“We don’t want to use guitar solos as a crutch. You know – ‘after the bridge, solo!’ When I do play a solo, I want it to stand out”: Following mega-tours with Muse and Royal Blood, sister act The Warning are riff rock’s next big success story
From Metallica covers to U.S. network television and a searing third album powered by the creative heat of fuzz and distortion, Daniela and Alejandra Villarreal Vélez are going places fast, and hungry for more
(Image credit: Francesco Prandoni/Getty Images))
10 years ago, 14-year-old guitarist-singer Daniela Villarreal Vélez and her two younger sisters, Paulina (drums) and Alejandra (bass), shot a video of them covering Metallica’s Enter Sandman.
Nobody expected anything to come from it, but within weeks, this little hobby band from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, racked up millions of views across the globe. They drew raves from Metallica and were soon appearing on American TV shows.
Fast-forward to today, and the Villarreal Vélez sisters are grown-up seasoned pros. Their band, the Warning, has released a pair of EPs and three full-length albums, headlined tours and played dates with the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Muse and the Foo Fighters.
Their days of cover tunes are long behind them, and their new album, Keep Me Fed, is an across-the-board triumph that could break them big far and wide. The blistering singles More and S!ick have already scored TKOs on Active Rock outlets, but they’re just a taste of the sustained excitement the album delivers.
Daniela (Dany) and Alejandra (Ale) sat down with Guitar World to talk about the new album and how they craft their crackerjack sound.
The new record packs quite a punch – everything is geared toward total impact.
Dany: [Laughs] “That was the general idea. English is our second language, but it’s the main language we write in. At first, we thought of being deep and poetic and using language in ways people wouldn’t expect, but then we decided to just be simple and to the point. We’ve toured with Muse and Royal Blood, and their sounds were in our heads when we cut the record.”
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For me, technically and emotionally it’s David Gilmour. The way he expresses himself on his instrument – he’s not just a dude playing guitar
Daniela Villarreal Vélez
When we talk to artists for the first time, we usually ask them to name their biggest musical inspirations. Who were yours?
Dany: “For me, technically and emotionally it’s David Gilmour. The way he expresses himself on his instrument – he’s not just a dude playing guitar. It’s like he conveys feelings through sound. That’s completely insane.”
Ale, how about you?
Ale: “Jaco Pastorius. My music teacher is mostly a jazz player, and he’s very influenced by Jaco, so he taught me about him. I listened to a lot of Jaco’s work, and I think he’s amazing. I love his clean sound and his technique. Very inspiring.”
The Warning - Disciple (Live from Pepsi Center CDMX) - YouTube
Beyond the fact that you’re sisters, did the idea of a trio just feel right to you?
Dany: “It was just a natural thing for us to be a trio. We never felt like we needed another guitarist or another this or that. Everything happened on its own, even in terms of our career. It’s only recently that we started to think ahead, like, “Is this the right move for us?” I mean, we were so young when we started.”
Dany, your distorted guitar sound recalls Matthew Bellamy. The fuzz is quite abusive and clipped.
Dany: “On this album, I took a deep dive into fuzz sounds. Distortion and fuzz were a big inspiration on the writing process. I feel like certain sounds can convey rage or just… massiveness. [Laughs] Hearing that power fueled creativity.”
You’re playing PRS guitars?
Dany: “I am. I play a Custom 24-08. It’s such a comfortable guitar, and it’s very reliable for touring. On this record, we went deeper with tunings, and I started experimenting with a custom-made Fender baritone. I’m having a lot of fun with that guitar, too.”
The Warning - Six Feet Deep (Official Video) - YouTube
Ale: “I play a Custom USA Spector. I used to play a Fender Mustang because it’s a smaller bass; I started on it when I was really young and couldn’t handle a normal-sized bass. But a fan gave me a Spector bass as a gift, and I fell in love with it. Now I have my own custom five-string model. I used to tune down to C sharp and it didn’t sound right. Now I can play everything we need on the Spector.”
A fan gave you a Spector bass?
Ale: “[Laughs] I know! I was very grateful. I still have that bass. It’s quite special to me.”
Your single S!ck has a bit of a Queens of the Stone Age vibe. Am I in the right lane there?
Dany: “Sure, sure. It’s kind of a rebellious, punky song. It’s got that Queens energy and vibe. We wanted to make a really fun song. It was one of the first things we wrote for the album. We were just messing around with the riff, and there it was.”
Dany, Satisfied has a pretty fiery lead. And you play a nutty, effects-laden solo on Consume.
Dany: “Yeah, we don’t want to use guitar solos as a crutch. You know – ‘after the bridge, solo!’ When I do play a solo, I want it to stand out. On Satisfied, I went high-octane with the Whammy, and on Consume, it’s very weird and dissonant. I thought, ‘The weirder, the better.’”
The song More has a very distinct dance feel in the verses. Do you guys like dance music?
Ale: “Yeah, the verses of that song are very danceable, and then it rocks out on the chorus. We like all sorts of music. We try to grab inspiration wherever we can when we’re writing.”
At one point, we were all in a big K-pop phase. The harmonies are insane. Red Velvet, EXO – there are so many great K-pop groups
Like who? What kinds of things do you listen to that aren’t rock?
Ale: “Polo & Pan. They’re a French DJ duo, and they play disco. I love them so much. I also like L’Impératrice. They’re French, too; they do more pop music. We saw them at a festival in Monterrey, and they’re an amazing live band.”
Dany: “At one point, we were all in a big K-pop phase. The harmonies are insane. Red Velvet, EXO – there are so many great K-pop groups. We learned a lot from listening to them. I think it’s important to draw from as many things as you can. Find what you love and use it.”
Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.
