Interview: The Red Pears Aim to Give Providence Some California Flair at AS220
Even though it’s been over 20 years since the garage rock revival took over the music world with bands like The White Stripes, The Hives and The Strokes popping up, the movement’s influence is still being felt today. There are numerous bands these days forging riff-laden tunes that are abundant with energy and amplification while exuding an honest charisma. One of the many examples of this is The Red Pears, who hail from the Los Angeles suburb of El Monte. The trio of vocalist and guitarist Henry Vargas, drummer Jose Corona and Patrick Juarez recently released a new album titled Better Late Than Never back in April, and they’re going to be performing on AS220’s Main Stage on 115 Empire Street in Providence on October 4 as part of their tour in support of it. The show starts at 9pm with fellow California rockers Ultra Q and The High Curbs rounding out the bill.
I had a talk with both Corona and Vargas ahead of the show about the making of the new album, liking to play smaller cities like Providence and new material that’s already in the works.
What was the songwriting and recording process like for Better Late Than Never?
Jose Corona: For this album, I think it was very fitting for the title because there’s songs from the time Henry and I were in high school, even in a band before this one. We were a lot younger then and now we have songs that are from ideas that we’ve bound together. It’s just interesting how a lot of stuff meshed in a way with the past and the present, even with song structures and ideas. Adding a keyboard for songs or adding an extra guitar for songs, these are the kinds of ideas that we’ve had for years. They’ve finally come to life, and they’re finally being put into play.
It was definitely a process, and it was also recorded in a studio that we helped create. It’s a makeshift studio in my family’s garage where we morphed a rehearsal space into a recording space. That was a whole new challenge in itself, but it enabled us to capture more tones and really home in the craft of recording. It was important to get the album going and I think for our next record, whenever we have it out, it will be an improvement in a lot of ways because we’ve been getting better as we go along.
Do you feel that this album has put you guys on an upward trajectory in terms of your creative process in both songwriting and recording?
Henry Vargas: Yeah, there’s definitely been a new level reached for the band and the album has had a role in that.
Very cool. A couple weeks ago, you guys released a video on your YouTube channel titled “Live at The Cathedral” where Better Late Than Never was performed in its entirety. Where exactly is this location where the video was filmed and who had the idea for it to be filmed there?
JC: The Cathedral is located in Pomona, California and it’s this venue that a friend of ours recently opened. We recorded the video when the place was under construction, but now it’s completed and a little different looking. We took it upon ourselves to make the video happen instead of waiting around for somebody to ask us and everybody who helped out with it and volunteered made it a nice experience. It’s also a nice legacy to leave behind for this new venue that’s coming up over there in Pomona and giving other musicians, artists and creative people an outlet to express themselves.
That’s awesome, I like the way the video came out. What are your thoughts on coming to Providence to perform at AS220?
JC: This is going to be our second time playing there and I think it’s just nice to play shows in different parts of the country, especially in places that seem to get skipped over. I don’t know if Providence gets hit up often but when a lot of bands play the East Coast, they usually play either New York City or another major city. I feel like it’s cool to hit up and play these small cities in front of smaller crowds and in smaller venues. You kind of miss that and it’s nice to play all of these other parts of the country and the world essentially while visiting cities, people and communities. It’s nice to explore and you never know where your music is being listened to or where people are supporting you.
To us, a place like Providence is super far away and a place that we’d never thought we’d play, but it’s nice to know that people support us there. We’re looking forward to coming back and doing our thing.
We do have a great scene in Providence and people do come out to shows, sometimes even on a whim. Can we expect anything else to follow up the new album going into next year or will touring be the primary focus for the immediate future? Jose, you alluded earlier to a new album that seems to already be in the works.
HV: We’ve been recording as much as we can. Something Jose and I have always had as a goal is to have a discography as big as The Beatles where we keep on creating music and releasing stuff. It’s something that we always find enjoyment in doing, so we’re going to keep creating.
JC: After we’re done with this tour, it’s going to be the holidays so we’re going to be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families. We’re going to relax, spend time at home and when the next year starts, we’re going to be hustling, especially with the studio being so easy to access.
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