CM
interview Jorge perezchica
Listening to “Stimuli” the official album release by Coachella Valley based band Cakes & Snakes, my mind is transported across a desert soundscape under a starry sky. The album captures a nightlife mood set to a blues/rock/punk playlist. From the slow and broody opening track “Psycho” and then builds up to an exhilarating closing with “Run Run” an upbeat jam that showcases the bands eclectic talent converging together seamlessly. Cake’s emotional lead vocals and freestyle songwriting sets the tempo throughout Stimuli — expressing heartache and passion as she contemplates leaving a 19-year relationship — catharsis becomes music to the ear. While the songs vary rhythmically from rock to punk, there’s a je ne sais quoi chemistry that glues the album together. Written and recorded a week before the pandemic, Stimuli serves a mix of breakups, love ending and female masturbation.
On “Stimuli” was the there a specific direction Cakes & Snakes wanted to explore?
Cakes: The band is an organic mixture of everything and nothingness. We literally plug in our instruments and play and whatever comes out is our songs. We don’t spend too much time tailoring them because the band just has a vibe together. That’s why all the songs on the album are a little different. We don’t have a definitive style because we are all so different with our musical backgrounds and tastes. I think that’s why this band is rad, because I never know what’s going to develop next. We are just a bunch of punks who love to play music and try not to take it too seriously, so there really is no direction.
Let’s talk about the band: Introduce our readers to Cakes & Snakes and how Stimuli came together.
I had asked the original members of Cakes and the Assholes, Josh (drummer) Aaron (bassist) and Rene (Percussionist) to play an awards show with me. I got asked to perform live and I didn’t want to play to a track, so I put together a band for this particular event. I knew all these guys from other musical ventures. After the awards show, I kind of asked them to go steady. They said “yes.” Josh Fimbres is the drummer. He is a very talented musician who plays drums, guitar and I really knew him for his hip hop group Thr3 Strykes as a hip-hop artist. Aaron Ransom is a gifted bass player and a mean scorpio like me, so we got along. Rene Almodovar is a seasoned musician that I’ve known from my previous band mates and he played with a lot of reggae musicians I knew. Our newest members Nick Hales and Shannon Graham have been added and between Nick’s desert rock guitar licks and Shannon’s groovy synth we became Cake & Snakes.
“Stimuli” was recorded a week before everything shut down from the pandemic and released almost a year and a half later. What was the experience like for you?
We actually recorded all the music tracks a week before everything got shut down. I went afterward a few times to lay down vocal tracks and then to go over the mixing. There was no magic moment. There was just a pause. It was hard to get excited over this album when there wasn’t really an opportunity for promotion. I am not a fan of recording. I become so timid and try to control my voice too much that, I feel, I lose all my sauce. Also, being involved in the mixing process, I lost the sparkling luster of our songs from hearing them so much. I was actually glad when it was done and over with, so I could move on to new music.
Can you walk us through the writing process of “Stimuli.” What are they about and do you have a favorite track?
I literally wrote the album a week before we recorded it. I’m not necessarily a freestyler, but I can just come up with cadences on the spot and they are good. I freestyle most shows because I never remember the lyrics anyways. Well, not all of them anyways. I have an idea for the lyrics of the song, but I typically wait for a show to lock down lyrics. I save my writing when I’m down in the dumps or I have a day to record it. This album was eclectic in its writing. Songs like “Pussy Poppin Blues” and “She’s Crazy” are our blues-rock in roll odes with my bad girl mouth writing. I love that I say CUNT and talk about a female masturbating, like it’s totally normal. Too Late and Run Run are probably my favorite songs. Clearly, they are break up songs. Friendships and Love relationships ending. “You rise…You fall…You light the walls…Watch as they burn…” Run Run was the song that I wrote abstractly, where I tried to be slick with my writing. It’s probably the writing I’m most proud of.
The final track “Run Run” has a 7:13 runtime. Sonically, it feels more upbeat compared to the rest of the tracks on Stimuli. As if the entire band is jamming late at night and having a good time. Tell us more about “Run Run.”
This song was totally a jam that we turned into a song like most of our songs. It is probably my favorite song on the album. The guys all have different favorites. I was trying to leave a relationship of 19 years and I wrote it abstractly, so they wouldn’t understand what I was saying. It’s an emotional song for sure, but the tempo and percussion keep the beat lively. I have a thing for percussion in our songs. Rene really gives me the feels when he bangs on those drums, they made the song what it is along with the guitar melody Nick adds. Shannons’ synth ties it all together giving it a vibe. I wish I would have spent more time developing the chorus because there really isn’t one, but like I said, I write all my songs on the fly, so maybe that’s a lesson for me to get my shit together. LOL.
Aaron Ramson, the former bass player moved away. How will his position be filled during live shows?
We decided to have our keyboardist Shannon Graham play bass. He plays bass with his left hand, and synth with his right. We played a sold-out show at The Hood with Slipping Into Darkness and he killed it. We will probably keep it this way for a while. Aaron is hard to replace. The connection that he and Josh had along with the music that he wrote is hard to replace.
The album art on “Stimuli” was created by local artist Carlos Ramirez. How long have you known each other and what is your relationship like?
I’ve been a hardcore fan of Carlos Ramirez ever since I saw his work on the cover of Juxtapoz Magazine when he was a Date Farmer. I always made it a point to follow his work and we became Facebook friends a few years back. He recently hit me up for a project he was working on for his PBS American History Portrait Documentary through our artist friend, Marnie Navarro and asked if I could write a song for his piece. I was beyond honored. I wrote the song “Cambiala” for his documentary and it was accepted and aired. One of my prouder moments. He in turn made our cover art and it came out better than I could have imagined. I wanted him to have his creative freedom and in the end we made some adjustments that were more fitting for the band. What he created took that cover to the next-level.
What’s next for Cakes & Snakes and Cakes the Maniac?
Cakes & Snakes is still motivated to make music for the love of music. I’m sure I could do a better job of promoting us and making better business decisions for the band, but we just love to play music. We will be recording a single soon called “Wrong Girl” which has been the band’s favorite new song we have been working on. We won’t wait 2 years to put it out. We already have half of another album done.
As for Cakes the Maniac, I hope to put out my second solo album next year and become a successful Latina Cannabis Mogul. Si se puede!
SOCIAL: @CakesandSnakesband