M'Lou Elkins
Formed by Luis Navarro (vocals, guitar, synth, drum machines) and Joel Niño, Jr. (bass, synth, vocals), this darkwave duo hailing from the border town of Brownsville, TX has been dishing out their brand of gothy goodness since 2017 and is generating quite the buzz.
Twin Tribes’ single “Fantasmas” off of their second album, Ceremony (released December 2021) went viral and reached over 1 million views a year before the guys even filmed their dark, macabre video for the track.
As the band’s tagline explains, their “dark melodic sounds, lyrics of the undead, the occult, and parallel universes are what conjure Twin Tribes.” With two studio albums under their belts, plus a remix album, they set themselves apart from the pack with their ability to draw from the sounds of 80’s darkwave, post-punk bands yet still offer a unique and fresh spin on those genres.
We were lucky enough to have a chat with Joel about their most recent tour and what’s in the works for Twin Tribes in 2023. Have a listen while you read on…
Music Fiends: So you guys have been touring all month and selling out shows left and right. I know Los Angeles crowds can be tough and kind of jaded, but your show at the iconic El Rey Theatre sold out….how did that feel and what was that experience like?
Twin Tribes/Joel: Los Angeles has always been very kind to us. It’s one of the cities where we’ve seen growth every single time we visit, and the city with the largest amounts of listens on Spotify. To be able to play a sold out show at a historic venue such as the El Rey, was a dream come true.
MF: Do you have any unusual or funny stories from the road? Are either of you practical jokesters? (I am – so if you need any tips…I’ve got you covered!)
J: We actually aren’t the practical joking type! The road can be long and arduous, so having to watch your back for one of those could get tiresome. This past tour we spent our time watching movies and quoting them to get a kick out of it.
MF: What are some of your favorite things to do to unwind when you come home from a tour? Any interesting hobbies or is it all music all the time?
J: I actually run a record shop called Beso De Muerte Records which takes up most of my time once we get back from touring. Additionally, I love watching pro wrestling, AEW is my favorite promotion currently.
MF: What’s your favorite song to play live and why? And is there a particular song that the fans seem to really get amped up about?
J: “Talisman” is one of my favorites to play live, and the crowd always goes wild for “Fantasmas.”
(Watch the video for “Fantasmas” below)
MF: Any dream bands you’d love to share the stage with in the future? Or have you already had the good fortune to play on the same bill with any of them?
J: When we first started we would daydream about playing with She Past Away, Drab Majesty, Choir Boy, among others. We’ve had the pleasure of touring with She Past Away and getting to know them personally now, and we hope the future brings us to cross paths with some of the other bands we’ve held in high regard since we first started.
MF: What’s your songwriting process like? Do you come up with melodies first and lyrics later? Do you write together?
J: For the most part Luis will start with a riff and drumbeat and then we’ll start whittling away at it. We’ll email each other back and forth, and we’ll also get together in the studio to complete songs.
MF: You have some of the most interesting band merch I’ve come across…lots of really cool t-shirt designs to choose from, so I had a hard time deciding on just one shirt. Are you artistically inclined and have a hand in actually creating the designs yourselves?
J: Since the beginning, we’ve made sure that our designs would be something we would personally be proud to wear. We’ve had the luck of working with some amazing artists that bring the visions we have to life with their gifts.
MF: What’s been your most defining moment as a band so far?
J: This past tour was one of our most successful to date, with several sold-out performances, including the El Rey and Garden Grove Amp. It’s a reminder of the hard work that we’ve put in these past years and the response that we’ve received from our beloved fans.
MF: If you weren’t a musician what do you think you would be doing for work?
J: Before I dedicated my time fully to music, I was a homeownership advisor and financial coach for a non-profit helping people financially get ready to buy homes, and teaching financial awareness classes. I got to help some amazing families, and helped them achieve their dream of being homeowners. It was such a fulfilling job, and one I’d more than likely still be working at.
MF: What bands have you been listening to lately?
J: Nuovo Testamento, Qual, Rue Oberkampf, N8NOFACE
MF: Your debut album, Shadows, came out in 2018, followed by Ceremony in 2019. Then of course there’s the remix album, Altars, that dropped in 2021. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit soon after Ceremony came out. How difficult was it for y’all to wait around for the world to return to a semi-normal state so you could tour the album? Were you worried the material would become stale?
J: It was definitely a shock for us all. When the pandemic initially hit, we were all a bit more worried about staying safe, and for our family members that were more susceptible to COVID. As time passed, and the lockdown continued, that’s when we began doing virtual performances, and live streams. The wonderful thing about music, especially in this day and age, is that there’s so many great bands to listen to, you don’t have to play out just one album and make it stale. What was beautiful in our eyes, was how fans and critics took to it, and really embraced, Ceremony, which was an album that was very personal to us.
MF: What’s in store for Twin Tribes in 2023?
J: We’re continuing to write and demo a new album. That’s where our efforts will be concentrated on throughout the year.
Find Twin Tribes online:
www.twintribes.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @twin_tribes
Facebook: facebook.com/twintribes
Twitter: twin_tribes
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