Gato Malo is the Hardest-Working Musician in New Mexico!

Exclusive Interview with IndiePulse Music Magazine

If you’re anywhere in or near the Albuquerque, New Mexico area and are a live music lover, no doubt you regularly see promotions for either the group Felix y Los Gatos, or the duo, Dos Gatos. Each of these ensembles have one person in common, the driving force behind each: Guitarist/vocalist, Gato Malo. His music is described in their press materials as  Culturally Diverse, but we find it Phenomenal!

Indie Pulse Music recently interviewed Mr. Malo, here’s how it went.

IPM: What’s in a name: How did you arrive at ‘Gato Malo’?

GM: I heard myself being called that in the scene and adopted it over the years.

IPM: You divide your time between a full band, Felix y Los Gatos, and a duo, Dos Gatos. What’s the difference in the music dynamic of each group, as you see it?

GM: Felix y los Gatos is the full band. We’re high energy. Something that can’t be put in one category. We’re everything we feel in the moment. I always play to the audience and the venue. Is it more Desert Southwest? Is it more festival? Is it more night life? Dos Gatos is more the roots of what made FYLG. The Acoustic guitar and the Accordion. But this is also where we get the best for the songs we write for the band. We have more creative freedom as Dos Gatos.

IPM: Is there a strong ‘music scene’ in Albuquerque, where you live?

GM: The musicians are great in Albuquerque. The scene is getting stronger. More of the microbrews are on board with local music but the audiences are hit and miss. What makes it great is the people I can share the stage with and even if it’s just a few cats who really dig the music, and you can see the ones who feel it. That makes it all worth it. But when the audience is into it, stand back ca’use we burn it!

IPM: What the secret to being successful in the music industry, as you see it?

GM: You gotta be hungry. Whatever is most important at that time is what you’re hungry for. Keep moving, keep hustling. I’m trying to make goals and stick to them.

IPM: Best gig you’ve ever played? Worst gig?

GM: Best gig was in the middle of Chicago for about five-thousand people for a Blues Festival! It was so much fun! We toured a lot for two years and that one stands out. The people were so into it and we just smashed it! We bled the music on stage for Chicago! The people really embraced us there. We can’t wait to go back! The worst gigs? How about the ones that promised to pay me and didn’t.(yeah, I remember them all).

IPM: What musicians would be on your musical Mount Rushmore?

GM: Albert Collins, Doug Kershaw, Townes Van Zandt, & Richie Valens. They had heart. You feel it in their music. I admire songwriters, guitarists, singers, & showmen. I like what each of these guys contributed to my style. All were powerful souls.

IPM: Three things you hope to do in your musical career before you call it a day?

GM: I’d like to play overseas. Europe, Japan, on a cruise ship. We played the Durango Blues Train so I’ve played on an antique train. I’d like to tour with The Mavericks or Los Lobos. We recently recorded at Blue Cat Studios where some greats have recorded. We recorded on the same soundboard that mixed Abbey Road. I like reaching out to my ancestors. The ghosts that have helped shape me. I believe in honoring and respecting the life of those before me. I don’t think I’ll ever call it a day. I’ll be playing music while they’re lowering me into the dirt.

www.felixylosgatos.com

www.facebook.com/GatoMaloBooking