Interview with Gina Ríos, frontwoman of Black Glow
At the time, I really liked Mexican stoner/psychedelic rock band Spacegoat’s only LP so far, Superstition (2016, I wrote about it here), so a few years later I took a deep breath and wrote to the band’s frontwoman, singer-guitarist Gina Ríos, to see if she would answer to some of my (interview) questions. She didn’t respond to my inquiry until now, so it came as a surprise when she wrote a few days ago that she was open to a virtual conversation. In the meantime, it also turns out that Spacegoat is – unfortunately – already a thing of the past, so the interview is updated by the debut material, a five-track EP of the singer’s new band, Black Glow, which was released in October.
I got to know you through Spacegoat. I think Superstition is a brilliant album. The last post on the band’s Facebook page is from 2020. Does the band still exist at all?
First of all, thank you so much for this interview! It is a great honor for me. I’m glad you liked the Superstition album, thank you! Yeah, Spacegoat is no longer active, we all are doing our own thing musically speaking, and we all remained good friends.
Why did Spacegoat come to an end?
To be honest, I’m not sure why. I think it was part of the band’s process after playing for more than 10 years. I believe in the process, so I have confidence that it was the best.
How do you remember that period?
I have great memories, from improvising/composing the first Spacegoat songs with my brother Miguel at my mum’s kitchen in 2008, until the last live concert. It was so much fun, but also full of great lessons. I think we all grew up during those years playing together, so I remember it with love.
I was surprised that you answered my letter after a gap of several years… what, I think, is not a coincidence, since you recently started a new project, Black Glow, whose debut EP was released at the end of October. Please tell me about how the idea of founding Black Glow came?
Oh, I know, Thomas! Sorry, it was never my intention to answer only now, but I’m glad I saw your message eventually. Answering your question, the idea of one day releasing my own songs, has been there in the back of my mind for years, as I’m always singing/composing. Don’t get me wrong, in Spacegoat I was doing my thing when singing and writing and playing guitar, but you know, as an artist there is always a gap where your creativity can’t explode in an existing project and I think that’s actually not a bad thing. I got a lot of inspiration from those years in Spacegoat, so I decided to embrace that feeling/need of composing on my own, to just enjoy and not worry about anything, especially filling the expectations of any musical gender, and I’m very happy about being able to express myself now in total freedom.
Was the band first, and then the songs were born, or vice versa?
The songs came first. I selected five songs for this initial release and recorded them at home as a demo tape with all the instruments. Octavio Diliegros recorded the drums using his electronic drum kit. We were practicing in the rehearsal room for months in 2022 until the songs were so polished that all we needed to do was add the bass. We then invited Oscar Saucedo, a great friend of ours, whose sound and style were perfect for the project. He joined the band in January 2023, and we traveled to Testa Studio to record in August 2023.
How would you describe Black Glow’s music compared to Spacegoat’s?
I think Spacegoat is like gliding in the stars and traversing dimensions, but Black Glow is a complete internal journey, delving into the deepest dimension.
I feel that the music is slower than what you played before, plus your vocals do not seem to be in the forefront so much…
For some reasons, I really enjoy slow tempos, slow and powerful ones, so I just let it be that way, without any pretension. When it comes to the vocals, the essence of the mix, as I feel it, had to be that way, almost like a voice of a companion. So, when mixing, I treated the voice as another instrument, not as the main message carrier. I don’t want to distract you: I’m your companion. Just let yourself feel.
You wrote the music and the lyrics, plus you were the producer of the material. You obviously needed partners to play the other parts, but how much can the band be considered your solo project?
Well, the sound of the band wouldn’t be what it is without Oscar’s bass and Octavios’ drums, that’s a fact, they have their own feeling/power as musicians which I admire so much. When we are rehearsing and when we record, our sound is almost like a jam and I love it! I composed the songs but they gave it that spark!
“It’s not just an album, it’s a sanctuary for the soul”, you wrote about the material. Who needs this shelter: you, or do you want to support your audience with this?
Before saying anything, I think that when it comes to art, it’s all completely subjective, but let me just say that I think in life you can be physically alive without having a place to rest your emotions, a moment to breath, avoiding a depuration of your pain, you have to go on with the rhythm of life, I guess until you can’t anymore, and sometimes you are surrounded by so many people but you still feel so alone due to judgments and fears. This is an invitation saying there is a place for you to have a companion, an invisible resting spot. It’s all so subjective when it comes to art, I insist, but to the right ears this will be understood.
How is the rock/metal situation in Mexico? How easy is it to assert yourself there with such music, to become well known, to release a record, to perform gigs?
We have received great support from the underground scene here and from outside the country, though at the same time we are aware that our music genre can be considered more niche within the underground, but we still manage to be recognized in forums that align with our music even though we are at the first EP release. So we are very thankful for that.
When I heard Spacegoat, I thought one of your main inspirations was Janis Joplin. Am I right, or do you consider other artists to be your role models?
Oh, I love Janis Joplin, but I must admit I never took her as a main inspiration. What happened is we filled in that info in the Spacegoat’s profile at the beginning to kind of give a direction into the ‘70s style the band had. But now that you asked if I follow a role model, consciously I don’t follow any, but I’m sure that I’ve got much influence from musicians and artists that I like.
One of the first information on your Facebook page is that your husband is Octavio Diliegros, the drummer of Black Glow. What came first: your relationship or the band?
Our relationship came first. Octavio played as a substitute drummer in Spacegoat during the last year the band was active, and that’s how we met. We are partners in crime and have a lot of fun when playing!
What are you planning to the close future: concerts, or a full LP, or perhaps another EP?
In the near future we plan to play live and we will work on releasing more music. I want to thank you, Thomas, for this great interview! This certainly opens a door for us and allows us to reach the ears of the Hungary rock scene, which I know is massive and amazing. I appreciate this space so much. I also want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the people who have followed me throughout these years with Spacegoat. Thank you, guys, for your kind messages you’ve sent me, I read them all! I hope I can keep connecting with you through music; that’s the only thing that counts.
