The Warning
'Prepare Yourselves for a Global Warning!'
Daniela (guitar), Paulina (drums), and Alejandra Villarreal (bass) are three talented sisters and musicians from Monterrey, Mexico between the ages of nine and 14 that come together to form the rock band The Warning.
The three siblings play original music and covers of songs like 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica, 'Back in Black' by AC/DC, Katy Perry's 'Roar,' and so many more!
The Warning’s new EP, Escape the Mind was released via their iTunes store this past April 14th, 2015.
Chatting recently with the three (3) lovely young ladies themselves - Daniela (Dany), Paulina (Pau) and Alejandra (Ale) - I first wondered, when and where the initial idea for them to form their own band had first come to mind?
Pau: "For years we practiced our instruments individually, but one day in December 2012 in our school they invited us to play. We doubted because Ale had been playing just about 6 months, but surprisingly she adapted very quickly to us and we got to play together as a band for the first time."
Were you all born incredible musicians or was someone in your family a
musician who taught you how to sing and play the instruments? Dany: "Thank you for the “incredible musician”! Our parents are music lovers, but they are not musicians. We share this passion and love for music, but we work really hard and practice every day for hours."
The band is named The Warning, but why? And what other band name was also in the mix right up until the end? Ale: "We were going to play with other bands, some of Dany´s friends that were all boys bands, and they all had a name to be presented as, and we didn´t, of course. It took us weeks trying to agree the three of us, we were naming the band after everything that we saw, like “lipstick” “bench” etc. But then Dany remembered that while fantasizing just for fun, months ago we talked about “when we have an album we will call it THE WARNING!” So we thought let's name the band after that “imaginary album.” Another name that we liked was Blackout."
The videos for your cover songs of bands such as AC/DC, Metallica, Guns
'N Roses, etc. have hit YouTube BIG time in the past few months, so was
doing this in 2015 always a marketing ploy for you girls? Ale: "Not at all. We have been doing the videos for years now and actually the 'Enter Sandman' video is almost a year old. We LOVE what we do."
You all currently live in Mexico, and being so young might not have
traveled too far so far. But all that could change very soon! So where in
the world would you most like to take The Warning to - and why? Pau: "We could only dream about it, but it will be so cool if we get to play in the US, England, Canada ... I don´t know ... everywhere!"
On your website you were trying to get help from your fans to send you to perform on The Ellen Degeneres Show - and then it happened! Why did you want to go on her show, above all the others you could have chosen? Pau: "We have seen her show and we love it! She´s so fun and she have helped launched the careers of other people before ... and, of course, a lot of people watch her show."
You also have a Funding Page to have fans help you all get to attend The Berklee College Of Music, but whilst on the Ellen Degeneres Show she gave each of you a check for $10,000 to go to Berklee! How was that experience for you?! Ale: "Everything is going great. We are so thankful with the people who has donated and for what Ellen did for us. We reached our goal so, yes, we are going to Berklee this summer!!!"
OK, one by one, who is your go-to musician that you look up to and who
has inspired you to be the best that you are right now? Dany: "Brian May of Queen."
Pau: "Niel Pert of Rush."
Ale: Esperanza Spalding."
And, based on that very same question above, if you could meet them
face-to-face, what would be the very first question you would ask them? Dany: "What is the most that you like about being a guitar player?"
Pau: "What inspired you to play the drums?"
Ale: "Suggestions to be a better bass player?"
OK, one at a time ... here we go!
Daniela ('Dany'):
a) In an all-girl band, why did you choose lead guitar? "When I was six I started playing piano and by the time I reached eight I was given the opportunity to choose another instrument and so I picked the guitar. This was thanks to the “Rock Band” video game. But I found out that it was very difficult and I almost quit the first month, but I didn’t. So now I love being a guitar player."
b) Your singing voice seems to reach down to some great depths, so has it always been that way, or is this something new? "It´s more difficult to play and sing at the same time, and the covers that we have played have male singers. So the adaptation has been a little difficult, but I love to sing, that´s why I´ll keep working on it."
c) Your guitar playing is incredible for your age, but is there still a
cover song set of chords that you have yet to completely get your fingers
around and master, perhaps? "Thank you. I like to find challenging songs and overcome them, even if it takes me time to get them right. There are a lot of things that I have yet to learn."
Paulina ('Pau'):
a) In an all-girl band, why did you choose drums? "Because I like to hit things," she laughs. "It´s kind of the same “Rock Band video game” story like Dany, but I was six, and I was like “why Dany gets to choose another instrument and not me”? So unfair, but it was because of her age; my father saw me playing with the drums of the Rock Band and thought that I was very good with coordination and rhythm and he said ok, let's try to find you drum lessons. But no teacher wanted to teach me because of my age. Until finally a friend of my father gave me an opportunity and from that time he said that I could stay, that I was good enough and my father was not hallucinating," she laughs again.
b) You seem very intense when you are drumming, so what is going through your mind (when you're not singing) during those four minutes or so? "I just let all my energy flow. I can really feel the beat."
c) You also sing, like on AC/DC's 'Back In Black,' which when I first saw the video on YouTube, I was not expecting to see happen! Do you get that a lot, that people only expect Daniela to be the lead singer, so to speak? "Yes, Its very difficult to catch my breath to sing while playing. Some people don´t like my voice while playing, but I love to sing and I do it much better when I´m not playing the drums. But since I´m the drummer I have to do both things at the time, and just keep practicing."
Alejandra ('Ale'):
a) In an all-girl band, why did you choose bass guitar? "Originally I wanted to play the harp, but while watching some DVDs of rock concerts I was intrigued by the bass guitar. Then I started to watch more videos about bass players and I fell in love with the instrument. At the beginning it was to heavy for me. I couldn't even hold it, started playing sitting down, but I´ve become better with practice."
b) I see that when you play bass, due to the weight of the guitar, you have to have an extra strap wrapped around its back end. Are you just waiting for the day you can take that off and handle it yourself! "Actually, there´s no extra strap! I play just with a regular strap!"
c) Fair enough! Anyway, being the youngest in the band, do you still manage to get a say in song choices (to cover and play live) and stuff like that? "Oh yes! We kind of set challenges for each one, for example my challenge was 'Hysteria' by Muse where the bass was more difficult. We don´t always agree, but we don´t settle until we do."
One by one, what is your own personal favorite cover song to play - and
why? Dany: "'Enter Sandman' - makes me go crazy!"
Pau: "'Resistance' - it was difficult for me to play it and I feel proud of my self when I do."
Ale: "'Hysteria' - because the bass was difficult, but now not so much."
The Warning have just released on iTunes their very first original song, entitled 'Free Falling.' Please tell us more about how the song was written and what the lyrics are telling us? Ale: "We are very excited about it. We write our songs on the piano, just a few chords and then the lyrics, then we start building it in each instrument with ideas from the three of us. 'Free Falling' is kind of a “tragic” song it´s like when you are let down by someone you care about, that disappointment you feel when it happens."
Are plans underway for a full-length debut album this year also now? Dany: "An EP is already on iTunes and by the time it went out we already had some songs written for the full album, yes. We will record it probably later this year or the beginning of next year."
You sing in English, but I'm sure you can also sing in Spanish. Knowing
that breaking into the world of music is, most likely, going to mean way
more singing in English, are you all working on that - for both singing and doing interviews, perhaps? Dany: "Yes, we speak Spanish, but since all the music we hear/like is in English, we feel more inspired to write and sing in English. Interviews are more difficult than singing. But yes, our songs will be in English."
Being that you cover rock and metal songs, have The Warning ever tried
covering softer, lighter music, perhaps? Pau: "Yes, we did Katy Perry´s 'Roar' song and a Lady Gaga cover, but we like to play the rock the most!"
OK, as we're not called Exclusive Magazine for nothing, each of you
please reveal something about yourself, some insider-only tidbit that has
never been revealed or spoken about before! Pau: "I´m called Shredder, not because of the drums, but because I destroy everything that I have in my hands! Not intentionally, of course, I just have to always be doing something with them, and stuff is fragile."
Dany: "I love to sing Broadway musical songs, and I love math."
Ale: "When I was seven I asked my mother if she knew if Paul McCartney speaks Spanish, because I wanted him to be my bass guitar teacher. Like, if it was the language the main barrier stopping him from giving me lessons!"
OK, here we go ... The Fun Five!
a) Aside from the one person in the business who inspired you to be who you are now, if you could meet any other musician/singer or even movie actor in the world, who would it be - and why? "Billy Joel and Dave Grohl! We admire them sooo much!"
b) If you go out on tour and have a tour bus, which one of the sisters is the one most likely to be the messiest, with regard clothing, make up, shoes, etc.? "Paulina!"
c) What is your favorite album to play over and over again? "Muse - Second Law, Taylor Swift - 1989, Fall Out Boy - American Beauty/American Psycho."
d) When you are not playing music, what do you like to do as a hobby? "Be with friends, read, and play board games."
e) In life, in general, are you more comfortable in jeans and a tshirt or a dress? "Jeans and T-shirt."
Is there one song that you girls have tried to cover, over and over, but yet can't get to work for some reason? If so, which one and why is it just not clicking for you? Ale: "Not really, even if it takes a lot of time we like to practice it until we get it right. There are probably a lot of challenges that we haven´t tried yet."
Finally, and yes, we ask everyone this question: We here at Exclusive
Magazine LOVE penguins (the birds)! So, we were wondering if you girls also love penguins, and/or if you had a story about one/them? Dany: "We LOVE penguins, specially Ale. They are so cute and cuddly, but we don´t really have a story to tell about them. Probably just that every time Ale sees one, like a stuffed toy penguin, she gets all excited and she doesn´t rest until our parents give up and buy it for her!"
Interviewed by: Russell A. Trunk
www.thewarningband.com
www.facebook.com/thewarningmusic3
'Escape the Mind' EP - iTunes Purchase Link
The Warning - 'Crazy Train' on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Warning - 'Enter Sandman'
The Warning - 'Back In Black'
The Warning - 'Born This Way'
If you would like to win some THE WARNING band merchandise, including some AUTOGRAPHED photographs from the girls, just answer this question about The Warning: What are the two (2) names of the girls' very first Piano teachers?!
Send us your answers and if you're correct you'll be in the running to win The Warning merchandise and even some AUTOGRAPHED photos from the girls themselves! Just send us an e:mail here before August 1st with your answer and the subject title CONTEST: THE WARNING GOODIES to: exclusivemagazine@flash.net
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