If the Spanish town of Ubeda, a town better known as the backdrop to many a Spaghetti Western movie had its own rogues gallery honouring the misfits and outlaws whose boots had scuffed its dusty ground, three ‘Wanted’ posters would surely hang; a trio of mug shots simply referred to as ‘Guadalupe Plata’ – the most deathly delta blues outfit to ever emerge from Andalusia.
Make no mistake – the music of Guadalupe Plata derives from the murkiest of depths and the magic of the night. Channelling red hot passion for the blues into Hispanic roots, theirs is a sound that lingers in the sunset like a voodoo curse. Using flamenco terms, they describe their process as straining to be podrío; to be rotten, and talk of “involution,” “duende,” and “hechizo” – supernatural terms of invocation, and, well, goblins. But then again, that’s what you’d expect – concocted in a town famed as a location for Spaghetti Westerns, the band’s unique blues sits like a cowboy soundtrack pulled from a zombie’s grasp by the Mississippi Blues greats, Os Mutantes, and Jon Spencer.
The trio are on tour with their latest offering of twisted desert blues: ‘The Red Album’ – as recorded with Liam Watson (the man behind The White Stripes’ ‘Elephant’) in the UK’s own Toerag studios. Employing an array of weird and wonderful instruments including cigar box guitars and wash tub basses, the band’s original sound has seen them scoop prizes at the Impala Awards (for outstanding European album) and the Independent Music Awards (as Artist Of The Year).
We grabbed five minutes with singer & guitarist Pedro de Dios (Perico) to see what we can expect from the live dates.
Guadalupe Plata are hitting the UK tour this Autumn. What can we expect from your UK live shows on this run?
I don’t want to spoil the surprise…. the best thing you can do is come along and watch and listen to us.
This isn’t your first time visiting the UK – what are your favourite memories of playing over here before?
Great bars, knowledgeable, relaxed, enthusiastic people, always a mix of British and Spanish people dancing and shouting. Good times. Real music fans.
How would you describe your sound to the uninitiated?
Swamp blues and rock’n’roll.
Your new album Guadalupe Plata (the Red album) offers listeners a fiery cocktail of influences – who/what were the main inspirations behind the record?
Little Junior Parker, Charlie Feathers, Tommy Johnson, Charlie Parker, Big Mama Thorton, Charlie Patton, Son House.
The three of you hark from Úbeda in Jaén, authentic olive growing country in Andalusia. Perhaps not best known for its high output of globe trotting psychedelic rock bands – what part has your homeland played in making the music that you do?
It’s very important, in our iconography, in our way of doing things. It runs through everything we do. This couldn’t come from anywhere else.
You’re renowned for using unconventional instruments in your music – tell us more about some of the weird and wonderful sounds that appear on your new album and how you made them?
We use our own version of a washtub bass, that’s a traditional instrument from North America, we made it from a Zinc washtub, a chainsaw cord, and a broomstick we found in the graveyard in Úbeda. They used them in England as well but using tea cases instead of the washtub. I think the Beatles used one in their first band, before going to Germany. You can also hear a cigar box three string guitar on a few tracks – Paco makes those. Oh and we use a jaguar lure from Mexico on this album.
Your previous album Guadelupe Plata (the Silver album) was recognised across Europe as a great success and saw you win the prestigious Impala Award for the outstanding European album of 2013 (as decided by European independent label association), plus scoop Artist Of The Year at the Independent Music Awards (among other nominations) – did this success impact how you approached writing and recording the new album?
No….. we just went in and recorded…. that kind of thing doesn’t have any bearing on how records are made.
The new album was recorded in London’s own Toe Rag studios with Liam Watson (who famously worked on the White Stripes’ Elephant) – why did you decide this was the right place to record the new album and that Liam was the right man for the job?
Because of the equipment Liam has and the sound he gets on the records he makes there.
You are playing the Liverpool International Festival Psychedelia alongside the likes of Super Furry Animals, The Horrors, Acid Mothers Temple and more… what was it about the festival that appealed to you most and what will you bring to the party?
I don’t know any of those bands but I’ll be checking them out before we go. This is the first time we’ve been and people who have gone there say it’s a fantastic festival. I expect to see some acts that will surprise me… I’m really looking forward to it.
Guadalupe Plata tour dates:
WED 14 – Norwich, Jug Jaws @ The Crypt
THU 15 – BBC 6 Music, Marc Riley Session
THU 15 – Manchester, The Castle
FRI 16 – Birmingham, Rainbow
SAT 17 – London, Stowfest
SUN 18 – Exeter, The Phoenix
TUE 20 – Bristol, Start The Bus
WED 21 – Glasgow, Broadcast
THU 22 – Newcastle, Clunny
FRI 23 – Cardiff, The Moon
SAT 24 – Liverpool Festival Of Psychedelia
SUN 25 – Brighton, The Hope & Ruin
