It’s been almost two years since No Echo caught up with Si Dios Quiere. Since then, the band has been continuing to kick it around the Chicagoland area and make a name for themselves in the local hardcore scene.
While social media is usually not an indication of popularity in the real world,Si Dios Quiere’s social media presence makes it known that their local following has been growing over the years. For a band who released their demo a few months into COVID, becoming a local headlining act is no small feat.
I spoke with Si Dios Quiere guitarist Christian Guajardo to talk about their debut album, No Angels, plus the band's recent moves and future plans.
It seems like the release of this record has been a slow burn. For listeners like me, I’d see you’d drop a single, a promo, or an EP–but I wanted an LP! Were you building up to this with a steady stream of releases or was it one of those situations where a lot of inspiration turned into a lot of songs all at once?
After our 2023 promo, we knew the next step was putting out an album. We did some writing in 2023, took a short break, then picked things back up pretty aggressively in early 2024 and had everything written and ready by March.
It’s felt like a long time coming for us, and some of these songs we’ve been testing in our setlist for like, 1-2 years at this point.
How has the response been to the record so far?
It’s been good! I think people are hearing what they expected or wanted. It’s been cool seeing so many people and bands share the music - some we haven’t seen or spoken to in years but the connection and camaraderie is there. That’s what makes hardcore special.
What’s working with Nick from New Morality Zine been like? I dig that all of the bands seem to be doing their own thing and that makes Si Dios Quiere stand out to me.
It’s great - he gives you the freedom to do what you want. He’s been with us from day one and has always understood our vision, even as it evolves and changes. He’s always looked out for us and has stuck by our side over the years. Couldn’t ask for a better friend.
READ MORE: 2020 interview with Nick Acosta of New Morality Zine
What’s your live set like right now? Playing mostly these new songs or a mixture of new and old?
Almost entirely new songs, with maybe 1-2 older ones thrown in. We really want to promote the new stuff but also we feel it’s a better representation of our sound. The setlist feels cohesive.
Your influences are on display–hardcore, crossover, Chicano culture. Did it take time to develop your ideal blend of influences or does that balance come naturally?
From day one, we wanted Si Dios Quiere to have a cultural connection. All of us being Mexican meant we could draw from our shared unique experiences. Not a lot of bands do that, at least not in hardcore. It felt like an opportunity to do something cool. But stylistically we were always trying to find our sound.
Once Ozzy joined and we did “Roll the Dice," that set the tone for us (a demo and an EP later… better late than never). That song and era captured our shared influences and attitudes at the time.
On that same note, have the band’s influences changed over time? On this record I hear Trapped Under Ice and Slayer most prominently.
TUI is a huge influence on Ozzy and Louie’s writing for sure. I grew up on classic metal like Slayer, so that stuff always finds its way into the riffs. At our core, we take cues from NY bands like Madball, Biohazard, and Merauder. There’s some LA influence, too, like Terror.
For the album, the goal was just to keep pushing it - being heavier, sounding harder. We didn’t want our old songs to be in the same league as the new ones.
Do you have plans to take the band out further on the road? I know y’all have been to Canada, Texas, and a handful of places in the Midwest. We’d love to have you on the West Coast.
Yeah! We were lucky enough to do 4 dates in California recently with our homies Barrio Slam and Cold View, but we’d love to hit up northern Cali too. Same with returning to Ontario. Playing there always feels like home - shout out to Mile End and the Brampton scene. More of that this year, more Midwest this year too.
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Pick up No Angels on vinyl at the following locations:
Roll the Dice splatter variant / 100 (SDQ exclusive)
Fool’s Gold variant /100 (NMZ exclusive)
Black / 100 (available through NMZ and Deathwish)
Si Dios Quiere on social media: Facebook | Instagram
Tagged: si dios quiere
