Puma Rosa are a fresh new band, at the heart of which are two
lovers; Isabel Munoz-Newsome met Peaches
Owen in the moist basement of
an old run down pub in Homerton, the place was overrun with hippie kids,
jazzers and scroungers. It was wonderful, but it was shut down and sold off. So
the two fled further north, to the warehouses of Manor House and there they met
the bass guru Henry Brown and then the sax and electronics
wunderkind Tomoya Suzuki.
Darkness came upon the band in late May 2014, and lo, the figure of Nevil James loomed in the back row of a sweltering
club, by the end of that night they had found their final member. The resulting
band creates a fearless, musically diverse sound, pivoting and cemented in
powerfully structured songs, and Isabel's hard hitting lyrics. But it’s the
live show is where they truly ignite, the musical virtuosity of the band and
Isabel's dynamic delivery, bring the stage to life.
Catch them if you can.....
Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
Henry: I'm doing great
thanks. Oh, you know, just playing my bass.
Do you have any information regarding upcoming
releases, projects in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
We have just recorded some demos, two of which are on
our SoundCloud:
I noticed you
were on the same bill as Laroux @ Koko. How was that show for you? Did she
offer
you any insightful, useful advice?
you any insightful, useful advice?
Isabel: Being
called up from Rio by Elly and asked to support her at Koko was great. In terms
of advice, we texted about outfits! Just watching her on stage you can learn a
lot; she’s very cool and confident, and her style is so much a part of the
music.
How did you
meet as a band and what do you think each member brings to the table when
working on a project? Feel free to discuss songwriting process, melody
structures, and lyrics to recording and performing?
discuss songwriting process, melody
structures, and lyrics to recording and performing?
Nick: The band started with
me and Isabel and a drum machine. There was a point when the limitations of the
drum machine became too pronounced and we recruited the sublime services of Henry Brown, Tomoya Suzuki and Neville James.
It takes time to find where everybody sits in the mix and it’s very
elusive; but when you find it it’s totally addictive...your brain receives
manifold ecstatic triggers, like MSG, except it’s far better for you.
with
me and Isabel and a drum machine. There was a point when the limitations of the
drum machine became too pronounced and we recruited the sublime services of Henry Brown, Tomoya Suzuki and Neville James.
It takes time to find where everybody sits in the mix and it’s very
elusive; but when you find it it’s totally addictive...your brain receives
manifold ecstatic triggers, like MSG, except it’s far better for you.
To those not familiar with you, how would you describe
your sound?
Industrial, spiritual, technical, emotional.
You are playing
Landshapes Total Refreshment Centre on the 19th February, what can the people expect
that are coming to see you?
Isabel: It feels like were
growing every time we perform these days; we’re really enjoying playing out.
And we have been really looking forward to this show, the Landshapes girls are
great, they're friends of ours, and Deep Throat! The girl choir who will also be
performing are amazing. The venue Total Refreshment Centre is where we recently
recorded our demo, so we have some mates there too; basically, its gonna be fun.
In terms of
writing, where does your inspiration come from? What message are you trying to
put out there if any?
Isabel: I take my own experience and run
it through a juicer. I read quite a bit, poetry and stories, to see how people
express these often-common feelings. Is there a message? Yes, I guess so, but
its not a doctrine-Everything is NOT OK! Do something about it, be fearless,
take off your skin and get closer to each other.
What are the 5 albums and artists that have influenced
you the most?
This isn't five but Prince, PJ Harvey, Patti Smith,
The Knife, Arthur Russell, David Bowie, Scott Walker, Bruce Springsteen, Pet
Shop Boys, Brian Eno and Joy Division.
What other artists do you really like at the moment
and why?
Nick: Recently, I have been
really blown away by John Maus. He's
not afraid to speak philosophically about music and its place in emotional and
spiritual terms. Also, his seemingly self-autonomous style is encouraging in
both the recorded and aesthetic sense - I think he lays cable for a living and
at night, living in the middle of nowhere, produces these incredibly weird pop
tunes. A lot of people hear it as indistinct dribble, but it's incredibly
tender and stays with you.
What are some of the key pieces of gear you use to
write your tracks?
The essence of our setup is a traditional band, drums,
bass, synths, and guitars....
Nick: It is very easy to
get stuck in the cycle of salivation over musical instruments, pedals and the
like. Between us, we've got some nice gear, but no three tier synth racks or
12' gongs just yet.
Jamie (guitar player) is slowly acquiring some very
unusual looking and purportedly excellent microphones...the ultimate aim is to
have our own space and to write in a fully integrated way with all the studio
tools and come out blinking like moles in the spring.
What’s the best gig you have ever done and
why?
Isabel: It was in this dark,
grinding place; a huge block of old Victorian warehouses called Silwex House. I
had been drawn there for different causes over the years. Loads of people had
lived and worked there. Lots of parties happened there; there were art studios
too and many dodgy, dark crevices. It was sinister and it was good! Something
evil seeped from the bricks, or maybe it was just the asbestos in the roof.
Anyway, like loads of these spaces, last year it was shut down. I had a few
mates that lived there and they invited us to play at the closing party. We
ended up going on at 2.30am, so you can imagine how wild people were by then.
It was the best crowd; everyone was just savoring every last second of this
amazing time, being as extreme as they could because they knew it would all be
over at the end of that night. All of the songs seemed to resonate with this.
It was marvelous.
What’s the worst gig you have ever done
and why?
Isabel: Worst, Uchh. Well, it
can be quite aching. The worst thing is when you feel you just have nothing in
common with the other bands; that you are making music for completely different
reasons. You’re in some naff venue, and the other band is naff, you think, hell!
How did I get duped into this! We are better at avoiding those gigs now, but
you'd be surprised! There are a lot of promoters out there creating these
terrible experiences for people! I don't get it. I think the worst was this
"All Girl Special" we stupidly agreed to play. You do the math.
After, Nick and me had to cycle home in the driving rain. So Low!
What inspired
you to get into music and why?
Isabel: I always wanted to
sing but I never really chased it. I was working doing painting and set design,
when I met this couple and we got talking (and drinking) and at the end of the
night they asked me to front their punk rock band! It started there I guess.
If you weren't a musician what would you be?
Isabel: If not music, I would
probably be painting, living in Miami or Penge West or something.
You all have to
get behind this band and for more information and exclusive updates check out
here:
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