In an interview with Rolling Stone Brasil, they admitted they were initially surprised when they found out they’d be playing alongside Sublime, Rise Against, The Damned, and Amyl & The Sniffers, in addition to the tour’s headliners. But who cares? Their excitement about performing in South America’s largest country for the first time quickly overshadowed any concerns.
Paulina, the most articulate speaker of the group—and often cited as the main songwriter—reflected:
“When we were added to the tour lineup, I looked at the other bands and thought, ‘Oh, we’re kind of the odd ones out here.’ But the opportunity came after we played a show with The Offspring in the United States, and we’re really grateful. At the end of the day, we’ll all be enjoying a different subgenre.”
Defining this young band’s sound as just hard rock would be an oversimplification. Their music is heavy, but with a modern approach, setting them apart from most hard rock acts. There’s an undeniable influence from Muse, especially in their riff construction and use of effects. Still, their sound is diverse enough to resist more precise comparisons.
The trio’s creative maturity is striking—especially considering their ages. They’ve been active since 2013 and have already released four albums and two EPs. Daniela, the eldest, is 25. Paulina, the middle sister, just turned 23 last month. Alejandra, the youngest, is 21. The sisters started playing together when they were between 9 and 13 years old, and they quickly went viral on YouTube in 2014 with a cover of Enter Sandman by Metallica.
Despite achieving so much at a young age, there was still one milestone left: performing in Brazil. The Warning had already played in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, but never in Brazil. That absence is about to be corrected with shows in São Paulo (Allianz Parque, March 8), Curitiba (Pedreira Paulo Leminski, March 9), and Porto Alegre (Pepsi On Stage, March 11). The first two dates will include all the previously mentioned bands, while the last one will be just with The Offspring—the very band they had played with in the U.S., which led to this tour opportunity. Tickets are available on Eventim’s website.
Keep Me Fed and Growth
At the time of the interview, the Villarreal Vélez sisters didn’t know how much time they’d have on stage in Brazil. However, they confirmed that a significant part of their setlist would feature songs from Keep Me Fed, their latest album.
They recognize this album as a major evolution for the band. The numbers speak for themselves: it was the first time they made it onto various international album charts, ranking #59 on the U.S. overall charts, #1 on the U.K. Rock & Metal chart, #14 in Switzerland, #15 in Sweden, and #19 in Germany. One of its tracks, S!CK, reached #8 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock singles chart.
While Daniela celebrates that “people have been singing the new songs from the start,” Paulina sees Keep Me Fed as a key part of their growth, especially throughout 2024. She explains:
“The biggest difference with this album is our experience—not just as musicians, but as people. We started writing songs when we were around 12 years old. Your life and the way you see it change so much, even compared to our previous album, Error. What we went through after that album—the tours, the dreams we fulfilled, and the ups and downs—changed us as people. Keep Me Fed was the first time we were truly able to stop and process everything we had experienced.”
One reflection of this growth—both in maturity and popularity—came just last month. The band played a series of major shows in Mexico City, including three sold-out performances at the Auditorio Nacional, one of the country’s largest and most iconic venues. The shows were professionally recorded and will be released at a later date in an as-yet-undetermined format. Paulina reflects:
“We just played the biggest shows of our lives in Mexico as headliners. Seeing people sing the songs that way and live the album with us was so beautiful. We spent an entire year preparing for those shows. It was a long process with such a big team—something truly unique. The venues we played, like Auditorio Nacional, are so legendary. We never expected to have three sold-out shows there.”
And it won’t be long before Keep Me Fed gets a follow-up. Contractually, the band is required—Paulina emphasizes—to at least start writing their next album this year. The plan is to release it in 2026.
Ten Years of Career and the Latina Perspective on the Global Stage
It’s almost surreal to say, but The Warning’s first release will turn 10 years old in 2025. Their debut EP, Escape the Mind, features five original tracks: Take Me Down, Fade Away, Eternal Love, Free Falling, and the title track. The sisters were surprised when this was brought up in the interview, even joking about doing a 10th-anniversary tour.
The songs were written in the very room where they conducted this interview via video call with Rolling Stone Brasil. Paulina recalls that, back then, there was no grand plan or strategy.
“We just made music and realized that we could be artists—that we could create together and offer something to the world. That’s a huge revelation for a 12-year-old.”
They had no idea what lay ahead, especially the challenges they would face. One of them, of course, involves breaking barriers and overcoming prejudices against Latin Americans in other parts of the world. Paulina reflects:
“I think we, as Latin Americans, experience this every day. The moment you leave Latin America—whether to the U.S., Canada, or Europe—people don’t expect to hear music different from what they stereotypically associate with our region.”
Still, the band doesn’t take a pessimistic view of these obstacles. They understand that many people from other countries simply haven’t been exposed to Latin America’s rich musical culture. Paulina explains:
“I think it’s beautiful that we can spark curiosity in people’s minds. Like, ‘I never thought there would be rock in Mexico, but hey, here’s this band—let me see what else is out there.’ Instead of seeing this as ‘Oh my God, how do people not know about this huge thing I’ve always known?’ we should see it as an honorable opportunity to represent our culture and share a piece of what we have.”
Beyond that, they also feel like they’re never truly alone. Highlighting what she calls Latin American solidarity, Paulina concludes:
“Whenever we’re at a festival where we think we’re the only Latin Americans, we see someone waving a Mexican flag or another Latin American flag. It’s like we recognize each other—it’s not something spoken. It’s a ‘sisterhood’ [notably said in Portuguese, not English].”
Comments
Post a Comment