Q&A: Ponte Pilas
Ponte Pilas is not another new band in town. This four piece group made of Calum Bolland (voice and guitar) and Daniel Rivera (drums), Ismael Rivera (lead guitar) and Alejandro Iturralde (bass) has earned a reputation since they started back in 2017 as one of Berlin’s most exciting up-and-coming groups thanks to the their chaotic live shows.
Ponte Pilas give you what they promise, classic rock. With catchy guitar riffs, a driving rhythm section and anthentic choruses, their music sounds honest, wild and energetic. Perhaps because they just make the music that they love, something that simply can never go wrong.
These four guys seem to play according to a very simple philosophy, they just want to make each show as wild and unique as possible. Unfortunately, we may have to wait a bit longer to see them, but until the moment comes, frontman Calum Bolland took some time to respond to some questions. Don’t miss his answers!
How do three Ecuadorians end up living in Berlin and forming a band with a Scottish?
Calum Bolland: “Well myself and Daniel, our drummer, actually met at a party in his university in Bremen. We got so drunk bullshitting about Oasis that I blacked out, then when I woke up my girlfriend at the time told me I’d formed a band. Our lives moved on, we moved apart again, then about four years later, I ended up moving to Berlin where the other lads were already studying. One night under cover of darkness, under the influence of Berliner Pilsner and standing beneath the Brandenburger Tor, we all cut our palms and formed a blood pact. The band was formed.”
You have just released ‘Last Of A Dying Breed’ that together with the video it feels like a shot of energy considering the time we’re going through. The song was also recorded by using original equipment from the 60s and 70s if I'm not wrong. Does this song, its sound and even the video itself summarize who you are and what we can expect as a band?
Calum Bolland: “The song has become a bit of an anthem for us, especially live. We normally finish with it, sharing a drink with the audience before driving them wild and diving into the mosh pit. It was written about our heroes: Iggy Pop, Keith Richards, Patti Smith, so has something of an 80s cocaine-tinged flavour. This was brought to life by the vintage gear in Impression Studios too, and we recorded live for optimal madness. The video in part captures that essence too: flamboyance against brutality, the futile quest of the artist, the beauty of the damned, etc…”
Digging on your Spotify there is not much music uploaded, so far you have only been releasing some singles. Is ‘Last Of A Dying Breed’ the first single of an upcoming album?
Calum Bolland: “We’ve been so busy gigging and touring in recent years and we wanted to put together our best collection of songs before our debut release, so we like to think these new songs will be worth the wait. It will be a six-track E.P., inspired by the philosophy of the absurd, political revolution, existential dread and the tender flower of hope. And, of course, LSD.”
You say your lyrics have a cinematic scope and also that they take inspiration from Hunter S. Thompson and Charles Bukowski. But how are these two gonzo writers influencing what you write, or the way you write and even the band further than lyric wise?
Calum Bolland: “What Chuck Bukowski and Hunter Thompson set out, rather than simply an authorial technique or approach, was a way of life. I think to some extent they have influenced every aspect of the band, from our writing to our performances to the image we want to project. Their jarring combination of the sacred and profane, their relentless search for truth, even the way for the most part they were just making it up as they go along. There is an artistry that runs through their entire being that we admire, and they share one essential message in their work: if you aren’t going to go all the way, then don’t bother.”
Ponte Pilas. Photo by Tobias Humble
How can a band who has a reputation for wild and fun live shows survive a year without the chance to play in front of an audience?
Calum Bolland: “Yeah this has been a tough one. We were meant to go on tour last year, plus we would be touring and gigging for all these single releases and ultimately the E.P.... Its hard not to get to thinking about all the outrageous fun we would be having if it weren’t for this virus what’s going round. But its also been a good time to write, to record the songs like we did last year and, ultimately I think the break will leave us and the audience hungrier than ever. We have no intention of slowing down or stopping, and we will be back bigger and louder than ever.”
One year ago it seemed surreal to think about 2 or 3 months without concerts, it was tough to process that everything got canceled in Summer. By September I just could not believe what was happening and these days I personally don't even know how to feel or what to expect. How optimistic are you about things coming back to normal in the next few months and in your opinion how will live music have changed by then?
Calum Bolland: “It’s a good question, and one we’ve talked about a lot. Berlin is doing a lot to make venues ‘COVID-free’ after they re-open, but I think gigs on the scale we play and in the way we want to play will be hard for a while yet. Realistically you’re talking next year I’d say before things are back to feeling somewhat normal. In the meantime I think open air gigs might offer some kind of fix this summer, to tide us all over. I definitely relate to your feelings last year and we’re not out of the woods just yet, but you have to stay positive in these times no matter how bleak it might seem.”
Is Berlin a good place to have a musical project? Is it a good place to build a fan base and are there real opportunities from the industry?
Calum Bolland: “There are a few definite benefits: Berlin is cheap, there are a lot of great music aficionados who live here and it always feels like a place where there is a lot going on. The downside from our point of view is that the ‘scene’ here isn’t really what we do musically. We are unashamedly fun-loving, classic rock ‘n’ roll influenced sweaty dudes. Sometimes that feels like we’re swimming against the tide, but that’s also quite fun. We’ve met some great bands and people here too. Us degenerates tend to gravitate towards one another.”
In your opinion, what would you say is what a band needs the most in terms of help after forming the band and having some good songs to put out?
Calum Bolland: “I would say get out there and play. Everything we learned worth knowing we learned by gigging and by fucking up, often infront of people. The biggest advice I can give is get out of the rehearsal room and start playing, get up on stage and make a total arse of yourself: you’ll be ever so slightly less of an arse next time. It takes a long time to get comfortable on stage and to not get rocked by the inevitable chaos of a gig environment, so swallow your pride and go look like a tit. It's fun!”
Ponte Pilas. Photo by Tobias Humble
Like in other interviews and because festnoise is about music but especially about music festivals, do you have any good, bad or fun memories of experiences in a music festival you want to share?
Calum Bolland: “One story that springs to mind is a Student Festival we played in Leipzig. Right before our stage time there was a big pub quiz for some attendees, which we entered and eventually won. Some alcohol had been consumed and our pub quiz etiquette was questionable, resorting to some degree of mind-games and bad sportsmanship in achieving victory. I’d say this isn’t the best way to win over the crowd, though I think we won back some hearts during the show, which culminated in me stage diving into our prize inflatable flamingo. Good times.”
Which are your favorite festivals as music fans and in which ones do you dream of playing, both here in Germany and the places where you come from?
Calum Bolland: “We actually all went to the Hurricane festival in 2018, which was a great year. I have a soft spot for T in the Park back home in Scotland too, I went there as a young teen and it was just as grungy as disgusting as I could’ve hoped for. My best festival experiences have been a bit more off the beaten track, Sziget in Budapest and InMusic in Zagreb, I’d love to play those as it hits the sweet spot of weather, price and great people. Hopefully next summer, we’ll have years of debauchery to catch up on.”
Find out more about Ponte Pilas by visiting their official website and listen to them on Spotify
Cover photograph by Tobias Humble
