DannyLux and Tornillo Q+A: Red Bull SoundClash, Mexican Music Culture, Crowd Interaction and More

By: GroovNuke

Credits: Red Bull Music

Red Bull's international live concert experience, SoundClash is making a return to the United States. In 2022, it hosted the likes of Babyface Ray vs. Larry June, and Gary Clark Jr. vs. Paul Wall. This year, it will be headlined with two of the hottest Spanish-language artists. 
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​DannyLux, singer-songwriter from Palm Springs, California, who gained early recognition in the regional Mexican genre with his hit song "Jugaste y Sufrí" alongside the band Eslabón Armado. He has released several successful albums and EPs, including "Las Dos Caras del Amor," "Perdido en Ti," "Limerencia," "DLUX," and "EVOLUXION."

Blending Latin trap and Cumbia influences, artist Tornillo shot to fame in 2020, signing with Santa Fe Klan’s 473 Music label after debuting his first track, “Dime Cuándo Volverás.” Since then, he’s released standout songs like “Morena” and “Sentosa” and joined Santa Fe Klan at Coachella this year.

This Fall, Tornillo’s U.S. debut solo tour will align with the Red Bull SoundClash, making it the exclusive chance for fans in Los Angeles and Chicago to catch him live.

In light of the series making an anticipated return to the U.S., I reached out to the two of them to ask them a bit about their musical background and the upcoming event in Chicago on November 16 at Aragon Ballroom. 
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GroovNuke: Let's start with Tornillo. What inspired you? I know you love cumbias, but what has inspired you incorporate hip hop in your music? 
TORNILLO: Rap used to be huge in Mexico. I was always inspired by a lot of rappers like Cypress Hill, I really liked 50 Cent. They looked so cool. There was also a rapper who dressed very cool who was called Nelly, I liked him too. 

They had such a cool style. I would look at them and be like "aaah!" They looked so cool. Besides, it felt amazing to listen to them rap. I also loved Tupac. There was another band that a buddy told me about, so I started to listen to them. They were the Wu-Tang Clan. They looked so cool, too.
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And on the Mexican side, the Mexican rappers as well. Back in the day when I was younger we had Cartel de Santa, Control Machete, Celso Piña with his cumbias was starting to sound very good.

Tornillo (credits: @tracythnguyen)

GroovNuke (to DannyLux): You are known for mixing genres with the sierreño style. How did your childhood and your personal development lead you down that artistic path? 
DANNYLUX: I started at about seven years old. I was born here in the United States, so I listened to everything. At home, I would listen to regional music, mariachis, boleros ... My mom loved rock in Spanish like Maná or Enanitos Verdes. When I was in school, I'd listen to pop songs in English, the ones that were in back then. 
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I've always liked music in general. I've always loved composing, being able to change the way people feel just with a tone on the guitar. You play a chord and it depends: if it's a major chord, you'll feel happy, if it's a minor chord, you'll feel sad. It's all about people's feelings. So when I decided to make music, I had that in mind but I wanted to use those regional roots. I started mixing jazz chords or rock chords with our regional genres. I think that's what gave me that unique style, and also my voice. My voice is not suitable for corridos, it's more for heartbreak songs or romantic, sad ones.

DannyLux (credits: @tracythnguyen)

GroovNuke: This question is for Tornillo. We see how Mexican music is growing in influence globally. What do you think is making music so popular? What do you think are the reasons and where do you think we're going to see Mexican music go globally? 
TORNILLO: I feel that TikTok has helped us a lot, man. Many things have gone viral thanks to that. I used to find music on YouTube or so. What do people watch the most? Don't you watch TikTok, don't you? See? It's because they're short videos and people don't tend to like long videos. And then you start to see every segment of every Mexican song, even on Japanese content. And that's how all Mexican music has gone viral, because people like our sound.
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A lot of times YouTube wouldn't allow you to post a photo with a song that you liked or post a status saying "I'm feeling happy" with a song in it. TikTok has helped music spread, even reaching people who may not understand our language but like our sound, as he says, or some notes. I feel like that's helped us break barriers.

And then there's also the corridos that have made Mexico very popular. Mexico is all about corridos. I feel like the new wave of all these singers made the world notice us even more. Some by singing corridos, others singing reggaeton and singing rap, and the rest singing an infinite number of things because there are many styles of music in Mexico. I feel that we have all helped each other little by little. If you find one Mexican artist, then you'll know that there are others making different styles of music. 

Tornillo (credits: @tracythnguyen)

GroovNuke: DannyLux - how do you challenge yourself to continue growing through your style and what has been one of the biggest moments of your career so far?
DANNYLUX: To begin with, I believe that growth happens unintentionally. From the moment you start, you learn things every day in music and even as a person. You grow up, you learn so many things about yourself, and you learn new things in music. I believe that an artist always grows unintentionally. You can learn something one day and then you use it for your next song, there is growth in that. You can hear that evolution of an artist. I think that recently I've been trying to focus more on every single detail in my songs, give them more time, putting everything I can into them, whatever fits, and if something I've added doesn't suit the song, then I'll take it out... Let it take as long as it takes, but let each song be perfect. 
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I think one of the moments that has impacted me the most was playing at Coachella last year. I'm from the Coachella Valley and my dad used to work there, picking up the trash from the festival. Playing at that festival and having my mom there with me was something very beautiful and it was a moment that I will never forget. 

Tornillo & DannyLux (credits: @tracythnguyen)

GroovNuke: This question is for both of you. How do you stay true to your Mexican roots when you make music and how are you going to put Mexican culture into the Red Bull SoundClash concerts coming up? 
DANNYLUX: I think that it's in our blood. The songs we make are always going to have those Mexican roots because they're present in the way we write, in the way we eat, they're in everything we do.
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TORNILLO: If you look closely, Mexico is always our thing. You can tell we're Mexican even just by looking at us, so people will know. Just from the way we talk, we speak Mexican Spanish, just by looking at the Virgin of Guadalupe, our rosaries ... The band is Mexican. Just by listening to our cumbias, people will feel like they're in Mexico. With the cumbias, with the sierreño that my brother brings, with the words we say, our flags ... anything that looks very cool. 

Tornillo & DannyLux (credits: @tracythnguyen)

GroovNuke: This is a question for DannyLux. Red Bull SoundClash challenges artists to interact with the audience because it's a musical battle? How do you plan to bring your energy so that the audience goes crazy? 
DANNYLUX: Honestly, it has to do with preparing yourself mentally, knowing everything you want to say, everything you want to convey to the audience, and drinking a Red Bull before the show, of course [laughs]. 
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TORNILLO: Because it gives you wings. [laughs]

GroovNuke: Tornillo - you are an MC. What do you plan to do with the Chicago crowd when you get there?
TORNILLO: I'm going to bring them the best songs I have, man. Rap...  I'm already mentally prepared because I'm going on tour, I'm going to start touring a couple of days before the festival and I'll be visiting different places, sort of like a warm-up for the day of the Red Bull SoundClash.
I'm going to save my best vibes for them and for the second round in Chicago. 

Tornillo & DannyLux (credits: @tracythnguyen)

GroovNuke: DannyLux - in your case, what do you plan to say to the Chicago crowd? What do you think you can offer them?
DANNYLUX: More than anything we give 100 percent in the concert, try to always give the best of us, give the best vibes for the audience, and above all, we hope to be able to convey those good vibes through our music, so that they enjoy everything. Because the truth is that I am very excited to see how people are going to be reacting, they are going to have the best of all worlds from us. There will be cumbias, there will be hip hop, there will be sad songs to cry over, there will be romantic songs, there will be everything. I know it's going to be legendary. 
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GroovNuke: What message do you both want to leave to the Mexican community that is waiting for you in Chicago?  
TORNILLO: I'd like to tell them that we love them and that we are going to see them very soon. I hope you like what we have prepared for you and that you bring all your energy to the max because you are going to need it. 

The SoundClash series will wrap up in Chicago with an epic showdown, featuring special guests and unexpected onstage moments. Fans from the city will gather at the iconic Aragon Ballroom November 16. For Tickets and more information on Red Bull SoundClash, head over to  www.redbull.com/SoundClash