I don’t feel obligated to stand for femmes across the board. I believe each of us can do that for ourselves if we feel so compelled. I can be described as an angry woman, but I don’t speak for angry women, I speak for myself and hope it’s cathartic for others. Sometimes I wonder, “Who does my freedom free?” But I do what I do because I am compelled to, or I will perish; I don’t create under a plan of activist action. My truth is political because we live in a political world. You can’t be unpolitical, but you can be ignorant.
Articles
ALISON BRAUN – Archiving those we loved & lost.
It made me realize that scenes aren’t just built on sound, but on relationships, values, and shared experiences. Interviewing bands shifted them from being subjects in my frame to people with layered stories. I saw how much effort and sacrifice went into touring, recording, surviving — how much of it was done purely out of love for the music and the community.
Miguel Maldonado-Velasco III.
It’s inspiring to see so many people put out art their own way, which is something I’m still learning to do with my career aspirations. Instead of waiting or relying on resources, DIY means looking towards your communities and peers to create whatever you want while learning in the process. I love that you can brush shoulders with iconic creatives while working alongside people who are passionate about learning the craft just as you are.
MAURO DE LA TIERRA.
I grew up in a punk house on the east side of San Antonio, Texas. I saw a lot of addiction and the effects of the prison industrial complex firsthand. Finding art taught me to be more confident in myself, and how to extend myself to others.
Mr. Chino – PRAYERS, Cholo Goth Night.
I feel like the mentalities from harder lifestyles never go away. No matter where you go, you were raised by your community and it molded you into the person you are.
Sofia Enriquez.
My work revolves around a MUCHO ethos, which comes from culturally understanding every Hispanic worker I know as doing a lot, all the time. We fix cars, build homes, harvest people’s food, then cook, plate, and serve it. We work in warehouses and on top of roofs, in poor working conditions for less than our worth, and still find the time to create and dance and laugh with each other. We’re jacks of all trades. We have to be; we don’t come from money, so we have to know how to do everything because that’s how we got here, right?
Joker Brand’s Estevan Oriol for Desmadre World.
At the time Joker Brand began, there weren’t any clothing lines repping our culture other than what we considered old-school. We wanted our own to add a twist to fashion by putting our art on what we produced.
Cadena for Desmadre World.
Rap inspired me from a young age. My mom bought me the Mickey Unrapped CD that had a bunch of popular rap songs with Disney characters performing alongside the original artists… Whoomp! (There It Is) by Tag Team had me in a chokehold. The beat was infectious, and I knew the real version of the… Continue reading Cadena for Desmadre World.
George Perez for Desmadre World.
If you’ve noticed, ever since I became a regular at the Comedy Store, other people who look like me have been starting to show out more & more in the crowd and on stage. I wanna let everybody know that everything is possible with dedication. Look at me, dog. I went to prison, lost everything I had, got out, got it all back and more. You’re only gonna get what you put in, straight up.
Joe Altmann for Desmadre World.
I grew up in a small town in southeast Germany where there wasn’t much to do besides get sh*tfaced or get into fights with boneheads. Music was my way out, my excuse to travel to shows, to see something bigger than my hometown. Early on, I learned that if you want something, you just have to do it yourself. No one’s gonna hand it to you.