Formed in November 2022, Mexico City’s Pelea de Cantina — Diego Galán (guitar, vocals), Patricio Cantú (bass, vocals), and Julián Ovalle (drums) — move within the intersections of punk, hardcore, thrash, noise rock, and post-punk. Their debut EP “Música para preocuparse,” out October 24, arrives as the sum of years spent drifting between music and art scenes, always circling back to the need to create something that still feels alive.
“Through our 20s we were all involved with music, the industry, and different art scenes in one shape or form,” the band says. “Sometimes working within it, other times just as tourists. Over time we realized we couldn’t keep participating in those spaces. They were less about making something or building community and more about being seen or fitting into pre-set networks.”
After years of distance and scattered projects, the trio reconnected with a shared need to make something that felt real. “Pelea de Cantina is the result of three people coming together after years of exploring music with radical curiosity, knowing what we wanted to hear, and bringing it to life with people we’ve lived with.”
They describe their sound as a constant experiment — pulling from “distant and opposing influences,” trying to make them coexist. The creative process is loose but grounded in purpose: “Each member finds their own creative liberty within the band. We ask ourselves what the essence of punk even is anymore. We confront our daily routines with this silly idea of being in a band. We end up in gigs within broader musical circuits, not the trendy ones. We get captivated by intensity and speed. We try to see how many jokes we can get away with.”
The EP’s songs — including “Adicto a la atención,” “No Spanish, No Service,” and “Menos normal” — explore personal and social tension with raw focus. “These songs had been written for a while,” they explain. “They are about family struggles, lost friendships, Mexico’s current political difficulties, digital obsession, the city’s gentrification process, and terrible bosses.”
Recorded live in a rehearsal space with only vocals added later, “Música para preocuparse” captures the band’s real form. It’s less about style and more about urgency that feel very organic. “In the balancing act of art and life, we decided it was time to put them into the physical world,” they add.
Their intention remains simple and direct: “We hope to connect with others through the same feelings of rage and dissent that this music has always spoken to. This remains as relevant as ever, no matter what age or aesthetics say. We are just here to offer some level of resonant support.”
