What are some of the most important players that influenced your own style and what in particular did they employ in their playing that you liked? Dan Auerbach signed you to his label Easy Eye Sound, how did he get to know your music? Are you excited about the new album? Have you ideas that refuse to step through the door with you? And what do you do with those sketches?

Hermanos Gutiérrez | Interview | New Album, ‘El Bueno Y El Malo’ Hermanos Gutiérrez is a two-piece band formed of the brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez. Taking influence from 1950’s Latin America sound they transfer the listeners to journeys through beautiful landscapes. Started a few years earlier, Hermanos Gutiérrez began releasing music on their own, all of which gained traction in 2020. “My brother and I,” says Estevan, “we did everything by ourselves— all the music, even the artwork. But during COVID, our music was streamed all over the world,” especially their 2020 album, Hijos del Sol. Let’s end this interview with some of your favourite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?That initial take set the tone for the sessions: They worked on the fly, hewing closely to the songs they had brought over from Switzerland while remaining open to any and all new ideas. “We came to Nashville with a clear sense of what we wanted to do,” says Alejandro. “The more structure you have, the more you can improvise. You can feel prepared, but also open to changes. Nobody tried to impose an idea or change our essence. It was all about adding subtle things and enriching the whole—expanding this universe we had created.” El Bueno Y El Malo gently expands their sound, retaining the foundation while adding drums, castanets, strings, and congas. The additions are more than subtle; they’re subliminal. They focus the attention on the two main figures and the intricate, almost telepathic interplay of their instruments. Playing together since their early childhood, a profound musical and interpersonal symbiosis ties the two brothers. If one of them has a melody, the other one completes it with harmony. There is a deep understanding between the two of them, without any need for words. I, Estevan, started to play the classic guitar (Milongas & Boleros). Dilermando Reis was a Brazilian guitar player from the 40s/50s which had a big influence on my style. We would say that we consider Ennio Morricone’s music scores as a main influence, rather than Sergio Leone as a director. Obviously the two worked together on several occasions and some of Leon’s movies wouldn’t be the same without Morricone’s musical contribution. I guess it was that instant connection of our first single ‘El Bueno Y El Malo’, that melody which reminded us of those spaghetti western melodies, the one’s which became famous for specific movies. “We always have our clear ideas of how a song should sound”

To work with Dan was simply stunning. He has such a talent as a musician and as a producer. We connected with him from the first moment. On ‘Tres Hermanos’ he heard a melody over the bridge. So we invited him to play and he just came with this specific melody and it blew our minds! Then he went to Ecuador for a year, and as an expression of missing him, I started playing the guitar as well. I learned by trying to imitate other songs, but soon realized that I didn’t like playing covers. I wanted to play my own music.” Started a few years earlier, Hermanos Gutiérrez began releasing music on their own, all of which gained traction in 2020. “My brother and I”, says Estevan, “we did everything by ourselves— all the music, even the artwork. But during Covid, our music was streamed all over the world”, especially their 2020 album, ‘Hijos del Sol’. Perhaps because people were looking for an escape from their worries or were traveling to new landscapes without leaving their homes, the music of Hermanos Gutiérrez spread by word of mouth, eventually finding its way to Auerbach. After a twenty-minute conversation, they signed with Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound Records and started writing songs for their forthcoming album.

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I, Alejandro was mostly inspired by my brother at my younger age. Listening to him made me buy my own guitar. I came across so many talented musicians collecting vinyl in the last few years, but I never felt drawn to a particular style of a specific guitar player. I never liked to play covers and wanted therefore always to find my own style of playing the guitar. But I definitely look up to Gustavo Santaolalla, Ry Cooder, Mark Knopfler, J.J. Cale, Alessandro Alessandroni, Los Indios Tabajaras and Enrique Delgado from Los Destellos. We always have our clear ideas of how a song should sound. We believe every song should have a first solid base. A base which makes it then possible to play with in the studio. I mean you also have to be aware that the studio setting is totally different than simply rehearsing at home. Some things might not work as intended, some things might be missing. So therefore, we always try to have an open mindset once we get into the studio. The most important thing to us before getting into the studio is that every song should have its own spirit, its own story to tell. Working with Dan for the first time was enriching in so many ways, because we could access a wider range of musical layers. It was really about adding subtle things and therefore to enrich our songs in a delicate but meaningful way. While the format might sound limited, it’s not at all —the songs drift by in an unhurried, almost impressionist fashion, segueing gently from one to the next, with moments standing out more than individual songs. The brothers mix up the approach, with one anchoring the rhythm with a gentle arpeggio or bass-like melody, keeping time with a soft tap on the strings, while the other carries the main melody. Like their previous releases, it’s the kind of album you can put on and leave on all day, and the relatively amorphous nature of the songs helps make it not feel repetitive.