Interview with Dany and Pau from The Warning

Shortly before the release of their latest full-length studio album, Keep Me Fed, which will be released via LAVA and Republic Records on June 28, 2024, the Mexico-born sister rock trio -Daniela “Dany” [guitar, lead vocals, piano], Paulina “Pau” [drums, vocals, piano], and Alejandra “Ale” Villarreal [bass, piano, backing vocals]- hopped over a Zoom call with media to talk about their new album, their upcoming North American tour, being sisters in a rock band, and much more

What is the reason behind the title of your latest album, Keep Me Fed? Pau: So Keep Me Fed discusses the urge that we all have to be fed, whether through entertainment on social media or through everything we consume, and how we all contribute to this cycle. How we feed certain things to our fans and followers, how we feed off of what other people do, and how we’re caught in a never-ending loop.

You’re scheduled to play many events this summer, including Mad Cool Festival, Aftershock, and Rocklahoma. Have you have any pre-show rituals? Dany: We stretch a lot because we jump and move so much. I need to extend my neck. If not, I will definitely be unable to move the next day due to the headbanging. But I do not believe we have a specific routine. Pau: We have one ritual. We all just like to hold hands. My mother says a tiny little prayer. And we all expressed our intentions, such as a prayer. We say the number of the program we’re on and just put it into the universe and be appreciative, and then we just go into the performance.

How does it feel to achieve rock ‘n’ roll popularity at such a young age, and how do you approach music differently now that you’ve been in the industry for a while? Pau: Well, I don’t think we realised what was going on when we first started. We were just riding the wave of wonderful fortune that had occurred. Dany: I’m not sure if you would even call it famous. We were certainly receiving a lot of attention that we were not used to, especially given our early age. We just go step by step. And you know, we’re thankful that we got to do this together. I’m not sure how I’d have done it if it was just me. Pau: And to have had the experience of the last ten years. I believe it enables us to accomplish our jobs as effectively as possible. It definitely helped us lay the groundwork for what we intend to achieve. And now that we have fresh prospects for expansion, we believe we have the necessary experience, which is excellent. It’s a huge privilege to have had all of those experiences and to be able to continue having them for another ten years.

How does it feel to have collaborated or played with so many legendary rock bands, such as Metallica and The Pretty Reckless?

Dany: Amazing. We are quite appreciative for all of those opportunities. We’re grateful to everyone who looked at our idea and wanted to provide us a platform to grow. Pau: It simply means the globe.

What was it like to collaborate with writers outside of your crew on this new album?

Dany: It was really fresh since writing with a total stranger and trying to nail a song in one day is a very unique experience. And English isn’t our first language. We’re used to working creatively amongst ourselves in Spanish, so coming to work with someone you don’t know and who doesn’t speak Spanish, which is what you’re used to, takes some adjustment. Pau: However, it requires you to be extremely clear about what you want to achieve. Like, you have to be secure in your beliefs and definitely open to what other people have to say, but at the end of the day, it’s a warning song.

So, how do we want The Warning to sound on this album?

We have to be extremely clear about this from the outset. As an all-female rock band, how has it been to pursue music in an industry dominated by men? Pau: I feel like, as women, we don’t often sit down and think about it, like, “Oh my god, we’re the only women here.” It’s not something we discuss or write about. But, more than anything, it is just a part of our daily lives. And we’ve been living it for ten years. So, above all, they have low expectations. They anticipate a gimmick, and they do not expect women to do well on these stages. So it’s truly our mission every time we stand on these platforms to demonstrate what we do musically and, maybe, influence people’s thoughts. Over the years, it’s been like chipping away at rock, and things have gradually improved, such that the women’s restrooms used to be our private facilities every time we attended a festival. It’s no longer a private restroom, but it’s still really wonderful to behold. As a result, more doors are being opened and more possibilities are being created. And to be a part of that transformation, which will also open those doors. It’s an honour to be able to achieve that with our music.

How is Keep Me Fed different from your prior releases?

Dany: Oh, this is quite different. I feel like we’ve grown a lot in recent years. We began touring and had the opportunity to explore a wide range of activities and meet a diverse range of people. And our last record was similar to a pandemic album. We had all the time in the world to be creative and picky, but this new record is the polar opposite. In between tours, a rather crazy schedule, similar to writing with others. We prefer to put everything we haven’t done throughout our whole careers onto one CD. And challenged ourselves musically to go a step farther… Pau: Up higher. Yeah, just take the next step. Dany: We adore it. We adore what it means to us. This new age of The Warning and this new sound that we developed within ourselves allows each song to feel like us while also offering unique musical experiences.

What was the motivation and thought process behind “Automatic Sun,” in particular? Pau: “Automatic Sun” was the final song we composed for the album, and it was a pretty chaotic process. We were exhausted and had no clue what we wanted to compose or sing about, but it evolved into this thing where we had the phrase “automatic sun,” and we based the entire song on that. “Automatic Sun” is about missing someone, needing their energy, and being pulled to the gravitational pull they have on you. And it’s a pretty enjoyable tune. It’s my favourite song on the record, and now that we’re doing it live, it’s clear that you connect so well with people. You can sense the enthusiasm, and it’s a lot of fun to play.

How did you guys create your new album, Keep Me Fed, while on tour, compared to your previous album, Error? Pau: I felt like while we were doing Error, because of the epidemic, it was like a small echo chamber. It was always our opinions, and we, like this team, had been listening to this music all the time, for quite some time. We worked with fresh folks every day on this record. We were meeting new individuals with various experiences, preferences, and cultures, which opened up so many possibilities for what we could accomplish with our music. I feel like you can hear that in every song, the different influences that each individual had and how we incorporated it into ourselves, how it still sounds like The Warning but is something fresh. I believe that is what music is about. It’s about growing and discovering new things, and to have done it during such a stressful period, between tours, when we were exhausted, yet we pushed through. We would compose three songs, record them, then write more before leaving for the tour. I recorded drums for the entire album in a day and a half. We had no time to do anything, so we just sort of made it work. It really captures what we were experiencing at the moment. Dany: I believe the music reflects this, since it is both energetic and chaotic. So it really pushed us to a different sort of experience.

What was the most memorable song produced or recorded on the previous two albums?

Dany: [laughs]. I’m trying to recall everything we went through. You know, I guess it’s “Automatic Sun” since I recall getting stuck…Oh no! Do you know what I actually remember? We were stuck with the lyrics when creating “MORE”. We really wanted to design something powerful, but we were utterly out of ideas. We all went to the studio’s parking lot and sung Shakira songs. We simply sung in the parking lot and then walked back, and the song came out. Pau: Thanks, Shakira!

What was it like creating the music video for “Qué Más Quieres,” and who was the creative genius behind it?

Dany: It arose from the creative imagination of Paulina Villarreal Vélez. Pau: I’m incredibly excited to announce that I co-directed this video. And this was my little idea, and it was my first time doing something like this. I’m delighted that you enjoyed it since I adore it. You can tell it was my idea since everything is pink, cheerful, and over the top, which is just my style. It had a lot of fun producing this music video, from designing it all the way through to attending all of the direction art meetings and production meetings, as well as doing the scouting. However, I am also recording the video and guiding my sisters on how to act, among other things. It was simply so much joy. It was something we had never done before, acting and having such a powerful plot as the major focus of the film, but it was a lot of fun. Dany: And you’re really excellent at saying action! And simply speaking really loudly [laughs]. Pau: Cut! I enjoyed it. How do you believe the family component of your band influences your creative process and general group dynamics? Dany: Oh, this is really crucial. I believe that encapsulates who we are as a band. The family component is really essential, not only for us as sisters, but for our whole team. Pau: It’s because we truly have the environment to be like a family all of the time. Because we work together as sisters, but our parents also work with us and travel with us, so everyone who joins our team becomes like a large family, but it actually impacts everything we do, even how we work creatively. We collaborate constructively as sisters. I mean, I believe that if we were in a band and not sisters, we would sugarcoat things a lot more. For example, I would communicate with people in a much more pleasant manner. I’m not sure how you express it in English, but they talk to their coworkers in a friendlier way than you would to your siblings. What are you most looking forward to on your forthcoming North American tour this autumn? Pau: Ooooo, petrol stations! I’m very happy to stop at a Love’s because we’ve been travelling throughout Europe a lot. No disrespect, Europe, but those petrol stations are not it. No, they do not have nice snacks. They do not… I do not like it. I like it when we’re touring the United States and make a stop. I always get off the bus. But in Europe, I never do that. This is a waste of time. So I’m quite happy because they offer bandanas, caps, ugly t-shirts, and other items like that. I adore it! I adore Love’s. Dany: I adore how passionate you are [Laughs]. Buc-ees exist as well. Oh my God, Buc-ees are the finest thing. Aside from petrol stations, we’re releasing new music and performing it for the first time in the United States. So we’re excited about it. Are there any other musical influences that may surprise people? Pau mentions K-pop… K-pop has a significant effect on what we do. They have insane melodies and are continually pushing outside the box and trying new things. And I believe that as a musician, you should always be trying new things. That has left me feeling really inspired. Dany: I believe that listening to music that is not in our native tongue allows us to pay more attention to the subtleties of melodies and instruments. Is there a lyric from the song “Burnout” that you’re particularly proud of? Pau: Yeah… “You plan your demolition with a list of self-inflictions.”

What tracks are you most excited for fans to hear from Keep Me Fed?

Dany: I am excited for people to hear “Apologise.” Pau: I’m excited for them to hear “Sharks.” I feel like some people are going to be like, “Oh, they went a little bit too pop on this one.” They’re going to hear “Sharks” and be like, “Oop, well, I’m wrong.” Dany: Yeah, the songs that haven’t been released yet are definitely the heaviest ones. What advise would you provide to a young girl who is interested in learning to play an instrument or getting into music?

Pau: You must have confidence in yourself. I feel like this occasionally, and I’m not even going to put it in a small music industry box. With everything, we might be conditioned to be afraid to speak up about things we know. For example, sometimes during soundchecks, I’m frightened to inform the festival engineer that I can’t hear myself in my ears. Why wouldn’t I do that? It is literally part of both mine and their work. That’s something I can do. Nothing is going to happen. So it’s all about understanding where you are and being secure in your knowledge. Obviously, you must be willing to learn and grow, as well as have the confidence and security to accomplish things and surround yourself with people who will look after you. I believe individuals may be incredibly… Mean is a terrible way to describe it, but people will attempt to take advantage of almost anything, especially in the music industry. So we surrounded ourselves with folks who treated us like family and cared for us as if we were their own children. As if they truly watch out for us. It is critical to surround yourself with individuals who will challenge you in the same way as your parents would, but would also protect you. How has being up in Mexico influenced the music you create? Pau: I believe that everyone’s childhood influences what they do and who they are as individuals, and that this immediately translates into our music. And, once again, we were really lucky to reside in a place with such a thriving music culture, where music is played all the time and with great enthusiasm. Mexico is a very passionate culture in general, but in music, you can just feel it, that warmth. So that warmth was always really welcoming, and to have grown up with that and be able to incorporate it into your music and share it, of course, has had an affect on us. Dany:…Maybe in ways we don’t even understand.