–Biografía— (English Version on bottom) “Vuelve Al Mar” NPR, “All Songs Considered” declaró que “la interprete/autora/pianista oriunda de Argentina, Jacqueline Santillán, nos ofrece contra altos seductores entre PJ Harvey e Interpol”.
“Santillán canta como si Thom Yorke fuera una atractiva Latina y no un pálido británico”…
Jacqueline Santillán – vocales/teclados
Matthew Beighley – bajo/guitarra
Apolinar Quintero – guitarra/ruidos/vocales
Thomas King – batería
Nació en Argentina pero creció en los suburbios de Los Angeles, Jacqueline Santillán, aprendió que no es bueno barrer después de que el sol cae y el nunca dejar un pedazo de pan boca abajo en la mesa, porque al hacer eso se convocaría al diablo …eso le advirtió su madre… si es que no le quería faltar el respeto a Dios.
Aunque estas supersticiones estrafalarias pudieran parecer del más allá, son estas mismas antiguas creencias aunadas a su educación norte americana que formado parte de la esencia de quien hoy en día es esta joven vocalista y de la manera como crea música dentro del brillante cuarteto Wait. Think. Fast. de la gran urbe –Los Angeles. Un híbrido Latinoamericano el cual se puede apreciar en la forma en la que Santillán parece deslizarse con naturaleza entre su lengua natal, el español y su segunda lengua que utiliza más comúnmente, el inglés.
En pocas palabras, Wait. Think. Fast. es una banda exorbitante en dualidad y dicotomía.
Junto con Santillán en la voz y el piano, está Matthew Beighley en el bajo, la guitarra, y voces, además del sonido entusiasta de Apolinar ‘Polo’ Quintero en la guitarra y voces, todos ellos acompañados por Thomas King en la batería. De esa manera la banda es la unión de diversas culturas las cuales forman algo singular y único.
“Somos cuatro personas que vienen de diversas partes del mundo con cuatro mentes musicales muy diferentes”, explica Santillán acerca de la unión cosmopolita de la banda. “Ella es de Sudamérica, la familia de Polo es de México, yo soy de Chicago, Tom es de la ciudad de Atenas en el estado de Georgia (Atenas y luego Boston),” señala Beighley.
Fue la conexión que tiene Tom con la escena del rock alternativo en Atenas lo que selló su destino dentro de la banda. “Una de mis grandes y primeras influencias fue REM así que cuando crecí realmente pertenecía a la escena de Atenas.” explica Beighley. “Tom y yo nos conectamos en seguida.” Santillán y Quintero, por otro lado, crearon un vínculo al compartir su amor por las canciones románticas Latinoamericanas con las que crecieron interpretadas por los grandes artistas tales como Roberto Carlos y Camilo Sesto por mencionar algunos.
La ciudad de Los Angeles es donde se dio la reunión de estas cuatro personalidades, algo más fuerte cimentó su unión. “Todos nos conocimos en Los Angeles pero creo que lo que todos tenemos en común es la pasión que sentimos por este tipo de música que creamos” comenta Beighley.
Ese tipo de música es a la vez cinemática, emocional, poética, sincera y algunas veces temible. Originada por la riqueza de Santillán en la forma clásica de ejecutar el piano y la profunda textura que surge de la mezcla de los efectos cargados de las guitarras, la batería resonando y el estruendo del bajo.
Wait. Think. Fast. Surgió en 2006 de la escena local con un EP homónimo realizado por ellos mismos que les garantizó excelentes críticas en los medios locales, en la blogosfera e incluso el ser escuchados en NPR, quien seleccionó para el programa “All Songs Considered” el tema “Bad Men”, una canción llena de vida que hace un reproche a la industria de la música.
“La interprete/autora/pianista oriunda de Argentina, Jacqueline Santillan, nos ofrece contra altos seductores como PJ Harvey unida a Interpol,” comentaron los medios.
La fuerza de este EP llevó a la banda a realizar una gira por la Costa Oeste, alternando con bandas como: Helio Sequence, Mia Doi Todd y Castledoor. Mientras tanto el grupo se convirtió la propuesta musical indispensable en los escenarios del Este en la ciudad de Los Angeles tales como: The Echo, Spaceland, the Echoplex, The Knitting Factory, Silverlake Lounge, entre otros.
En 2007 la banda inicio los preparativos para grabar su nuevo material, cargados de energía por el crecimiento musical y la conexión con el público que obtuvieron en los escenarios.
En poco tiempo la banda generó nuevas canciones, lo que dio como resultado las 7 canciones que forman hoy día el nuevo álbum/EP Vuelve al Mar, de Wait. Think. Fast., realizado bajo la producción del importante sello digital Origami.
Grabado por el vocalista de Earlimart, Aaron Espinoza, en The Ship en Eagle Rock, el álbum fue co-producido por Beighley y Santillan. Desde la apertura con el tema “Cura,” el material estalla con una producción etérea, con poderosas letras que rebosan con el sonido del lugar de origen de Santillán. Una batería firme y un bajo potente crean el camino para unas guitarras electrizante, mientras la voz sensual de Santillán y un emotivo acompañamiento del piano dan a la canción un efecto extraordinario. El tema final “Pájaros de Papel,” es tan hermoso que nos remonta a las baladas llenas de emoción, con las cuales no entenderás ni una pista de español, simplemente resonará contigo emocionalmente.
“Cien Fuegos” fue escrito teniendo en mente el tema de una película imaginaria,” comenta Beighley, e ilustra su amor por la banda sonora de las películas, directores como Stanley Kubrick y Terrence Malick que han sido su inspiración musical en el grupo. Mientras tanto, “Surface Streets” nos brinda un toque moderno de lo que fuera una canción de Blondie. La guitarra imaginativa que Quintero toca en “Signals” revela su amor por el Flamenco español y el ataque angular de Bernard Sumner y Joy Division, mientras Santillan canta como si Thom Yorke fuera una atractiva Latina y no un pálido británico. Radiohead es una influencia obvia, el famoso compositor argentino Ástor Piazzolla y como Wait. Think. Fast traza las líneas entre lo clásico, lo contemporáneo, el Español y el Inglés.
Las letras imaginarias terrenales de Santillán, que se extienden en la línea entre la narrativa en primera persona y la poesía, hacen alusión a sus influencias literarias. De hecho el -nombre de la agrupación- es derivado del famoso cuento alegórico de Herman Hesse, “Siddhartha.” El personaje principal, explica su posesión más significante y grandiosa con la línea “Puedo esperar, puedo pensar y puedo ayunar”. Santillán se adentra tanto de este simple pero profundo sentimiento, que decide darle ese nombre a su banda. Y de esta manera nace Wait. Think. Fast.
Ahora armados con sus nuevas canciones, la banda planea atacar los escenarios no sólo de Estados Unidos si no de lugares como la Ciudad de México y Buenos Aires, escenas que admiran y en las que seguramente encajarán y en donde las personas probablemente no pensaran que sus supersticiones son tan extrañas.
“Vuelve Al Mar”
Cura
Clear Our Name
Heavy Water
Cien Fuegos
Signals
Surface Streets
Pájaros de Papel
Visítanos: Myspace.com/waitthinkfast
–ENGLISH–
Jacqueline Santillan – vocals/keyboards
Matthew Beighley – bass/guitar
Apolinar Quintero – guitar/noise/vocals
Thomas King – drums
Growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Argentinean born Jacqueline Santillan was forbidden to sweep after sundown because to do so would summon el diablo. Never leave a croissant upside down on the table, her mother warned, unless she wanted to disrespect God.
However outlandish these superstitions may seem to an outsider, it’s these old world beliefs coupled with her American upbringing that has shaped both who Santillan is and the music she produces as the frontwoman for the shimmeringly beautiful L.A.-based foursome Wait. Think. Fast. A Latin-American hybrid evidenced by the way Santillan seamlessly slips back and forth from her native Spanish tongue to her second but more commonly used language English, Wait. Think. Fast. is a band steeped in duality and dichotomy.
Comprised of Santillan on vocals and piano, Matthew Beighley on bass, guitar, and vocals, noise enthusiast Apolinar Quintero on guitar and vocals and rounded out by Thomas King on drums, the band is the convergence of several cultures coming together to form something singular and unique.
“We are four people from very different parts of the world with four very different musical minds,” explains Santillan about the cosmopolitan make up of the band. “She’s from South America, Polo’s family comes from Mexico, I’m from Chicago, and Tom is from Boston by way of Athens,” adds Beighley.
It was Tom’s connection to the Athens alternative rock scene that sealed his fate in the band. “One of my biggest influences is early REM so growing up I was really into the Athens scene.” explains Beighley. “Tom and I connected right away.” Santillan and Quintero, on the other hand, bonded over a shared love for the Latin American crooners they grew up with – performers like Roberto Carlos and Camilo Sesto.
While the city of Angels is what brought them together, something stronger has cemented their bond. “We all met in Los Angeles but I think what we all have in common is the kind of music that we are all really passionate about and create,” exclaims Beighley.
That music is at once cinematic, emotional, poetic, heartfelt and at times spooky. Fueled by Santillan’s rich classically trained piano playing and deeply textured with effects-laden guitars, cascading drums and rumbling bass.
Wait. Think. Fast. emerged onto the local scene in 2006 with a self-released self-titled EP that garnered great write ups in the local media, the blogosphere, and even caught the ear of NPR, who singled out the sassy music industry reproach, “Bad Men,” for their “All Songs Considered” program. “Argentinean born singer/pianist Jacqueline Santillan’s sultry alto often sounds like PJ Harvey sitting in with Interpol,” they declared.
The band toured the West Coast on the strength of the EP, playing with the likes of the Helio Sequence, Mia Doi Todd and Castledoor and became a fixture at East Side venues in L.A. like The Echo, Spaceland, the Echoplex, Silverlake Lounge and others.
In 2007 the band started writing new material, energized by the growing musical connection the foursome experienced from the onset. In no time the band had a handful of new songs, eventually spawning Vuelve al Mar, Wait. Think. Fast.’s new seven-song collection, due for release on the forward-thinking digital label Origami.
Recorded by Earlimart frontman Aaron Espinoza at The Ship in Eagle Rock, the album was co-produced by Beighley and Santillan. From opener “Cura,” the record bursts with spacey production, powerful songwriting, inventive flourishes and oozes with the sounds of Santillan’s homeland. A steady drumbeat and bouncy bass give way to spiky post-punk guitars while Santillan’s sensuous vocals and evocative piano anchor the song to great effect. The final track, “Pajaros de Papel,” is a beautiful, soaring ballad filled with strings and blasts of horns, which even if you don’t understand a lick of Spanish, will resonate emotionally with you.
“Cien Fuegos was written as the theme to an imaginary movie,” Beighley says, and illustrates his love for film soundtracks, citing directors Stanley Kubrick and Terrence Malick as his musical inspiration in the band. Meanwhile, “Surface Streets” charges forth like modern day Blondie. Quintero’s imaginative guitar playing on “Signals” reveals his love for Spanish flamenco and the angular attack of Bernard Sumner and Joy Division, while Santillan sings out as if Thom Yorke were an attractive Latina and not a pasty Brit. And while Radiohead is an obvious influence, famed Argentinean composer Ástor Piazzolla is just as much, straddling the lines between classic, contemporary, Spanish and English.
Santillan’s imagery-laden lyrics, which straddle the line between first person narrative and poetry, hint at her literary influences. In fact, their moniker is derived from Herman Hesse’s famous allegorical tale, “Siddhartha.” The main character and namesake of the book explains his greatest assets with the lines “I can wait, I can think and I can fast.” Santillan was so taken back by this simple, yet profound sentiment, she decided to name her band after it. And so Wait. Think. Fast. was born.
Now armed with their new songs, the band plans to hit the road and is eager to play the States as well as places like Mexico City and Buenos Aires, scenes they admire and should fit into quite nicely. People there probably won’t think her superstitions so bizarre.
Jacqueline Santillan – vocals/keyboards
Matthew Beighley – bass/guitar
Apolinar Quintero – guitar/noise/vocals
Thomas King – drums
Growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Argentinean born Jacqueline Santillan was forbidden to sweep after sundown because to do so would summon el diablo. Never leave a croissant upside down on the table, her mother warned, unless she wanted to disrespect God.
However outlandish these superstitions may seem to an outsider, it’s these old world beliefs coupled with her American upbringing that has shaped both who Santillan is and the music she produces as the frontwoman for the shimmeringly beautiful L.A.-based foursome Wait. Think. Fast. A Latin-American hybrid evidenced by the way Santillan seamlessly slips back and forth from her native Spanish tongue to her second but more commonly used language English, Wait. Think. Fast. is a band steeped in duality and dichotomy.
Comprised of Santillan on vocals and piano, Matthew Beighley on bass, guitar, and vocals, noise enthusiast Apolinar Quintero on guitar and vocals and rounded out by Thomas King on drums, the band is the convergence of several cultures coming together to form something singular and unique.
“We are four people from very different parts of the world with four very different musical minds,” explains Santillan about the cosmopolitan make up of the band. “She’s from South America, Polo’s family comes from Mexico, I’m from Chicago, and Tom is from Boston by way of Athens,” adds Beighley.
It was Tom’s connection to the Athens alternative rock scene that sealed his fate in the band. “One of my biggest influences is early REM so growing up I was really into the Athens scene.” explains Beighley. “Tom and I connected right away.” Santillan and Quintero, on the other hand, bonded over a shared love for the Latin American crooners they grew up with – performers like Roberto Carlos and Camilo Sesto.
While the city of Angels is what brought them together, something stronger has cemented their bond. “We all met in Los Angeles but I think what we all have in common is the kind of music that we are all really passionate about and create,” exclaims Beighley.
That music is at once cinematic, emotional, poetic, heartfelt and at times spooky. Fueled by Santillan’s rich classically trained piano playing and deeply textured with effects-laden guitars, cascading drums and rumbling bass.
Wait. Think. Fast. emerged onto the local scene in 2006 with a self-released self-titled EP that garnered great write ups in the local media, the blogosphere, and even caught the ear of NPR, who singled out the sassy music industry reproach, “Bad Men,” for their “All Songs Considered” program. “Argentinean born singer/pianist Jacqueline Santillan’s sultry alto often sounds like PJ Harvey sitting in with Interpol,” they declared.
The band toured the West Coast on the strength of the EP, playing with the likes of the Helio Sequence, Mia Doi Todd and Castledoor and became a fixture at East Side venues in L.A. like The Echo, Spaceland, the Echoplex, Silverlake Lounge and others.
In 2007 the band started writing new material, energized by the growing musical connection the foursome experienced from the onset. In no time the band had a handful of new songs, eventually spawning Vuelve al Mar, Wait. Think. Fast.’s new seven-song collection, due for release on the forward-thinking digital label Origami.
Recorded by Earlimart frontman Aaron Espinoza at The Ship in Eagle Rock, the album was co-produced by Beighley and Santillan. From opener “Cura,” the record bursts with spacey production, powerful songwriting, inventive flourishes and oozes with the sounds of Santillan’s homeland. A steady drumbeat and bouncy bass give way to spiky post-punk guitars while Santillan’s sensuous vocals and evocative piano anchor the song to great effect. The final track, “Pajaros de Papel,” is a beautiful, soaring ballad filled with strings and blasts of horns, which even if you don’t understand a lick of Spanish, will resonate emotionally with you.
“Cien Fuegos was written as the theme to an imaginary movie,” Beighley says, and illustrates his love for film soundtracks, citing directors Stanley Kubrick and Terrence Malick as his musical inspiration in the band. Meanwhile, “Surface Streets” charges forth like modern day Blondie. Quintero’s imaginative guitar playing on “Signals” reveals his love for Spanish flamenco and the angular attack of Bernard Sumner and Joy Division, while Santillan sings out as if Thom Yorke were an attractive Latina and not a pasty Brit. And while Radiohead is an obvious influence, famed Argentinean composer Ástor Piazzolla is just as much, straddling the lines between classic, contemporary, Spanish and English.
Santillan’s imagery-laden lyrics, which straddle the line between first person narrative and poetry, hint at her literary influences. In fact, their moniker is derived from Herman Hesse’s famous allegorical tale, “Siddhartha.” The main character and namesake of the book explains his greatest assets with the lines “I can wait, I can think and I can fast.” Santillan was so taken back by this simple, yet profound sentiment, she decided to name her band after it. And so Wait. Think. Fast. was born.
Now armed with their new songs, the band plans to hit the road and is eager to play the States as well as places like Mexico City and Buenos Aires, scenes they admire and should fit into quite nicely. People there probably won’t think her superstitions so bizarre.
