By: Lisa Steinberg
Photo By Serginho Massa
Q) Often times the band’s music is described as a mix of “indie rock” and “power pop.” How would you describe your sound?
A) We’ve never really been big on labels. I mean, we get why people call it indie rock or power pop and that’s cool — but we don’t sit down thinking about fitting into a specific box.
At the end of the day, we just write and play the kind of songs we genuinely love. If it feels right to us, that’s what matters most. Everything else kind of comes naturally from that.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) We’ve got a lot of influences, mostly coming from rock and roll — The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys…and a bunch more.
That’s the kind of music we grew up listening to, so it naturally shows up in what we do.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “She Can Do It All.”
A) Honestly, we’re not even sure if the story behind it is real or not, since we didn’t write the song.
But what really got us was the energy — the feeling it carries, the joy, the whole vibe of it. That’s what made us fall in love with it right away.
Q) The song was written by Kurt Baker & Wyatt Funderburk. What made it the song that said “That’s totally Banda AL9!”?
A) Kurt showed us the song and the first time we heard it, it just felt like us right away.
It had that upbeat energy, that joyful vibe — which is something we really like to bring into our music — so it instantly made sense for the band.
We could already picture ourselves singing it from the start and it just clicked.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I think it’s the whole vibe of the song — the joy, that feeling of being in love, you know?
That’s something people really connect with. And, honestly, it’s the same thing our fans connect with in us — that sense of happiness and positivity.
We’ve had people tell us they were having a bad day, then they listened to one of our songs or watched a video and it actually made them feel better.
And that’s a really special thing for us.
Q) Matheus and Thiago, you handled the vision for the music video. So, how does the video for the track play into the message behind the song?
A) For the video, we really wanted something fun and upbeat — something that matched the energy of the song.
We had this idea of bringing in the Beetle, since it’s also on the album cover, and making it feel like it had a life of its own — almost like a Herbie kind of vibe.
We weren’t trying to literally tell the story of the song in the video, but rather to capture that same feeling — something joyful, playful, and full of energy.
Q) Your album Hey! Hey! We’re Banda AL9 drops in July. What are some themes you’ll be exploring on it?
A) The album actually came from an idea by the label. At first, we were just going to release a single, but then they suggested putting together a full album, especially to introduce the band to the US market.
So, we worked with them to select some of our previously released songs and everything got a brand new mix and master, which really brought the sound to another level.
Alongside those tracks, we have “She Can Do It All” and also “Indigo Skye,” which was written for us by Steven Van Zandt from Wicked Cool Records — which is a huge honor for us.
It’s going to be released on vinyl, CD and digital and it’s actually our first vinyl ever, so we’re really excited about that.
More than anything, this album feels like our introduction to a wider audience, especially in the US, and we’re excited to see how people connect with it.
Q) When it comes to the band writing songs, what is your process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) It really depends. Sometimes the melody comes first, sometimes it comes with lyrics or at least an idea for the lyrics.
There’s no real rule for us. Most of the time it starts with a melody — but it can go either way.
Q) Matheus and Thiago, I know you also handled the production on “She Can Do It All.” Why was it so important for you to be so hands on?
A) We recorded it the same way we do most of our songs — in our own home studio.
We handled everything on our end, from mic’ing the instruments to choosing the tones and working out the arrangements.
Being hands-on is really important to us because our sound has a lot of personality and we feel like if we’re not involved in that process, it might not fully sound like us.
Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your upcoming album as a whole — either as a message or emotion?
A) Like we said, the album was meant to be an introduction of the band to the US — and in a way, it really feels like us.
Even the title, Hey! Hey! We’re Banda AL9, kind of says it all. Most of the songs are ours, our own compositions, and even the ones we didn’t write — like “She Can Do It All” and “Indigo Skye” — are songs we connected with instantly and that really fit who we are.
More than anything, the main message is love. That’s what we always try to bring into our music — and that’s what people are going to feel when they listen to the album.
Q) You all recently made your first live performance in the US at The Cutting Room. What can fans expect from a live Banda AL9 performance?
A) The show at The Cutting Room was amazing. It was a free show, open to the public, and all the reservations sold out in less than 24 hours from the moment we announced it — which made it even more special for us.
It meant a lot to see that we have such a strong audience supporting us in New York.
What fans can expect from a Banda AL9 show is the same energy they hear in the songs — that upbeat, joyful vibe. That’s exactly what we bring to the stage.
It’s a very energetic, feel-good show. You can see it in the crowd — people smiling, enjoying the moment…and that’s something you can’t put a price on.
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) We really love playing in New York. We realized there’s a great audience for us there and it was also our first time performing in the US, so it meant a lot.
But, honestly, the best one is still ahead of us.
Q) Fans first fell for the band in 2017 from your cover songs. Are there still some songs you plan on covering one day?
A) Yeah, definitely. We love writing our own songs, of course, but every now and then we still like to play a cover — and sometimes even release one.
For us, the most important thing is that the song has the right vibe — that it fits the band and that we can really see ourselves in it.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) There are a lot of artists we’d love to collaborate with, but if we had to pick one right now, it would be Paul McCartney — no doubt.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) Recently we’ve been listening to a lot of The Rubinoos. They have a song called “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” that we’ve been playing and they’ve got a really cool catalog overall.
We really like their melodies and that fun, catchy vibe — it definitely connects with what we love to do.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) First of all, thank you — really.
There’s nothing like writing a song in your bedroom and then standing on a stage, hearing people sing it back to you. Something that started so small suddenly becomes something bigger than you — and that’s an incredible feeling.
We have a lot of new music and exciting things coming and, honestly, this is just the beginning for Banda AL9.
So, stay with us because what’s coming next is even bigger and we truly believe it’s something special.
This is only the beginning — and the best is yet to come.
All Questions Answered By Matheus and Tiago Khouri