Up next in our “20 Questions With…” series is Carlos Chavarriaga, lead singer for Raw Brigade who were born in Bogota Colombia in 2016. In the last 10 years this unit has become a force in the worldwide hardcore community with members spread out between the USA and Colombia. The drive with this band and Carlos is undeniable. They always seem to have an upcoming tour… a new release… just always something. Their latest is titled “100%”, a full-length release on Flatspot Records that comes in both English and Spanish versions. We caught up with Carlos shortly after their US tour with Agnostic Front and Violent Way wrapped up a few weeks back. Lead photo by: Matt DeBenedictis. Graphics by: Jeff Snapshot.
1: Hey Carlos, where exactly are you right now and what would you usually be doing at this time of the day if you weren’t answering these questions?
Carlos: Hey guys, I am at my house in Brooklyn, NY. I am doing what I am doing pretty much every morning… drinking a cup of coffee, replying to emails for work and projects that I am always working on (like tours and a brand that I am starting) and getting ready to go to actual work. I work in a tattoo shop 10 minutes from my house!
2: What is super unique and cool about the new Raw Brigade album is that there are English and Spanish versions of the same songs. How hard (or easy) was it for you to write these songs where you could sing them in either language and still keep the music the same?
Carlos: It was pretty easy to write the songs in Spanish because Español is my first language. It took me only like 2 hours to do it but also because the lyrics were already written in English, so just doing the translation was a pretty easy task. I wrote and recorded the English version first and a few weeks after that I went back to the studio and record the Spanish version. The rhythm and melody of the vocals were already there so in general it was pretty easy to translate the songs to Spanish by just making a few little changes to the words to make them sound powerful in Spanish because if I just directly translated word for word it would sound bad.
3: How did the idea for a dual language album come about? Have you seen any other bands do it (maybe in another music genre) that inspired you?
Carlos: I knew I wanted to do the vocals in both languages… having the past few records only in English is something that I always regretted! We didn’t have a lot of time in the studio for our first releases but with this new LP I knew I had to do it or I would regret it again! I told Ricky from Flatspot Records about it and my initial idea was just to have the Spanish version done and saved and then maybe in a few years they could have put out a special edition of the record with the Spanish version but Ricky supported the idea right away and told me he wanted to put the record out in both languages so we did! I was stoked. The big inspiration for this was and always has been Madball and Agnostic Front. They had some songs with Spanish versions and when they played Colombia or South America they sung them and when I was a kid that really hit me. Agnostic Front has a 7” called “Puro Desmadre” which has 3 Spanish versions of songs from their record “Something’s Gotta Give”. I always thought that was so cool and I wanted to do something like that and it ended up being that we got to do the whole record in Spanish which I am really stoked about!
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4: Why did you guys decide to call the album “100%”? I know you guys were also directly involved with the 100% Bogota Hardcore Fest a few years back and now the “100%” name is here at the forefront once again.
Carlos: The name 100% comes from the Madball song “100%”… the most important hardcore song in South America haha. Literally every band covered that song in my city when I started going to shows. We did the fest under that name for the same reason. It’s a song that talks about the pride of being from Latin America and the fest was that! A very important thing for my city and our scene… so when we thought about the name of the record it just made sense to call it that.
5: Just before the new album was released you guys put out a mini-documentary also called “100%” which shows aspects of creating the new album’s layout as well as getting fan perspectives on Raw Brigade at a recent gig. How did the idea to make this documentary come about and can you tell us more about the making of the doc?
Carlos: Ricky from Flatspot has always been trying to convince us to make a music video and that was something we were not into it at the beginning, but when he told me his idea I couldn’t say no. We wanted to make a free show in Bogotá and make a music video during the show. That idea hyped us up so much because the idea of having a free show and it being filmed was so sick! Also, it was the first time in 5 years since Raw Brigade were able to play with the original line up. That show was pretty much the OG RAW BRIGADE REUNION! Derek Rathbun who made the music video flew into Bogotá a week before the show and filmed us just cruising around our city and just vibing and having fun. Then during that week he started doing some interviews with people and with us and his idea just became the mini-doc that everyone can now check out. I am really happy to capture that moment in our lives for us as friends and as a band.
PHOTO BY: JAIME ANDRES MENDEZ
6: In the doc the 2nd person interviewed outside the show says “If it weren’t for them (Raw Brigade) we wouldn’t even have bands”… What was the hardcore punk scene like in your home area before you started Raw Brigade and how would you describe it now?
Carlos: After Raw Brigade came out a lot of young kids started bands and started going to shows! There’s always a band in each city that had that effect and Raw Brigade was that for a minute in Bogotá. The 100% Fest also inspired a lot of young kids to do stuff which was sick! Bogota hardcore is always moving… always a few young new bands doing cool stuff and also all the 90’s hardcore bands that I grew up listening to from there are still playing and making cool shows! We gotta bring the fest back to keep things moving down there!
7: Who are some of the bands that are out now in Bogota that people outside of your area might not know about yet?
Carlos: I really like XCRITERIOX from Bogotá, a straight edge band with heavy and fast riffs! And REAL HOUSE OF HATE from Medellin… they play beatdown hardcore in a really awesome way. Those are my two favorites at the moment.
8: Do touring bands regularly play in Bogota or is that something that you are still working on? Who have been some of the touring bands that have stopped in Bogota to play and what would you say is a big turnout as far as how many people will show up?
Carlos: Yeah, usually Bogotá is a stop for bands that tour. It’s a big city and one of the cities with the best turnouts on the whole continent. The last show I was at in Bogotá with a touring band was Madball. It was awesome to see them back there. It was sold out… I think 600 people or so came. We played with Turnstile like 2 years ago and that one was crazy too… like 3 thousand people or something like that.
9: In the documentary your drummer Juan talks about how being straight edge in Colombia is “different” because you are surrounded by drug culture and drug abuse among other things… Can you talk about personal experiences where straight edge is just not understood by the majority of people you encounter?
Carlos: My personal experience of being straight edge is different than Juan’s. In my opinion I know Colombia is known for all the history with Narcos but honestly I try not to put my mind on that. I don’t really like to think that we are doing something good or making the world different by not consuming drugs. Like.. I am making my own world different and the people who are around me different and that’s what matters to me. But I totally understand the stance some of my friends have about it!
PHOTO BY: WILLIAM MARKS
10: Raw Brigade has had opportunities to play with bands from all over the world in the last decade. Are there bands that you looked up to as a younger kid who you are now close with and can call them friends?
Carlos: Yeah man, that is one of the coolest things about hardcore… being able to get close and be in touch with people that really impacted my love with their music. Damn man… I fucking love Outburst. They are one of my favorite bands and now they are the homies. Brian from Outburst loves Raw Brigade and he even got a Raw Brigade tattoo on his arm. Me and Juan got Outburst logos on our arms after that to show love and respect for them as well! Also, Mike Dijan from Crown of Thornz is a good friend as well. He’s the one who made this upcoming Agnostic Front tour happen and I am always grateful and happy to call him my friend. I grew up listening to all his bands a lot! We meetup sometimes for coffee in Brooklyn! Same with the Agnostic Front guys… they are the fucking best and I feel lucky to know them in a more personal way. All those bands changed my life.
11: Raw Brigade actually started because you guys did a one-off show of all Youth Of Today cover songs. Can you tell us about that show of all cover songs? When was it, who else played?
Carlos: Yeah, it was a Youth Of Today tribute show we did with Kristian and Juan… that was definitely an era when our group of friends were listening to a lot of Youth Of Today and all the bands playing the youth crew style. They influenced us a lot in our early days. Revival, Golden Hearts and Propia X Conviction played that show… and then ‘’Juventud De Hoy’’ (Youth Of Today in Spanish) played which was the Youth Of Today tribute band. The show was sick… it was in a rehearsal room where we always practiced in Bogotá and we booked shows there really often. That was my first time playing with the guys and I remember I sang “Slow Down” and “Crucial Times”. It was sick so we started thinking about making an actual band after that.
PHOTO BY: JAIME ANDRES MENDEZ
12: An interesting aspect of Raw Brigade is that there are multiple versions of this band with NJ scene veterans Avery Field and Mike Botti often filling in on bass and guitar on multiple US shows. Avery is also credited along with Connor Jones for helping write the new “100%” album. I would think having members based in the US has really helped the band spread beyond South America over the years considering that being in a hardcore band is often more like a hobby and not a full-time job that can pay your bills. Can you talk a little about this setup/arrangement?
Carlos: I think we figured out pretty early that being an international band… we would need to have people filling in constantly. Once we started getting offers to play sick shows and tours it just wasn’t possible for all the original members to travel for all of them all the time. That’s why we consider Raw Brigade to be more of a team with a rotating roster of “members” playing so we wouldn’t have to turn down any opportunities. They’re all homies who we love playing with so it’s always fun but of course it can get crazy. I used to worry about it but the guys know what they are doing and they always nail it! Like this one time we were playing a one off gig on Long Island with Youth Of Today and Mike Botti was filling in on guitar and we didn’t have time to practice at all before the show. Mike got there 5 minutes before our set. I saw Avery teaching him some of the songs while we were setting up… I was concerned how the show would go but we actually played so good that day and those guys killed it! We had so much fun. I love my friends.
13: Besides frequent trips to the US Raw Brigade has also toured in Europe, Japan and Southeast Asia. What have been some of your favorite places to play so far and what about them has made them your favorites?
Carlos: Japan was so much fun and it’s the first place that comes to my mind. It’s another world over there and I never expected to go there. When I was younger it just seemed so far away but being there with my friends in the band… it was the best! Osaka specifically was awesome. We had such a fun time there… shout out to Hideta from Brightside Booking in Japan.
14: What are some cities/countries that Raw Brigade has not played yet that you are dying to get to?
Carlos: Mexico City, Buenos Aires Argentina, Sydney Australia. That’s it.
15: The majority of the month of December saw you touring the East Coast of the US with Agnostic Front and then the majority of February sees Raw Brigade in Europe… again with Agnostic Front and also with Wisdom In Chains. Having done touring for almost 10 years now what are some things that you absolutely cannot forget when you are packing for a trip?
Carlos: A really good pair of fresh jeans! That always makes me feel really comfortable when I’m on tour. That’s all I need! One tour I forgot my luggage at home and I didn’t realize it until I was already out there so we stopped at a Walmart and I bought a pair of jeans and I was good.
16: Have you previously toured or played with Agnostic Front and if so what kind of relationship is there within the members of your band and theirs?
Carlos: I didn’t have any relationships with the Agnostic Front guys before the tour… they were just my favorite band since I was fucking 14 years old. We never played together before this tour so I was really excited. I moshed every night for those two weeks in the states. Usually we become friends of some of the bands that we tour with but what we have been doing the most is touring with bands that are already our friends. I think that’s the best. I am so happy and grateful Agnostic Front is taking us on tour again in Europe this winter. They are the fucking best… band and people.
17: When you go out for almost a full month of playing shows night after night does it ever wear you down either physically or mentally as the weeks go by? I would think many people not in a band would think it is nothing but fun and stagedives… but behind all of that are long car rides in the middle of the night while not having the comforts of home…
Carlos: Of course after a few weeks you start missing home and things get a little bit harder and monotonous. There are always a few shows that bring that flame up again and make things worth it. But usually, I always have a good time on tour because I’m with my friends. I don’t want to sound corny but the fact that I get to hang out with my friends who I used to hang out with all the time living in Colombia… and being able to spend a few weeks with them is awesome. But you know there’s ups and downs, and every tour is different. Some are harder than others, that’s just what it is.
18: From your travels can you name a city that shocked you as far as turnout and crowd response for your band? Maybe you woke up that day not knowing much about that city or their scene and they showed out in a big way that left a positive impression on you?
Carlos: Jakarta Indonesia is the best place we ever played in our lives. I know people told me this before and some friends had played there already… but when I saw it for myself, it was shocking.
19: How did the name Raw Brigade come about?
Carlos: We are skaters so I think Raw Brigade was a mix between Raw Deal and Bones Brigade… the skate team from the 80’s. We just wanted to make it sound as 80’s as possible and those names just came to mind… plus “Right Brigade” by Bad Brains is one of my top 3 favorite hardcore songs ever so that was another influence. We just wanted to make it sound like a “hardcore punk group” like a brigade, a team, rather than just a band.
20: Who are the other members of Raw Brigade and can you tell us something interesting about each of them?
Carlos: Kristian, Juan, Nicolai, and me. Our soldiers are Jeff Caffei (Odd Man Out and Gag) Avery Field (Cut Down, Never Again) Andrew Vacante (Combust, Steamroll) Mike Botti (No Pressure, Regulate) Connor Jones (Illusion) and others. None of us are very interesting.
21: What kinds of things bring you the most satisfaction from being in this band?
Carlos: Traveling the world, representing Colombia and Bogota, meeting and playing with my favorite hardcore bands.
PHOTO BY: WILLIAM MARKS