffee place and i did those flat whites with the swans and the hearts and all that shit but i'm glad i left that place and just this whole career and now we're into art and it's much more meaningful and important to us what's the music scene in zurich like what's going on over there to be honest i never i was never really into the music scene in zurich but there are some venues which which they're popular to invite like international artists but the local scene i i would lie if i would tell you a name or like even tell you it's it looks like it's it's hard it's hard to capture maybe there's not a big music scene that's why it's not so present it's not like here in nashville where you you know like you come to the airport and you see like gibson guitars and they look like they're in a museum that's so unique.
21:05You don't have that culture in Zurich, not at all. What's it like being in a place like Tennessee, just as a musician, just kind of soaking that stuff in because so much of the music that you guys play, at least to my ear, it sounds like, a lot of it coming from the Americas, whether it's Latin America or the States, of course. What's it like to soak in the music culture around Tennessee? I mean, it's an honor to be here. It's incredible. You can feel that music is like number one in the city and there's so much history also. Yeah, it's like coming home. We have friends here. We have our studio here.
21:43And yeah, it's a lot of fun. You know, it's really cool. Being so international, I think you guys are. How do you guys organize your home lives? Where are you guys living? I mean, we always go back to Switzerland because our family is there. So it's like the safe heaven, the safe place. because everything is just working there so nasty so you can just lay back and rest a little bit. But we're traveling a lot in this year. And even the last year, it's been a lot being on the road. So it's a mixture between being in hotels and being back with the family. But it's nice. I really enjoy it. It's also very inspiring to be on the road and meet new people and connect with different parts of the world.
22:28We have to take a quick break and then we'll come back with more from Hermanos Gutierrez.
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23:41where you can see the sky. Best network based on analysis by Ukla of Speedtest Intelligence Data, 1H 2025. This episode of Broken Record is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Everybody loves to travel, right? We can get away as a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, All of it. And no matter where you're going, Chase Sapphire Reserve is your gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Travel is its own reward, you know. You're out there having experiences you can't have any other way. And with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you're also being rewarded. You earn eight times points on all purchases through Chase Travel.
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25:35Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise, lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the runway. I'm looking at this thing. Listen to No Such Thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We're back with more from Hermanos Gutierrez. Do you guys mind playing something off the new record? So let's start with El Bueno y Malo. That was the first track that we actually recorded in the studio. And it was here in this room, so it feels special to be back.
26:17All right, man, we're ready.
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26:21Thank you.
27:00guitar solo
27:26Thank you.
27:54Thank you.
28:23Thank you.
28:53Thank you.
29:37Such great energy, man. Thank you so much. How did you guys get connected with Dan Arbrock and the studio out there? Our management, which is also based in Los Angeles, knows the management of Easy Eye Sound. So the management of Easy Eye, Tom Osborne, he showed Dan on a weekly meeting. Before the meeting started, actually, he said, hey, Dan, check out these two brothers. And so Dan watched it on the laptop, like 10, 15 seconds of our first video. And then he closed the laptop and said, yeah, let's have a call with the boys. So that's it. It's pretty short, pretty cool. And then we had a call for like 15, 20 minutes with Dan.
30:18and Alan, the sound engineer. And it was clear that we wanted to do something together and it felt like that's it. I get why it only took 15 seconds, man, because the sound is pretty immediate. It doesn't take very long to realize what you're listening to. It's like, oh, this is a sound. I think it's harder for us to realize what's happening. Sometimes we're on stage and we're like, what are we doing here? Are people going to get it? and it's just yeah apparently it's happening it's it's working you know if you're on stage with a band and like a lead vocalist or something there's stuff you can kind of hide behind when it's just you two on stage and you're seated with your guitars and you're playing like you can't kind of hide behind a ton of theatrics or behind other people and it's like you guys are kind of really exposed as i'm thinking yeah that's true yeah man and funny thing is also every time still feels like the first time that we kind of played in his room, you know.
31:18So it's always like we're in front of a lot of people, but it still feels like it's just the two of us playing. And it's really cool because sometimes I forget about it, you know, and it just feels good to play with my brother. How much are you guys playing just in your day-to-day lives, trying to come up with ideas to bring to one another? Always, man. I think it's part of my daily routine just to pick up the guitar. And sometimes it's just like even like 10 minutes, maybe five minutes, maybe it's an hour, maybe it's two hours. But I try to play the guitar every day and just like create something.
31:57Yeah, it always depends because sometimes I play like every day. But sometimes I also feel like that my body and my mind kind of need to take like a distance from the guitar because it's also very personal, you know. I try to put my feelings into songs, you know, and sometimes it's just, I don't know, I'm not in the mood or I don't feel any inspiration. And then I kind of give it the space, you know, to be like, hey, it's okay not to touch the guitar. And then it's always cool because when I kind of play again, I always come up with something small, something new or something different. So I think sometimes the space between you and the instrument is important.
32:38Yeah, that's true. Are you able to realize what inspires you or are you unaware? Is it just sort of coming through and you don't even know what it is that's activated the creative response? I don't think if something happens, I'm not sure if this is going to be a song, but for sure it's got to be there and it's going to be an inspiration. I think traveling and meeting people, it's a big inspiration. Or even like touring. We went to Texas two months ago and I remember I came back and it was just such a great tour that I felt so inspired just because I loved what we were doing. So I said like, OK, if we're going to put out more music, I'm going to be able to do more of that kind of stuff, you know, stuff which is fun.
33:22So that was interesting. But I think in general, it's life, life, which is an inspiration to come up with new ideas. so even the fights that we're having as brothers it's always like we're growing on this path together sometimes we're more apart from each other but it always brings us back so i think like this relationship is maybe the main source for for the inspiration that we're having yeah it's interesting point about the live show inspiring things like because you guys just started in your bedrooms and because you guys are like just so familiar with one another you're so comfortable in another i mean you know there must be such a huge difference between i this is a song we came up with in our room by ourselves and all of a sudden now it's the same song we're playing on stage and again it's just the two of us but adding that live element really obviously must feel like oh shit like we're actually no we're in show business like we need to we need to like move an audience some sort of way like do you guys think about crafting a record in a way that oh we could go out and do this live or is it no no no it's never like hey we need to be able to play that live no no it's always like something that we that we feel at that moment you know it's like i have this idea let's check this out and of course if it i mean almost all songs that we wrote we we are able to play in life that's also something cool because we sound the same on the record or almost the same as in life.
34:53And it's just the two of us, you know? Yeah, we're not trying to overproduce it because that would not be us. We were always just very restricted to two instruments, which are a representation of two souls. And I think we just want to keep it that way. It doesn't sound like you guys are trying to necessarily impress anyone with fancy guitar playing like with tricks you know i don't even know how to do that man i i can't shred i'm like i mean today we were at the do you know the carter vintage guitar store that's like one of the coolest stores here in nashville and we were checking out some guitars and there were some guys there like you know like i'm like i could never do We can never do that, but it's like what we do is like honest and real.
35:42Yeah, the thing that what we feel. So that's, I don't know, it's kind of a mystery as well. Do you guys have any desire to be able to do that or not so much? No, not really. No, not really. It's okay. I just want to sound authentic and different. I think that's the main inspiration. And maybe that's always the point that we're inspired to. we're not trying to copy someone it's really about that yeah that's the coolest thing man because it gets so easy especially when you're a guitar player and like you know like just to copy other people or like to get caught up in showing off to people actually articulate who you are as an individual on the instrument is like it's a lost art feels like you know have you guys played with a vocalist before no like a third person has anyone ever tried to insert themselves into into what you guys yeah i mean the next song that we're gonna play is called tres hermanos because we wrote that song with dan you know that was also kind of a cool story we were at the studio we almost recorded the song and then he came and he said hey he's hearing uh like a melody on on a part of the song and he sang us this what he he heard you know and we tried to play his melody but we couldn't play it like he wanted to play them and we just handed him over the guitar and said, why don't you play over it?
37:05And he just did a one-taker. And then when we just call it that, the song is called Tres Hermanos because we also kind of became friends with him. We have same interests. And it was so cool. You know, at the beginning it was, wow, it's Dan Auerbach. And it's still Dan Auerbach. We have the biggest respect for him, but we kind of became friends and we kind of got to know him as a person. And he's beautiful. He's so nice. and he has a good heart. And yeah, that's cool that we have like this in common. Did you guys play it live together or did he play over? Yeah, I mean, he came to shows. Sometimes we tell him, hey, do you want to come to a show in Los Angeles or we might be there?
37:46And he says, yeah, I want to go with you. And he flies in and we have an after party and it's always cool. You guys play together so much. Is the energy feel a little different when you have someone else come in to play? Yeah. Oh yeah, 100%. playing with Dan on stage was really and even he said that like because he's aware of that tight space that we're having like he doesn't want to come and like destroy that energy but with him and even with Adrian Quesada from the Black Pumas he's sometimes also like joining the stage with us it always felt like an enrichment it's not like what is that guy doing here so we're aware of that and we're just trying to play with the right people and it's one more time it's like it's the feeling that we're trusting and we know okay this is gonna be a fit how do you guys know Adrian?
38:39we know Adrian it's a funny story I met him in Los Angeles in a store in Mr. Freedom and I saw him and we recognized each other and I was like hey you're and he was like you're since then we kept in touch and then we saw each other in when was the second time I think in austin first time we played together in austin at the antons and he came with us to play on stage and since then we just we're in touch and he's such a cool guy as well and he even flew out to we had a big concert in mexico city last month and he flew in and we had time to hang out together and yeah he's another brother and and it's really cool we have a cool connection with him as well he's a great dude man he knows so much about music it's crazy an amazing guitar player he's he's so talented yeah how was the mexico city show what was that like it was a chaotic experience in so many ways because we had a show in the open air space it was a beautiful venue i remember when we told our friend that it was living there we're gonna have a show may in mexico and he was like but it's the rain season what are you guys doing you know like we're like i don't know so we had sound check and everything was prepared and i got back to the hotel room i had a shower i was ready like ready ready and i heard the first thunder and i was like no bro you're kidding so i was like no this is really happening so we went back and it started raining so much so we had to cancel the show and a lot of people were uh annoyed and like how can you do that like we just came for this show and then on saturday there was another nature thing happening a big volcano which is close to mexico city started to be active so a lot of people who tried to go back had to stay again in mexico city they were stuck so they were able to come to the show which we postponed to sunday and there was an indoor place and in the end it was an amazing show with Dan and Adrian Cassada on stage.
40:48But we got back home and we were so tired. In the active volcano in the background, setting things up. It's crazy. But it's funny. I like to talk about it. It's a nice experience. We have to pause for another quick break, and then we'll come back with more from Hermanos Gutierrez. In today's super competitive business environment, the edge goes to those who push harder, move faster, and level up every tool in their arsenal. T-Mobile knows all about that. They're now the best network, according to the experts at Oocla Speedtest, and they're using that network to launch Supermobile, the first and only business plan to combine intelligent performance, built-in security, and seamless satellite coverage.
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43:26Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank and A-member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Terms apply. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this. Attention passengers, the pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone, to land this plane. Think you could do it? It turns out that nearly 50 % of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this, pull this, pull that, turn this. It's just like doing my eyes closed. I'm Manny. I'm Noah. This is Devin. And on our new show, No Such Thing, we get to the bottom of questions like these.
44:06Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise, lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the runway. I'm looking at this thing. Listen to No Such Thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Before we jump back into my conversation with Hermanos Gutierrez, let's hear them play their song, Tres Hermanos, live.
44:55Thank you.
45:28guitar solo
45:56Thank you.
46:23Thank you.
46:55Thank you.
47:22Thank you.
47:53Thank you.
48:24Thank you.
48:54Thank you.
49:27Man, I get lost listening to you guys. Thank you, man. How long have you been playing lap steel? Four years now. And it happened on the journey that we had through California and the Def Valley. And we did like a commercial for this Swiss airline. And it was such a cool thing. And then we got back to L.A. and there's a store in Santa Monica. Santa Monica. true tone music and we got oh yeah we visited that store and i just saw this lap steel on the on the wall hanging so i bought it it was actually my brother said yeah get it man you should just buy it and it just opened a new dimension for us because it's like more western now and it has this desert sound so yeah i'm happy that i'm able to play that instrument how long did it take for you to feel comfortable playing i felt comfortable since the first moment it was really like wow Cool.
50:23From the first string that I was sliding. I just realized that I helped him to play the guitar and the slide guitar. So it was me. I remember he was standing there. I mean, he had this white, what was it? Pearl, Perla, a slide guitar. And it was so beautiful. And the price was okay. And he was thinking, hey, should I buy the... And I'm so happy that he did it. And he's so talented. Because sometimes he came up with ideas on the slide. it's crazy. That's his instrument. By the way, no matter what arguments you guys have now, it's like brotherly arguments type thing. It's like, you have to credit your whole career.
51:04I was about to say, I love how my brother credits himself sometimes. Do you gravitate more towards one or the other in terms of when you're going to just pick something up to play? It's easier for me to play the lampsteel, for sure. It's less pressure and it's very smooth. It's very light. But with the guitar, I usually play first the guitar and I come up with a melody and I try to play something with a lap steel. So this is actually the guidance for a song. So I need both of them. It's like I can't decide. And you'll come up with the melody on the lap steel. Yeah, sometimes I do. I mean, for this song, Tres Remedianos, my brother came up with that melody.
51:45And it was clear from the beginning that it just needs a lap steel. I don't have to play the guitar. And yeah, it really depends. What was the reception in Switzerland like? I mean, I guess at what point did you realize you're going to be able to take this outside of Switzerland? I think it was the first concert that we had in Mexico City. It was before the pandemic. And that was the first show overseas. And there was a friend inviting us. And just seeing that kind of attention and the presence and that people can get it in a different country. that was amazing to see and oh wow there's so much more that we could discover with our music they're like there are no boundaries what was it like growing up latino in switzerland was that a weird experience no not weird it was always um i realized like when i was around 12 that it's like a gift that i had i have like both sides in me you know because we had like in switzerland you had like the the swiss boys and then you have like the how you say this the the the foreigners no like with the immigrants yeah and so i was always part of both you know i could be with this with the swiss friends and i could be with the like with my soccer friends um and it was always like i'm both and also like to to talk spanish in ecuador and to come home and to understand And yeah, German, it was really a gift.
53:14Yeah, in a way, it's also, there's a feeling of feeling lost sometimes. Yeah, of course. You're not part of either this culture or the other, which is, I think, a refreshing feeling sometimes. And sometimes you just want to have that feeling, okay, I belong to this kind of culture. But I think it was the coolest thing to grow up with a Latin part. You know, even like the possibility to go to Ecuador and visit our grandfather and grandmother, all the cousin. I think that was an inspiration for us as well. And we try to transmit that through music. I mean, we have two songs in the set. It's especially dedication to the Latin culture.
53:54And whenever we play those tracks, it reminds us of our abuela and just the primos and just being there with the whole family. so and that's something i think the family the meaning of family it's not so present maybe in in switzerland it's different what is it like i don't know i i think swiss people are more they're holding back their emotions a little bit it's not so easy to share emotions or even like tell someone i love you i i care for you it's i'm not saying like it's not happening it's just like different in ecuador we went there when we were like you were 16 maybe i was eight i don't know it was like after a lot of a few years maybe i got it wrong but it was a trip that we haven't been in ecuador for a long time and i saw my aunt and i didn't see her for like i don't know 10 years and she cried and she was so emotional and i was like overwhelmed by so many emotions and i don't think that's something you see in switzerland like where people are able to express themselves through emotions it's it's different yeah really that really is a gift then to be able to get both of those i mean to be able to operate on both those two cultures that are distinctly different in those emotional ranges you know you kind of be more reserved and then also to be able to express yourself completely and the thing is also about switzerland which i get now is like in switzerland everything looks perfect and in almost every sense it is perfect you know you have everything there and so it's kind of difficult to act or to tell some that something is not perfect you know for example in a relationship if you have issues with your family and I think in Latin America and especially Ecuador it is common you know that you know that you have fights and you get loud and you scream at each other and in Switzerland everything is more reserved which is also good because the culture is different but that's something that I got to know now when I'm older.
55:55How did your parents meet? That's a funny story. My father was maybe 30 years old and then he worked for a European company but in Ecuador for a pharmacy business. And then our mother was his secretary. It's the perfect story. And so he had to go back or he wanted to go back and then our mother showed us the letters and then our father wrote her a letter. Do you remember that? Yeah, the most honest letter, like telling there's like a 50-50 chance that you're going to make it because of this, this. And he just told her all the factors that are different from being in Ecuador. Just like a very Swiss approach, you know, like.
56:37You're going to hate it. Yeah, she was all in and like she left Ecuador forever. How old was she at that time? She was 25, 26. Yeah, she was young. Wow. And also like German, like the language, that's so hard to learn. But our mother, big respect for her that she did it. And she, I mean, nowadays she's more Swiss than we are, you know. It's funny, in my opinion. But yeah, big respect that she left her parents in Ecuador, her sisters, brothers. And she just moved to Switzerland without knowing anybody. She told me that she always got to marry a foreigner. she always wanted to leave yeah that's true she had that vision was her family upset no i think they got it i think they were like yeah if you have if you have to do it you you leave but you can always come back this is your place don't worry about it it was also a chance you know in the late 70s you know to go to europe from ecuador and our grandparents they were middle class middle class lower class a bit also like humble people humble people you know and so um i remember that grandfather talked to my father and also like he just said yeah just treat her with respect and she can always come back did you guys speak german primarily in at home yeah it was german I speak Spanish.
58:05I'm kidding. It's always the joke. See, it's always the same thing, man. The big brother being mean to the little brother. No, it was mostly German with my father, but our father left. They got separated when I was seven. So I mostly spoke Spanish to my mom. That's why he speaks better Spanish than my brother. Totally. That's the reason. So when they got separated, your mom just decided to stay out there still? Yeah, I mean they lived pretty close to each other. So yeah, it was clear that she's gonna stay in Switzerland. Feels even more brave in a way. I don't know why. She's super brave. The first few records you guys recorded, no label on any one until the most recent record.
58:57Yes, that's correct. What was it like putting out records all by yourself? Did you guys have a vision or a strategy or was it sort of just like, let's make some stuff, put it up, see what happens? No strategy. We just wanted to have our own collection of vinyl because it's just such a strong thing to have in your mind just to pass it on. So it was important that we create something which is honest. And then it was also very organic, like creating new music was easy. it was just like yeah happening so fast and looking back it's crazy like every year we had a new record coming but it was at the same time so much fun it was because it was a side thing for us it was like the thing which kept us alive in a way you know from maybe the routines and all that stuff which it started so inspiring but we're happy now that we're having this label in the back of us it's it's a beautiful feeling to have people around you now how did you guys record the the first few records is that did you guys do it on your own or did you do it at a studio the first two records were recorded in berlin at the france place he had his his studio and he offered us hey if you ever want to record something this is your studio and then we did this twice like this uh journey road trip you know and after that we uh we found a cool studio and the cool recording engineer in zurich and so the last two albums we recorded in zurich because we also didn't have the time to do another road trip you know it was like we want to record now and we have everything here and so in total we did like four albums and one single one two single two singles so yeah when you guys realized you're going to record with easy eye did you have the songs for the new record ready or did you have to i mean we knew like in in december we're gonna record in march and we had ideas you know we were always playing and but then we had like okay let's write this album and it was a very intense and special two months because we we wanted to we wanted to impress dan you know and he was impressed by the way that we were because after two days we were done with recording the bass you know like we did eight songs in in two days and he was like so what should we do now and we were like let's do start with overdubs and everything and then And we came well prepared, but it was like also two months before every day playing together, writing songs and looking for new melodies.
1:01:45And it was not always that easy, you know, but it was cool to come to the studio, plug the guitar in and to be ready. Dang, so you guys wrote the record in two months and then basically recorded the majority of it, like the vast majority of it in two days? Yes. The base of it, we recorded in two days. But there were overdubs, of course, happening in the next days. But the base of the record was done. I love how quickly you got. I mean, that's just, it feels like rare these days. I mean, we had to work that quickly. We had to, in a way. Yeah, there was, I don't think you get this always in your life.
1:02:23It's a one lifetime experience. So we took it very seriously. And we felt a little bit of pressure, of course. Yeah, from the first moment, we felt like, okay, this is going to be okay. this is going to be great because the connection with Dan was so on the same level, which made it so easy to perform here in the studio, which this energy, because it's an amazing and unique place. So that pressure that we felt before going to Nashville just disappeared from the first moment that we got here. There was not such a thing like, hey, you have to perform. It's like about creating something beautiful together.
1:03:01That was nice to see how it works. And how he approaches a record. I didn't feel the pressure. I'm kidding.
1:03:13Are you guys going to record another record out there? Yeah. Yes, sir. This year we're going to come back. Do you have some material already? Yeah, we have ideas. After this tour, we're going to go home and we're going to start working. But we have new stuff ready and we just have to check it out to be together and play together. I know you were talking about Gustavo and film as an inspiration. Do you guys want to do soundtracks ever? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're waiting for the right director with the perfect story, which fits and just like to create an experience. But there's no rush. I mean, and also right now there's no time.
1:03:51We're busy with own things, own projects and this next record. we want to take it as serious as possible and not just be lazy about it and i think it's just all very natural and we trust in the process and things are coming if not it's okay oh man thank you guys of course man the pleasure glad we got to talk and thanks for coming on man it was an amazing conversation really cool thank you so much for your time thanks to estevan and alejandro of Hermanos Gutierrez for playing for us and chatting through their origin story. You can hear all of our favorite songs from them on the playlist at brokenrecordpodcast.com.
1:04:30Subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com slash brokenrecordpodcast where you can find all of our new episodes. You can follow us on Twitter at Broken Record. Broken Record is produced with help from Leah Rose and Eric Sandler. Our show is engineered by Echo Mountain. Broken Record is a production of Pushkin Industries. If you love this show and others from Pushkin, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is a podcast subscription that offers bonus content and ad-free listening for$4.99 a month. Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple Podcast subscriptions. And if you like this show, please remember to share, rate, and review us on your podcast app.
1:05:09Our theme music's by Kenny Beats. I'm Justin Richman.
1:05:16This episode of Broken Record is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Traveling is one of life's greatest joys. Honestly, can anything be more exhilarating? Well, actually, yeah, with Chase Sapphire Reserve. It's your gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. First, you will earn eight times points on all purchases through Chase Travel. And the card gets you into Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. and access to one-of-a-kind experiences. Whether you are booking a once-in-a-lifetime trip or your next week in escape, discover more with Chase Sapphire Reserve at chase.com slash sapphire reserve.
1:05:53Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank and a member FDIC. Subject to credit approval, terms apply. Why are TSA rules so confusing? You got a hoodie, I'll take it off! I'm Manny. I'm Noah. This is Devin. And we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast called No Such Thing, where we get to the bottom of questions like that. Why are you screaming at me? I can't expect what to do. Now, if the rule was the same. Go off on me. I deserve it. You know, lock him up. Listen to No Such Thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. No such thing. This is an iHeart Podcast.
From the publisher
Hermanos Gutiérrez may be an instrumental guitar band, but they have zero interest in shredding. Instead the Swiss-Ecuadorian brothers, Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez, take a minimalist approach to playing. They create hypnotic, sweeping compositions inspired by classical Latin guitar and film scores from old Spaghetti Westerns.
In 2022, after releasing three albums independently, Hermanos Gutiérrez signed to Easy Eye Sound, a label owned and operated by Dan Auerbach, guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys. Last October they released the album, El Bueno Y El Malo to critical acclaim. The album features the song “Tres Hermanos,” where Auerbach joins the brothers on guitar. Today we’ll hear Estevan and Alejandro play that song, along with a couple other songs live from Auerbach’s studio in Nashville, TN.
Justin Richmond also talks to Hermanos Gutiérrez about how their brotherly spats sometimes fuel their playing. Then they recall a recent performance in Mexico City where they played during a volcanic eruption. And how Dan Auerbach knew he wanted to meet with Hermanos Gutiérrez after seeing them play for just 15 seconds.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Hermanos Gutiérrezsongs HERE.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
