BY SAM DESTEFANO
The Mañanas’ sound has been compared to a mix of the Strokes, Weezer, and Arctic Monkeys. Packed with fun choruses, jangly guitars, and low-yet-also-hi-fi production, their music is sure to captivate anyone who loves an upbeat, carefree sound. This month, we were lucky enough to catch up with fun-spirited and up-and-coming Denver band.
How would you explain The Mañanas origin story?
Brandon and Danny met at our bass player’s photo shoot for her solo project, Neoma, back in 2019 for a local magazine. It was shot at Brandon’s apartment in downtown Denver at the time. Brandon and Danny hit it off right away and started hanging out. So, in a way, it was thanks to magazines that we came together! We bonded over our mutual love for the Beatles and retro musical influences. From there fueled by our newly found friendship and a good amount of hope and marihuana use, our first EP “Cheers’ emerged from a hazy cloud of smoke.
In 2023 you released your first LP “3000.” Can you tell us a little bit about the record?
“3000” features songs we had been performing live a year before its release due to the band’s positive reception and our frequent live shows. Since we were living in an apartment, we recorded drums and other parts whenever we could access studios and friends’ setups, piecing it together like patchwork. It was our first inclusion of our current bassist, Neoma, and features arrangements by our longtime collaborator Agustín Rodas, who lives in Cuenca, Ecuador. The record is mostly about Brandon’s life during this era, with autobiographical stories he wrote.
Songwriting is such a fascinating form of art, and it seems like your songs come easily to you because they are so well-crafted and fun-spirited. How would you describe your writing process?
Brandon is the main lyricist and draws inspiration from his own life experiences. He likes to mask dark and serious topics with happy and upbeat melodies to create what has now become something we lean into. Our process involves sitting down, listening to an idea he’s come up with, and fleshing it out together. We aim not to overthink the music and let it flow naturally. We really let him do his thing his way. (Danny) I’d say Brandon has a unique voice and approaches songwriting in a raw, but efficient and effective way. His lyrics and songwriting are straight to the point, and he has amazing taste. So sometimes the demos he records on his own have been the one that makes the cut.
You’ve said that all of your songs were recorded in a “DIY fashion.” For all of us music nerds, can you give us insight into the making of the record and how you recorded it? What was your process like? Do you have any tips and tricks that you consider essential to the process?
Living in an apartment meant we couldn’t record real drums or play as a full band together. We created songs like beat makers, sampling our drum set and jamming with a little keyboard and guitar simultaneously. We used digital plugins on our laptop to emulate a vintage sound, blending 60’s songwriting with modern garage rock production. Sometimes you meet halfway. It’s been common for us to build around a recorded demo that Brandon will record on his laptop or phone – and we’ll sometimes leave those original vocals. The key is to be resourceful and embrace the limitations of your environment. A trick I have now, since we started live recording our rehearsals and live shows, is to quickly mix a song on my laptop speakers with minimal processing. Then just go to the studio and listen on big speakers to adjust the bass and other details. Less is more!
How has your strong Latin heritage been infused into the music and the band?
Our Latin heritage initially inspired us through historical representation—brown people making rock ‘n’ roll. The reaction in Mexico and South America to Beatlemania, with acts like The Teen Tops or pioneers like Los Saicos in Peru, influenced us. The positive response to our cover of “La Plaga” live motivated us to write more songs in Spanish and incorporate Latin rhythms. Brandon is not actually “Latino,” which sometimes feels like a mouthful to explain. He’s part Chamorro, part Spaniard, and grew up in Germany. Danny and Neoma are from Cuenca, Ecuador. There are a lot of people who can’t place Guam or Ecuador on a map, so we just refer to ourselves as brown/Latino for simplicity’s sake. But for the magazine, I think it’s worth pointing this out our heritage and where we come from.
Where do your musical and artistic inspirations come from?
We draw inspiration from The Beatles and anything Motown or doo-wop adjacent. We love the straightforward songwriting style and try not to overproduce. It’s important to note that Brandon was always inspired by older music like doo-wop, 60s garage and surf rock. Artists like The Kinks, Frankie Valli, and Creedence Clearwater Revival were big for him. While in Germany, his passion grew for making music that is unapologetically retro sounding and he wanted to make it a point to make music you actually like/are inspired by and not be discouraged by people that say “it’s been done before.” Danny was always making against-the-current choices musically, starting his career in a Memphis suburb where hip hop, blues, jazz, and country bands were prevalent, and he was in a metalcore band. He then relocated to Ecuador, where he was in a bilingual Ecuadorian indie rock band, where 99% of musical consumption in the country was Chicha (Ecuadorian tropical dance music) or Latin Urban. In Ecuador, Danny met Neoma at a show and started making music together in 2016. They were very inspired by Ecuadorian indie bands such as La Maquina Camaleón, Da Pawn, and Letelefono and modern pop like Lady Gaga, The Dø, and Metronomy.
If you had to make a mix tape of bands that are currently inspiring you, who would be on it?
Thee Sacred Souls, The Lemon Twigs, Conchita Velasco, La Lom, The McCharmleys, The Damned, Fontaines D.C., Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Joe Mama
How would you assess the current state of the Denver music scene as well as its future?
The Denver music scene is a step up from Ecuador and Germany, where we previously lived. There’s a vibrant industry and open-minded fans. With many national acts coming through, local bands are up against world-class acts, which is motivating. Denver has a great live scene, but we’d like to see more focus on releasing music, management, and branding like our neighbors in California.
Can we expect The Mananas to be playing in Denver anytime soon?
We’re always playing in Colorado; there are so many fun events here. We’ll be playing in Fort Collins, Arvada and hopefully other places outside Denver. Check our website, themananasband.com or our instagram, which we update regularly.
It seems like you’ve got so much on the horizon right now. What’s next for The Mananas?
We’re working on new music. Now that we live in a house together, we can capture our live sound and work at a better pace. We’re excited about our new record we’re working on and what’s to come!
Thanks so much to The Mañanas for sharing their story. As new fans, we can’t wait to see them live!