An Interview with Mapache

Words by Sarah Morrison

Photo by Matt Correia

The California country-folk duo Mapache (Sam Blasucci and Clay Finch) released their second album ‘From Liberty Street’ on March 20 via Yep Roc Records. The album was produced by longtime collaborator Dan Horne (Beachwood Sparks, Cass McCombs, Allah-Las) and was recorded in their home studio.

While we're all in isolation, with some still searching for ways to pass the time, Sam and Clay have found their vices in order to do so. During such, I was able to speak with the pair to delve into the background details of the album.

While out on the road, you mentioned you look for a spiritual home or some sort of stability, which was a theme within the lyrics on the album. Were you able to find that rooted connection to anything while travelling? Is this something you had put a lot of thought into prior?

Sam: It is a constant battle to stay balanced both on the road and at home. Writing about it is a way of turning on the awareness, which is a big part of finding balance. There are a number of things we do that help us feel good on tour and plenty of little bits of advice that have been given to us to stay healthy and well while traveling but really there hasn’t been anything that has made me feel like I’ve figured it out perfectly.

I really don’t expect to find that answer honestly, at least not yet. Finding complete spiritual satisfaction is something that understandably takes time for me and while staying sharp on the road is great for us, that alone doesn’t necessarily unlock the doors of perception. I expect to search and experiment for a long time before I’ve figured it out, but I find a home and a peace in understanding that fact alone and recognizing that playing music is a beautiful thing to be doing right now. 

How important is it for you to have some of your music written in Spanish? What element does it bring to your music that would be overlooked or missed otherwise?

Sam: Writing in English is sometimes harder than writing in Spanish for me because of the overwhelming amount of options I have to express a single thought. I’m fluent in Spanish but I still have not been speaking it since I was a child like I have English, so it is definitely not as thorough as my English is.

With Spanish, I can say things in a simplified way and in a way that I’ve learned by studying rather than by force of habit. Of course it also just sounds different. I can say things in Spanish that have an effect that is different than what it would sound like in English. I’m not tied to the social associations that people have with words in English that might make them cringe or smile or laugh or feel whatever. It’s kind of like wiping the slate clean of preconceived notions in language just by speaking in a different one, at least for those that don’t know. 

Your first share of the album ‘Light On Fire’ was actually an older track that you finally felt comfortable releasing. What made this album feel suited for its official release? Does it ever feel weird to enter an old headspace of a track dated that far back?

Sam: Sometimes they just don’t feel right yet and they need a little more TLC than the other songs. ‘Life On Fire’ was written around 2015 I believe and it just needed to be played out for a while before it felt right to record. It’s nice to let it breathe like that before just laying it down. It allows you to get a little comfortable with it. 

‘From Liberty Street’ was recorded with longtime creative collaborator Dan Horne (Allah-Las, Cass McCombs). What were the main differences that you experienced while working along-side Horne on this album compared to your others?

Sam: When we made the first record we booked three days of studio time at Valentine Studios here in LA and recorded our 11 songs guitars and vocals and a few overdubs. Everything kind of moved really quickly and Clay and I were so happy to just be in a recording studio, the time kind of flew by. We did maybe a week or two of further overdubbing and mixing at Dan’s studio on Liberty Street and that’s about it.

‘From Liberty Street’ was a little different because we had a lot more time. We were living upstairs from the studio and were about to kind of pop in and out when we wanted. It was pretty insane when you think about it, we were very lucky to be able to do that. Dan is someone we really respect musically. He’s one of our musical heroes really and it’s hard to think where we’d be without him. During the second record, we tried a lot of things we probably wouldn’t have been able to if we were on a time crunch at a fancy studio or something just trying to get in and out for a good price. We had time and space and freedom to work which was a total game-changer. 

The music video for ‘Read Between the Lines,’ another single off the album, was filmed out in New Orleans with Nicole Hawkins. What is it about New Orleans that you feel drawn too and can differentiate between living in California?

Sam: I’ve spent a lot of time in New Orleans just visiting. Mapache has actually only played there once or twice. It has sentimental value for me because of the people I know there and it also has an energy that is certainly magnetic. All the things that make everyone love it like the music, the food, the energy, and the love are all things we are drawn to as well but really I just love it because of the experiences I’ve had there. The same reason anyone loves a place that feels like a second home. 

‘From Liberty Street’ was named after the street that the two of you had lived on and the location of the studio you recorded the album in. What kind of atmosphere did the home studio grant to you?

Clay: Recording at our home provided a relaxed and comfortable environment. Sams dog slept on the floor through most of the sessions. There wasn’t pressure to complete something in a budgeted amount of time. So we got to explore a little creatively. Liberty was also a house of musicians right off of Sunset Blvd so we had lots of visitors and lots of fun. It was an easy place for friends to drop by and record something or just hang out in the backyard. We had a great time. 

With the track, Clay, this was the first time you had recorded at Mapache guitar solo before. Did the crossover add another dynamic or element to the texture of the track?

Clay: This was the first time we had used electric guitars in the studio for Mapache. Sam always says it sounds like I was trying really hard to play delicately. That was not my intention at the time, but listening back it sounds like that to me too. I think I did it subconsciously. It was fun! 

Where did the idea to cover ‘Me Voy Pa’l Pueblo,’ by Los Panchos come from? What sort of meaning does it hold to you?

Clay: My Dad has always loved trio music, and he showed this song to us. It was an easy choice. It’s a lovely song. It’s about going home, and Sam and I love the place we’re from. It’s extra special to sing when we’re feeling homesick, or when we get to play a show in Los Angeles. 

As the two of you still currently live together, what are some projects you plan to work on during isolation to pass the time?

Sam: Puzzles. 

Clay: We have set up a home gym and we are getting super buff.