Kristin WintersVENUS and the TRAPS
Analyzing Aphrodite
text KRISTIN WINTERS
illustration DENISSE MARTINEZ
photography LUNAFORA
One evening in October, just as the desert air begins to cool, Venus and the Traps is set to play at The Hood Bar and Pizza. Walk past the dance floor, onto the back patio and you’ll find Perla and James hanging outside, smoking Natural Spirits cigarettes. A cluster of interesting characters surrounds them, as Perla’s warm smile will place anyone at ease. James discusses his latest film project with a friend, who is sewing clothes with items he found discarded on the street. Then bandmates Eddy and Moy arrive together, and the group escapes to the green room.
Later, Venus and the Traps take the stage, met with whoops and cheers. Hardcore kids with technicolored hair and excessive safety pins push their way up to the front while art-house kids in vintage garb and worn-out moccasins come out from the shadows. Perla appears as a rock goddess, red glittering paint from her eyelids to her forehead. She peers out to the audience behind thick cat-winged eyeliner and begins to croon as Eddy hits the first chords, inducing the crowd to break out and dance. The riffs, melodies and drum beats flow from surf-rock, to grunge, to punk with ease: each song is a blend of flavors, but the sound is distinctly Venus and The Traps.
Venus and the Traps is Perla Martinez on vocals and guitar, James Montenegro on bass, Eddy Lazcano on guitar, and Moises Sanchez, aka Moy, on drums. They are young musicians from the east side of the Valley, calling the cities of Indio and Coachella home. Each member has their own past and story to tell.
What is the origin story of Venus and the Traps?
PM Here’s the story: I love to play music and the name came by a dream. That’s the mythology (laughs). So, in my Freudian dream, I was in the ocean, my feet are in the sand all cushy, and then all of a sudden I see my hand is split open, bleeding into the ocean. There’s waves crashing, it’s foamy, and suddenly there’s this penis bobbing around. I woke up and I was like, “What the hell does that mean?” So, as most people, I Googled it and I came across stories about Venus and Aphrodite and her birth. I liked the name Venus and I liked the mythology and symbolism behind it. Actually Alec Corral [guitarist of Tribesmen and Greasetrap] was there, and he was like: “You should do Venus and the Fly Traps!” and I said, “No, Venus and the Traps!” — and it stuck.
How did everyone come together to form the band?
JM I was really desperate to start dating Perla again, so I told her I would be in the band so we could be together and everything.
PM True story (laughs)— I was on the verge of tears, saying, “I can’t start a band! I need a bassist and a drummer! Aaaaah!” and James was like, “I play bass.” We did try out with several other musicians, trying to find the right match. I came to my aunt and said: “Hey Tia, I need a drummer I can’t find a drummer.” I was at really low at that point in my life. She was like, “Don’t worry mija, I’ll find you a drummer,” and she did. She found me Moy, who was actually the drum instructor for my little cousins at school. So she passed on the number and we ended up meeting and started jamming, and we hit it off. I mean, he works hard, he showed up to the practices — YES!
MS We met up at Tapatios and from there they asked me if I was interested in a surf-rock type band. Then they showed me where they practiced and how the sound was and they told me just to add my sound to it — and that’s how it happened. Later on we were looking for another guitarist and I recommended Eddy to come join us and we took him in.
EL I was introduced to everyone by Moy: we grew up together, went to high school together, played in band together. We’ve played in bands together since we were in middle school, and we’ve always been jamming out and always trying to find a good serious band, but us being kids and irresponsible, we never did anything. Then he introduced me to James and Perla and we just jammed out one day — I guess they kinda liked it (smiles).
Venus and the Traps’ music is such a blend of genres, playing shows alongside hardcore and indie bands alike. Where do you guys see your sound fitting in?
EL I feel like every song’s just different. Sometimes you want a more grungy sound, and sometimes you want a very melodic sound. If you hear “I Wanna be in a Band,” its very pleasant to the ear, has very melodic riffs, very catchy tones.
PM You go from something like “Whoroscope,” where it’s pretty much a self-loathing song about reading your horoscope and then going after someone that matches your horoscope, and then you feel like a complete idiot and you’re like, “I should have known better!!” to what Eddy said, “I Wanna be in a Band,” where it’s about all dirty stuff that comes with being in a band, all the stigmas that come from being in a band.
MS It’s still evolving, our songs still change from time to time; we’ll add a speed here or slow it down in certain areas to make it sound better, or add another solo somewhere. It always starts with an idea, we’ll be jamming and one of us will have an idea for a song and we’ll each add our different parts.
JM We sorta come outta that scene that was poppin’ seven or six years ago, where we really didn’t have shows that were based on genres, like now there’s hip-hop shows, punk shows, hardcore shows, and indie shows. But back when I just graduated from high school we had shows where on one bill you’d have Youth Pollution and they were really grungy, and you’d have someone come on for 15 minutes and rap, and then Christian Leon would come on with his acoustic guitar sounding really folky, and then a melodic band. There was always a mix and variety. That really influenced my perspective of how we play our music. It’s music! As long as it sounds good and feels right, it flies.
Where is your favorite place to perform in the Coachella Valley?
JM My favorite shows we’ve played are the ones at Club 5. Because they are so small, so stuffy, people get crowded and they’re usually drunk and really excited.
PM You can feel the energy come off the walls in that place! It’s surprising for the type of bar it looks like outside, you see all these Cumbias and hear Banda music coming out of it, and then all of a sudden it turns into all these rock bands playing and hip-hop shows. I really give it up to them for allowing us to do our thing there, you know. Not too many places would allow that much variety.
What are your thoughts on the Desert’s music scene?
PM I feel like it comes in seasons here. Sometimes we have a lot of bands that sprout up, and then we have a cool thing going for a while. Then all of a sudden they decide to hide into their little shells for awhile, to figure things out and practice. A lot of the musicians out here, you think they’re out of the loop, but they’re not. They’re just quietly working and doing something else. That’s my favorite thing about the scene out here: they’re always evolving somehow. Maybe the group might die, but members from previous groups will go out and do different projects together.
Where do you want to take Venus and the Traps next?
PM My ultimate goal is to travel with it. I feel the best way to travel is to play music, play shows; you get to meet so many people from it.
MS What surprises me is the turnout, that people are starting to notice us and that we’re starting to see some of the same people coming out to our shows to support us. It feels really good because I was once that person, I was that fan. I’d go to shows because one of my favorite local bands was there, I’d mosh and show support, let them know I loved their music. I don’t know where it’s going, but I really like what’s happening to this group, we’re getting a fan base and I’m excited to see where this leads us.
EL If we opened for a band like MGMT I can die happy, like I wouldn’t even care if we made it or not. That would be awesome!
JM I want us to be so poppin’ that I can run into random kids at the mall wearing Venus and the Traps t-shirts, and I could just look at them and say: “That band sucks — go buy a Pixies tee!”
OK guys, Time for a look into your psyche!
Moy, if you died and could come back as any animal, what would it be?
Some type of bird, maybe a falcon or an eagle, maybe a raven or a crow. I’ve always really wanted to fly: that’s always been my biggest dream that I’ll never be able to physically do, without getting on machinery. I’ve thought about that a lot.
Eddy, what fictional hero do you look up to?
That’s easy. I have a Legend of Zelda tattoo on my arm, so I’m gonna to go with Link. I was a little kid, nine years old, I said, “I’m gonna get a Zelda tattoo when I’m able to!” Ten years later I got it. It’s Zelda’s life, what can I say? Link taught me to get through life, you need to have courage, you can’t be scared of anything, you need to be wise, but you also need power. You need to be aggressive, if you want something you need to take it, not just hope you get it.
James, what is your greatest extravagance?
I’m a movie buff. Twice a year Barnes and Noble will put on their half-off Criterion Collection sale and I’ll actually save up for that. I used to be really bad about it. When I was going to College of the Desert and not working, I’d drop $500 per sale. I’d buy all sorts of movies and then hide over at my parents’ house for days on end and just watch those movies and all the special features and documentaries that they have on the second disc. I still do that to some extent, but now its only $50.
Perla, what has been your greatest journey?
Just growing up in general. I was forced to grow up in high school because I was in foster care. I was forced to get myself out there. Just learning how to drink and how to spend your money — I’m still learning that. Food vs. Clothing vs. Bills. Sometimes you just want to give up, like: “I quit, that’s it! I’m just gonna turn on the Netflix, roll up in my bed and watch marathon after marathon.” But, it just amazes me how we pick up ourselves and keep going and going. Jobs come and go, people come and go in your life, but you just keep going. This is my favorite journey so far — Life!
BAND: Perla Martinez vocals & guitar / James Montenegro bass / Eddy Lazcano guitar / Moises Sanchez drums
LINKS: VENUSANDTHETRAPS.BANDCAMP.COM