Cobralush

Zayra Is Pretty

Local monsters Dave Karnes and Daniel Harville hook up with the charismatic rockstar.

By ANTHONY MARIANI

Zayra Alvarez is a singer-songwriter from Puerto Rico who has been living in Dallas for “a long time,” she said. She has long, dark hair and a stage presence largely though not wholly defined by a statuesque frame and penchant for bodysuits and stiletto boots. She also is a serious musician, has a seriously massive fan base, and is going to be a serious star.
Dave Karnes and Daniel Harville are two Fort Worth songwriters and performers who are probably best known for their supporting work — Karnes as a sideman for Zac Maloy, Colin Herring, and John Price, and as a jazz bandleader and indomitable force in keeping straight-ahead jazz alive in North Texas; and Harville as the brains and muscle behind the late-’90s alt-rock touring band Sugarbomb. The pair have been friends for years and are probably two of the most professional, dedicated musicians in the state. What Karnes and Harville have to do with Zayra is a new band, Cobralush.
Strange bedfellows? A little but not entirely, considering that Harville (via Sugarbomb) and Zayra once shared the same management company, when Zayra was focusing on mainstream Latin pop. The artists in the company’s stable, Zayra said, were like family. “We all knew each other really well,” she said.
About four years ago, after Zayra released her debut solo album Ruleta (Sony International), she and Harville worked together briefly. “I always wanted to be in a band,” she said. “I got together with [Harville], and we tried, but it wasn’t the right time.”
She was invited to audition for Rockstar: INXS, the show’s inaugural incarnation, but declined. “I said, ‘Not INXS. They’re not going to want a girl!’”
For the show’s next season, she was invited to audition for a chance to join the titular band, featuring Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clark. She finished in the final eight.
When she returned home to Dallas, she began looking for writing partners, starting with Harville.
At the time, he and Karnes had been writing songs together conceptually. “I didn’t necessarily write drums, and he didn’t necessarily write the guitar parts,” Karnes said. “We didn’t write as players. We wrote around ideas, and what we did stuck.”
Based on the two songs posted on www.myspace.com/cobralush, what “stuck” is decidedly weird but in a good, brave way: a lot of heavy beats juxtaposed with Zayra’s relentlessly feminine, crystalline, sing-talky vocals, plus some ominous, hip-hop-inflected industrial music and bursts of arena-rock.
Karnes and Harville had begun writing in January. Zayra (pronounced zi-ee-ra) joined them about a month later and added lyrics and vocals. The band currently is working on an EP and began rehearsing about two weeks ago in preparation for some live dates. The first show, Karnes said, may be in about a month or whenever he and his band-mates get their shit together, he said, half-jokingly.
Karnes and Harville began working together after visiting London and developing an interest in nontraditional musicmaking techniques. A majority of Cobralush’s music was created digitally. “[Harville] and I have played in countless local bands,” Karnes said. “We had a tendency to go with the flow and not give our opinions. ... This is different. You use a different side of your brain.”
Karnes had not heard of Zayra beforehand. But he gladly agreed to work with her, mainly to keep his and Harville’s vision going. Zayra proved a natural fit, and Cobralush began to take shape around March.
“[Harville] and I have played countless local shows,” Karnes said. “This is going to be different. It’s going to be big.”

You can reach Anthony Mariani at anthony.mariani@fwweekly.com. - Fort Worth Weekly

Nominated for the following:

Best New Artist
Best Female Vocalist
Best Song
Best Drummer

There’s Cobralush, the sound of angry, lightning-fueled, leather-clad pleasurebots making sweet love.

Nominated for Best Female Vocalist, Zayra is like a super-hero created from the DNA of Duran Duran, a supermodel, and a cobra, Zayra has a poisoned-stiletto delivery that slinks, stalks, and stabs over the sexy electronic beats and hypnotic synth grooves of her techno-outfit, Cobralush.

Written by Caroline Collier, Jimmy Fowler, Eric Griffey, Joshua Loewen, Anthony Mariani, Justin Press, Jeff Prince, and Steve Steward. Photos by Vishal Malhotra
- Fort Worth Weekly

Jet Set Rock n' Roller

From fixing jet planes to taking risks competing for rock star glory, Puerta Rican indie rocker Zayra Alvarez talks shop about following her passion.

Jose Albino: You went to college and earned a degree in industrial engineering because your parents wanted you to. Why didn't you pursue music first?

Zayra: We come from lands of struggle and our parents want us to have a better life and better opportunities. I was always clear about my passion for music with my parents. They said that I had to go to college and then I could follow my passion. When I was done with school, I basically handed them the degree.

Jose Albino: When did you decide to pursue your passion 10 be a musician full time?

Zayra: When I was working [at jet manufacturer Boeing] in Texas. I had greal co·workers but, they were just Ihere for lhe paycheck. I didn't want to live my life like that. When you do what you love, it's not a job and the money will come. You work harder because you want to, not because you have to. It's a win-win when you do something that you love.

Jose Albino: How did you break into the biz?

Zayra: I started taking small steps. I started learning and playing [shows) on my own, for my own satisfaction and not thinking that it would turn into something professional. I was doing a lot of open mics and managers saw me and offered me help. Four years later, I have had two albums and toured a lot. Luckily, I've had people support me.

Jose Albino: In 2006, when you were a contestant on CBS's Rock Star: Supernova you took a big risk by performing an original song in Spanish, "Liuvia de Mar" on a major English-speaking network. That look a lot of guts.

Zayra: I just had to do it. I can't pretend to be something else. The weeks went by and I needed to really show my true self. Singing another person's song wasn't really my thing. I was just doing what I normally do. A lot of Latinos identified with it.

Jose Albino: What advice would you give to a Latino who is in college working on his/her degree, but has a passion to create music or another form of art?

Zayra: My advice is to always have a foundation to fall back on because this [creative field] is very unstable. Start small and see how people react to your art. People [and their reactions] are good indicators. You must definitely be prepared 'cause the competition is fierce! Get ready for the worst, but if you love it, do it. Never give up and keep your focus. - Latino University Magazine