Though tourism may not paint the clearest picture, mariachi is a rich and respected genre of music. It is the music of the downtrodden, the oppressed, ballads of cultural upheaval and wounded love. Aesthetically it has little in common with punk rock, but both have deep roots and vocal defenders.

Matt Caughthran may be the only guy bridging that divide. In 2007, the frontman of acclaimed hardcore / punk act The Bronx announced his group would be transforming into Mariachi El Bronx, a Latin-inspired outfit. Since then El Bronx has released two albums (both self-titled, as per The Bronx tradition) and turned what seemed like a novelty into one of the most interesting and inventive modern rock acts in America.

Before a recent Toronto show, we sat down with Caughthran to learn how the two groups live together.

What do punk rock and mariachi music have in common?

A lot. For one, they’re both “regional.” Different sounds in different Mexican cities. Punk is the same. I’ve always loved that back-and-forth; “Is it better in New York or Los Angeles or London?” On a more personal level the subject matter changes a bit ...

But they’re both expressions of a lower, maybe urban working class.

Both working class styles of music. And very heartfelt, a lot of tragedy and loss [in the lyrics] but with an empowering tone.

Is the concept of a “band,” musicians who create and perform together with great frequency, common in mariachi music?

I don’t think it happens a lot. A lot of times in mariachi groups there’s one head honcho, collecting all the money and paying out everyone else. Our situation is very unique: we took what we loved about the genre, the sound and the passion, the love of tradition, and made it our own.

How else does Mariachi El Bronx differ from tradition?

We have drums. One of the main differences, besides me singing in English. Otherwise we use the traditional instruments: violin, trumpet, guitarrón.



Did the supplemental musicians you added to the Bronx lineup come from traditional backgrounds?

Our guitarrón player, Vincent, did – his dad is David Hidalgo from Los Lobos. I’ve known him since he was 10 years old. He’s an amazing musician from an amazing family. When we struggle sometimes with where to go rhythmically he really helps us out. He’s kind of the compass of the group, keeps us going forward with the right decisions.

Has there been a lot of crossover between fans of the different groups? There’s definitely more mariachi than punk influence in this one.

Most fans like both. Some El Bronx fans don’t like The Bronx, they’re just not from that [hardcore/punk] world, can’t get down with the aggressiveness of it. When we started El Bronx I was pretty cynical. I thought people would be bullheaded about it but I was wrong, they were excited and listened with open ears. As there’s a renaissance right now with major label [business practices]. There’s also one going on with artists and fans. People who love music want new stuff. They like it when bands do something different and provide challenges.

Have you taken songs written for either project and tried them out in the alternate style?

We’ve thought about it. It hasn’t really worked. On our [upcoming] Bronx record there’s a slower song that could’ve fit with the mariachi project but we haven’t transposed styles.

I imagine the greatest challenge would be your own as a singer, changing styles almost completely.

Physically, mentally ... two different zones. You have to keep your head on a swivel when it comes to that. The most important thing for me is to not go backward. On the new Bronx record I didn’t want to go backward vocally, melodically or lyrically.

Though both acts share members does it feel like a truly separate band?

Yeah. With the same members it can’t be too night and day but they live and breathe on their own now, which was the goal. We all do our own things outside of music. [Guitarist] Joby does graphic design ... all different projects with artwork and photography. Gotta keep the challenge up to keep doing cool shit, ‘cause it all feeds into the same thing.

Are you a fan of The Flaming Lips? They have that uncanny ability to incorporate all their different interests into a single musical project.

We did a couple shows with them. Our violin player Ray has played with them. It’s such a visual thing for them. They create complete madness onstage and involve everybody in it. There’s no one doing that better.

You perform in traditional mariachi suits. How hot does it get onstage?

Extremely hot. We played the hottest show we’ve ever played last night in Buffalo. Fuck man, it was brutal. Before we even hit a note. But we love our suits. They represent not only tradition but us as an individual group. They’ve got a lot of blood, sweat and tears on them. We each have one and we protect them with our lives.

What’s the word on the new Bronx record?

To me it’s definitely the best thing we’ve done. We’ve gotten a lot better at writing songs. I don’t mean that they’re [catchier], they’re just better. I can’t wait for it to come out.