Hello everyone, I appreciate you taking the time to read this. I'm back with my 2nd interview for "Talking Stuff with Mike D". I am very excited to say that I got to pick the brain of a new friend JP Díaz, so dive in and see what he is all about! 

 

Mike D VS JP Díaz (San Venganza)

Q: Who are you? Where are you from?

A: I'm JP Díaz, and I have a few things goings on. I'm an interdisciplinary artist, singer-songwriter, and ESL teacher. Born and raised in Ciudad Satélite, Estado de México — a suburb of Mexico City.

Q:What was your introduction to the DIY scene?

A: It's hard to say. I've been studying art since my childhood, but probably my first DIY "thing" was customizing an action figure when I was a kid — either that or fixing my own breakfast at some point? Now, about music — which I've made since 2012 — it's pretty much always been DIY.

Q: Where is your next show?

A: Since the pandemic, I've mainly focused on studio recordings of my music rather than live shows. For most of my ‘music career’ — the past 10 years or so — I've produced most of my work on my own — writing, hitting the record button, and playing the damn thing. This has made some things easier while making others much more challenging.

Bringing all the instruments and elements of these recordings into a live performance is no small task, especially when it's just me and my guitar. So, to be honest, I hardly ever play live nowadays, and when I do, it's mostly small showcases. Still, who knows? Hopefully, some good opportunities will come up. I'm always up for a good time, sharing my work, and even collaborating with other artists.

Q: What places do you like to play?

A:Home, gatherings and parties with friends. Wherever I am and can.

Q: What bands do you like to play with?

A: I've enjoyed sharing stage with lots of artists. Some of my favorites have been Peste Phulk, Bestiärio, La MalaFarra, Wewecháles, King Strang, and Targets Are Us. I also love jamming with the gang.

Q: What are some of your influences?

A: I grew up listening to rock classics because of my family (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who...). Then, I eventually got curious and dived into much more — the unknown. I just love music; from punk, to hip-hop, jazz, cumbia, bolero, tango, huapango, klezmer…

However, if I was to name some of the artists that have inspired me in many ways, I'd say Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix, Mike Patton, Rage Against the Machine, and my friends, Jimmy Bautista (from Bestiärio/La MalaFarra), and Eliezer Ortiz (from Targets Are Us) — both amazing artists, check out their work!

For other disciplines apart from music, I can name Mike Mignola, Jamie Hewlett, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Jim Henson.

 

Q: What instruments can you play?

A: I mainly play the (acoustic) guitar and (attempt to) sing. To some degree, I can also play the bass, harmonica, melodica, 6-string banjo (which is pretty much a guitar), and the recorder. Most recently, I've been learning theremin as well.

Q: Have you ever done/planned on doing any tours?

A: I’ve thought about it. But as we’ve established, live shows and touring haven’t been part of my plans for a long time. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’d love it if the opportunity arose, but it’s not something I have in mind, at least in a short, and maybe even mid-term.

Q: How is the scene in your neck of the woods?

A: Being honest, I’d say disorganized at best. Folk punk is such a niche subgenre, especially in Mexico. Yea, I’ve met some people and made some friends, but that’s as far as it has gone. It’s more of a scattered thing with occasional shows here and there. Now, about other genres/scenes, which I might have explored a bit at some point, I can’t really say much, since I’ve never gotten that involved to be fair.

Q: What was your favorite show to play?

A: Back in 2016, Bestiärio, one of my favorite folk punk bands, toured in Mexico. Their banjoist wasn’t able to make it here for the first two shows, which were organized by a friend of mine. So, they ended up asking me to play with them.The best part is this was the beginning of new friendships. I also got to play my own set at both shows. So I couldn’t have asked for more.

Q: Do you remember your first show? How was it?

A: Yea, it was with my first ‘serious’ band, HOBO$APIENS — we played some weird, funky hardcore punk, screamo, hip-hop shit. It was at a house party, and it was wild. That night, I was actually playing with another just-for-fun band I had with my uncle and another friend — The Motherfunkers. That was the last band to play, and the three of us were wasted by then, so we didn’t even make it past the first song. Those were the good ol’ days, indeed. **sighs in reminisce**

Q: Are you currently working on any projects?

A: I am. Last year, I released the last album of my solo horror folk punk project, San Venganza. So I'm working on what's next. I’ve wanted to try many other things for a long time now. First of all, I had a spoken word project on the shelf since 2023 — Jinx and Mischief. I’m already planning the first recordings, and even talking with some friends to collaborate. I can’t say much more about it now, for a lot of details are yet to be decided. But you can expect some updates on this soon. Apart from that, I still play/write some folk, punkish tunes, which, from time to time, I’ll be releasing as JP Dyas. I’m also working on my fantasy picture book series, Renegades, which tells the story of a dirty goblin who can do magic by playing explosive riffs, and his renegade friends. I’m currently writing and drawing the third book, and hopefully, it’ll be out by the end of the year.

These three projects are what you’ll hear about this year, I think. I always have projects on the backburner, of course. It’s hard to choose between them, but with all the things I dream about and my job as a teacher, decisions have to be made. I hope this ensures each project actually sees the light of day and gets the dedication it deserves.

 

Q: Is there anything you'd like to promote here?

A: There sure is! Thanks for asking.

San Venganza

https://sanvenganza.bandcamp.com/

Renegades: Book of Sound — Book 1 of the series.

https://www.amazon.com/JP-Díaz/dp/B09GTRYGHT

Renegades: Book of Stars — Book 2

amazon.com/Renegades-Book-Stars-JP-Díaz/dp/B0CWVMWRY3

Ensued: Songs from Over the Liquor Stand — The first EP I released as JP Dyas.

jpdyas.bandcamp.com/album/ensued-songs-from-over-the-liquor-stand

And in case you want to stay tuned for any announcements on upcoming projects, you can follow me on social media. I’ll be sharing everything there.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jp_dyas/

Estudio Catacumbia: https://www.facebook.com/estudiocatacumbia

Artwork by JP Díaz: https://www.facebook.com/jpdiazartwork

 

MD: Big thanks to JP for answering my questions. If you enjoyed reading this, please share. Stay tuned for interviews with various DIY bands, artists, and local businesses every Monday. Visit www.mikedefendant.com/talking-stuff-with-mike-d for more!