Jaguero

Congratulations on the release of your new EP, “New Love.” How does this record represent the evolution of Jaguero’s sound and narrative since your debut EP, “Worst Weekend Ever”?

“Thanks! We wanted to create some kind of “different twin” of our debut EP, in order to bring out all our personalities in a total of 10 songs. Perhaps in the New Love EP, we gave a little more space to the more aggressive instrumental side and a happier lyrical aspect, unlike Worst Weekend Ever. In a way, the two EPs can be seen as complementary: one completes the other.”

Your new EP comes as a reflection of the human experience and emotions intertwined with the present. Could you elaborate on the thematic elements explored in “New Love” and how they differ or relate to your previous work?

“The idea behind the connection between WWE and New Love EPs is basically time: in WWE, we talked about a crazy weekend and the emotions felt right after it; however, in New Love, the protagonist (us, you, or whoever you want) came back to workdays, where normal life’s going on. During your day-to-day life, you can actually think about how crazy your past was, where you are now, or what kind of grown-up emotions you are experiencing.“

The limited edition vinyl release includes both “Worst Weekend Ever” and “New Love.” How do these two EPs complement each other, and what inspired the decision to bundle them together?

“The decision was both audience and band-driven because we’re actually vinyl lovers, as most of our fans are. One of the most frequently asked questions at our merchandise table was “Do you have vinyls?”. So, we thought about that, and with Gab from Epidemic Records, we decided to create this special edition as a collection of both EPs. It feels good to have them both on the same physical object, because for us, it seems like a 2-year journey from Sunday, the first song of the Worst Weekend Ever, to Pressure, the last one of the New Love EP.“

Your recent mini-tour in Florida and appearance at Gainesville’s The Fest must have been exhilarating. Can you share some standout moments or experiences from these events and how they influenced your performances?

“”Exhilarating” is the perfect word to describe our Florida trip. We went there with a close friend of ours as a merch guy/driver, and when Fest started, some of our best friends came to Gainesville to attend the whole festival. It was some kind of school trip: you’re with the funniest people you know, far away from your city, attending 3 days of punk-hardcore music. You cannot ask for more. There were so many special moments that we could not choose which one to tell. Let’s just say that this genre brings out the best and nicest people around.”

How does playing in Italy compare to performing in the United States? Are there any noticeable differences or similarities in the audience reception, atmosphere, or overall vibe during your live shows?

“The American audience was obviously a little more attracted to us because we’re foreign, as the non-Italian audiences are with foreign bands when they play in Italy. We noticed that they’re also more supportive, probably because they know how difficult it was for us to be there, but in the end, the differences were really small. The vibe check was real during the shows, and for us, this was a very big victory: being so far away from home, with strangers singing your songs and buying you drinks, thanking you for the show. Best feeling ever.”

The Fest in Gainesville featured an array of diverse and talented bands. Were there any particular artists or bands that stood out to you during the festival, and how do these experiences among fellow musicians influence or inspire your own musical journey with Jaguero? 

“We’re actually shocked by the Carly Cosgrove sets; we didn’t know them, but it was a super nice discovery. Also, we’re glad we played with Amends from Australia; their songwriting was so good we had goosebumps the first time we saw them. Then, so many sets were amazing (Dollar Signs, Elway, Coffe Project, Samiam, Strike Anywhere, Dillinger Four, Laura Jane Grace, No Trigger, Makewar, Signal Midwest), but the truth is that all of them gave us something to think about. Now, we know more about attitude and dedication to this beautiful music, and we want more and more.”

“New Love” delves into the nostalgia and reverie of memories amidst the chaos of daily life. How do you translate these evocative themes into your live performances, and what impact do you hope it has on your audience?

“We are trying to display our shows as a party where you can dance like nobody’s watching you; we’re just singing about sad and happy moments, screaming stuff at the microphone in that gang vocal style. Plus, we recently started to set the party mood by using an Italian disco song from the 80s as an opening for the show. Anyway, singing along with the audience is our guilty pleasure, but it is also our best way to heal from the chaos of daily life. That’s all; the rest is boring stuff that does not belong to our music.”

Can you shed light on the creative process behind the visual and evocative imagery associated with “New Love”? How important is visual storytelling to Jaguero’s music and overall artistic expression?

“See Jaguero as the main character of everyone’s life. In WWE, Jaguero was a masked lucha-libre fighter, but now he’s growing up, and so is our music. We started trying to express ourselves free from genre-driven songwriting with the idea of “playing what you like”. We’re now taking this to the “experiment with what you like” level, where we’re confident in our capability of putting us into songs. The artworks too are following this concept, constantly evolving in style, colour, and mood.”

With this EP being promoted in both the United States and Europe through Epidemic Records, how do you envision reaching a broader audience and the significance of sharing your music across different continents?

“Naturally, social media and streaming platforms could help us in this journey, but as we saw from our first non-Italian shows, live music is the key. Not just playing live music, but also supporting and believing in live music. We’ll continue to attend events like the Fest (or Obenuse Fest, Pouzza Fest, and so on) and become a part of them. If there’s a place for us as audience, our dream is to become part of the lineup of those realities. We’re really hoping that our first overseas experience will be the first of many to come, so cheers to that!‘

Worst Weekend Ever & New Love are available on vinyl via Epidemic Records

Jaguero can be found on Bandcamp, Facebook and Instagram

Photography courtesy Tommy Calderon