Diandra Interviews Crystales: Seeing Music Trips As Sparks To Imagination

People think creativity simply happens and it can. Yet, a lot of times, it is a process that can take years. Even the “newest artist” might have ten years, under their belt, of creating and recreating their sound until they enter your music sphere. Crystales is a perfect example of this notion. They are music “vets” that are making a debut, and working hard to amp music as more than a spiritual journey; it is a psychedelic trip.

Diandra: What do you feel about shoegaze ignites a psychedelic experience within listeners?

Billy: I think of it as kind of an obliteration of mind by noise. So if you’re a super anxious person like myself or caught up in daily minutiae, there can be this overwhelming force that erases all of that and frees your mind to return to a more pure state. 
 
Diandra: How does knowing you can control or spark imaginations through you music inspire your creative process and lyrical messages?

Billy: There’s a lot of thought put into it, but we try not to be overwrought. So by giving just enough lyrically to be evocative or kind of smearing the lines on a relatively straightforward pop structure, you can help whoever’s listening fill in the blanks.
 

Diandra: Having formed in 2012, what are the ways you feel you have grown as persons and artists?

Billy: We’ve actually been playing together even longer than that, as we’re all related to some degree. But we started playing together as kids, and there’s a lot of life stuff that happens in between, from college to having kids. Weirdly I think we’ve just honed into what we always set out to do, kind of removed from time. So as we’ve gotten older and developed as people, we’ve just gotten closer to where we were going musically from the get-go.
 
Diandra: From “Boring” to “Seance”, your music seems to promote embracing joys as much as fears. What are your current, biggest fears and joys, especially as artists?

Billy: Putting out this album was a long-time coming, and we’re just trying to enjoy the process and all the kind things people have been saying. The only fear would have been not getting to finish it or not releasing it. We were really fortunate that Burger decided to release it; even being associated with them is awesome because of all the great artists they’re associated with and the hard work they put into bands like ours. The only fear now would be stopping completely. But it seems like we always come back to it no matter what, so there’s nothing really to that fear. It’s more like NO FEAR, like that really cool shirt from the ’90s.

Diandra: Your music has been compared to Sonic Youth and Nirvana. Who else has influenced your sound, especially in terms of Latin Rock; as you also sing in Spanish?

Billy: We used to pull in more from the Latin side of things and sing some in Spanish. We grew up Cuban (and Jason’s half Hawaiian), so you can’t help but be influenced in part by the things you’ve heard your whole life. We decided to hone it down a little further to the sound you hear now, but it still creeps in, like the little riffs we do in “When It’s Over” or the overall vibe of “Agrias.” It’s just more subtle now. I think that we’d like to revisit that though once we have more material out there so that it feels like a natural extension of our sound rather than just throwing everything at the wall.
 
Diandra: In making your debut record, what were key aspects about your sound and personality that you wanted to assure the listener received?

Billy: I think there’s a genuineness to us. We’re not really part of any particular scene and we’re pretty terrible about networking and image and all that stuff you’re supposed to do. It’s not a diss on anyone else; we wish we were better at it. So, I guess it’s that kind of like, this is an uncynical version of us, playing music that we like and that we’re not trying to be anything more than that.
 

Diandra: What was the specific moment when you knew this band needed/ should be formed? Was there a specific performance or opportunity that confirmed this band/ music was your path?

Billy: We started playing years ago with a different name and without a bass player and it was this raw kind of unformed thing, but it was so fun, and I knew our chemistry was special. I guess the first couple of times we ever played together we were still in high school, I knew we should keep doing this as long as we could because we have this built-in relationship among us, and it shows in the music. 
 
Diandra: What do you feel each member adds to the group as a creative and friend?

Billy: Nick is a brilliant songwriter that brings the meat of what we work on. Jason has an art background and is really good at making sure the aesthetics of what we’re dong are on point, like pulling back and letting things breathe. Tony and I are great song editors, and I think we make the gears work, like making shows and interviews and all that stuff happen.

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