National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Six years ago, Sandra Velasquez formed Pistolera; a California-meets-New York Mexican party band. After music school in Los Angeles and traveling to Cuba twice, she finally migrated to New York City at the age of 21, to receive her master's degree at NYU. Living in a city unlike her hometown of San Diego, Velasquez began to long for the Mexican sounds she grew up with.

"There was no banda, no cumbia coming out of kitchens or trucks passing by. That's when I really missed those sounds, that's what drove me to form Pistolera" Velasquez explains. Since then, Pistolera has released three albums, as well as an album for kids under the alias, Moona Luna.

In July, Pistolera released their most recent album, El Desierto y La Ciudad [Luchadora Records]. The record takes you on a journey the band has never taken before: from the desert to the city.

Velasquez sat down with Nat Geo Music to talk about the new record, their fan base's reaction to their slightly new sound and what it was like having Ambassador's over for dinner as a kid, courtesy of La Flama de la Justicia...also known as mom.

Nat Geo Music: Growing up in a first-generation Mexican American household, did you enjoy traditional Mexican music?

Sandra Velasquez: Absolutely not! [laughs] I listened to a lot of rock music growing up. Led Zepplen, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth just to name a few.

My mother made me take piano lessons starting at the age of five. My parents were really diligent about my lessons, making sure I played at least thirty minutes a day. Finally, when I turned thirteen they told me I can quit; so I went straight to the guitar, and I couldn't wait to start playing songs from my favorite bands!

My parents always had music playing in the background; mostly Mexican pop hits. A lot of cumbia, latin funk too; good songs that created lively atmosphere when they hosted parties. It's funny, when you're young, you hate your parents music. It's not till you're much older you find yourself wanting to borrow all of their records to bring you back to your childhood!

Since you write and sing in Spanish, how are you able to convey your message to your non-Spanish speaking audience?

It's the music that first pulls people in. I try to explain songs beforehand and encourage the audience to check our website out where the translations are available. I think it's the energy and the emotion behind a performance that intrigues people and makes them want to learn more.

Where does your strong sense of political lyricism come from?
My mother, without a doubt. Her name is Lilia Velasquez, also known as La Flama de la Justicia, [The Flame of Justice] She's an immigration attorney, and very much in the public eye. Having ambassadors over for dinner, watching my mother protest in the street, both my mother and father [a retired homicide detective, now a full-time painter] set the constant example to live courageously was a normal thing to me. Using my art to have a message has always been important. I know I can't change the world with my songs, but growing up in the household I did, allows me to spread the awareness of injustices towards minorities and other worldly issues.

Your latest album title translates to: The Desert and the City. What was the significance between both regions, and how did it influence the making of this album?

After giving birth to my daughter Valentina, I took a series of trips to the desert to write songs for this album. To me, the desert represents mental and physical space I needed to focus on my art. This album is less political than my previous, and more personal about my journey and my search for balance. I would love to live in nature, but there isn't work there, and there's no one to play for! In the city, there is so much competition around you! Whatever is it you do, there is always someone that probably does it better and much longer than you. New York City just pushes you; I feel like I've accomplished so much in a short amount of time as opposed to living back home and it possibly taking me 15 years!

The album includes a few instrumental pieces that really captures the transition between your travels from the desert to the city. Where did this concept stem from?

I pictured this album like a soundtrack. I love soundtracks; not just the kind that uses licensed music, but where a score is composed for the movie. I didn't worry about how this album would sound on the radio or iTunes, I wanted the album to really stand on its own as a piece of art, and take you on the same journey I did from beginning to end. We recorded the album knowing how it was going to be sequenced, and having the interludes made a lot more sense as you transition from the first to the second half of the album.

How do you want to pass down your parents influence to your daughter?
Even though she's only four years old, I really want to instill that you only have one life, and to live it out to the fullest. I'm still watching my parents live out their crazy amazing life, and I can only hope my influence of that, as well as her own exposure of them will only drive her to do the same when she gets older. I love having music on in the house like my mother did and having her at the Moona Luna shows. At the end of the day, I don't want her to just settle for just anything, I want her to seek out a passion of her own to pursue.

From performing in Queens, NY to Tucson, AZ, your tour reflected the regions your album talks about. Did you notice a different reception to the music based on where you played?

I think people really enjoyed the arch of the set we're playing on this tour, because our set resembles the album [playing the desert side first, then the city]. It 's funny because our fans enter the venue ready to party, and were caught off guard by our set opening to us seated with really calm, mellow music. We started softly and worked our way up, and I think the crowd really enjoyed this brand new style. It was great to perform in Tucson; where I wrote the desert portion. It was cool because I felt like I came full circle from the starting process of this album.

I feel like we went out on a limb with this record, and was nervous about how our fans would receive it, its been nothing short of rewarding. I love having our fans come up to us and tell us they enjoyed the slow songs! It's very easy to play dance music, because there is an instant gratification when people are up and dancing to whatever you're singing about; but people also want to sit down and be taken somewhere by a really beautiful song...and its great to end our set with the high-energy our fans are used to. It's great to feel like they've got your back and only continue to support the trajectory we're creating as a band.