INTERVIEW: DFMK’s punk music travels from Tijuana, Mexico, to your eardrums
Image: DFMK are a punk band based in Tijuana, Mexico. Photo courtesy of the band / Provided by Earshot Media with permission.
This past fall, the punk rock band DFMK released their 15-track self-titled album. The outfit, heavily influenced by the Stooges, MC5 and the Ramones, comes from Tijuana, Mexico, and their life in the border city is interwoven throughout the lyrics of their songs. On the new album, according to press notes, listeners can expect stories of existentialism, drug abuse, dive bars, broken hearts and hangovers.
The first single off the recording effort is “Mal Presentimiento,” a quick jam that opens with a guitar blaring and intermittent pounds of the drums. The singing pops in a few seconds later, and the never-stop attitude continues for the next two minutes.
Recently lead singer Jorge A. Zepeda Martin exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can fans expect off your upcoming 15-song self-titled album?
Anyone that knows the band and our music from our previous EPs will expect our classic blend of fast and mid-tempo dirty rock ‘n’ roll and punk/hardcore music with subtle surf guitar parts in some songs. So, I guess people should expect the usual poison in their glasses.
What inspired the song ‘Mal Presentimiento’?
Main inspiration of our first track ‘Mal Presentimiento’ (‘Bad Feeling’) is the idea of living the moment, and if shit hits the fan, that is OK, because life is a risk. And there is no fun when you’re living life always worrying about the bad stuff.
Who would you say are some of your musical influences?
The band’s initial influences are the Ramones, the Stooges, MC5, Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Bad Brains and bands from Argentina like 2 Minutos, Flema and Fun People.
How’s the punk scene in Tijuana, Mexico? Are there a lot of clubs and bands?
Unfortunately, this current pandemic has hit our punk scene in Tijuana very hard. Even though it is a small scene, we do have a lot of cool bands you should check out like: Violencia, Animals Revenge, TASAJO, Habak, Perdición, Bio Crisis, Outlaw Bastards, Hong Kong F*** You and many other bands. Because of this pandemic there is no shows right now, and one our favorite DIY bars that used to do punk shows, Lycanthro Pub, was forced to close their doors because of the current pandemic.
Does Tijuana inspire a lot of your songwriting?
Most definetely Tijuana is the inspiration on all of our songs. It is the nightlife, their people, the awful traffic, the anxiety, the multicultural exchange of ideas between México and the USA, boredom and living in the last corner of Latin America. All of this can be heard in our songs.
What does 2021 look like for the band?
Well, it all depends on a new vaccine and that things go back to normal. However, we hope to record a new album and touring, hopefully.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
DFMK’s new self-titled album is out now from La Escalera Records. Click here for more information.
