Saving Damsels
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | SELF
Music
Press
JJ Otero remembers sitting in an old, green Ford truck in Torreon, N.M., as a kid, listening to his dad's 8-tracks—Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles. "Sometimes the 8-tracks didn't fit in quite correctly, so you were always wadding up pieces of paper, propping it up on one side or the other side so it would sound right." It's a sharp memory for him. But starting a band seemed to loom over Otero for most of his life. In January of last year, he found a friend to jam on some songs he had written. Then a bassist fell into place, then a drummer. Saving Damsels came to be, and its first show was at the Diné College Music Festival.He goes back to the Navajo reservation of his childhood pretty regularly. The kids there are listening to rap, heavy metal and punk, like kids everywhere. A wave of mohawks and skateboards is washing over Torreon, and it has nothing to do with location, he says. "Unfortunately or fortunately, radio and TV are huge out there. That's where we get all our images. That's what they're influenced by," he says.
The rez will always be home, he says, no matter how far away from it he is. "There's one song that we do that sounds like a Johnny Cash song. It's called 'Reservation Boy,' and it's based on my childhood and how I grew up on the reservation."Otero attended Gathering of Nations and sang in Southern and Northern traditional styles until nine years ago. The Northern style is from the Plains Indians, he says. And it's hard to sing, as it demands a high register and forceful projection. His voice is more suited to the Southern style, which uses lower pitches. Otero's voice is strong, and the use of an acoustic guitar puts Saving Damsels somewhere near bluegrass, pop and rock. The band's online bio clarifies it as "Red Pop. (For all those who are diabetic, Diet Red Pop.)"But, he says, the "Native" modifier isn't what defines the group; his is a straight-up rock act. "Then we have Native people in our band. That shouldn't be the identifier. We're just a rock band." (MD) - The Weekly Alibi
Discography
Empty Rooms (2010)
Photos
Bio
One man, one guitar is how Saving Damsels got its quiet start in the spring of 2007. The backdrop is your typical country song where the man has done some good woman wrong and now all he’s left with is his guitar. Sitting on the doorsteps of his vacant home, he starts penning the poignant story without any real reason but to numb the time he has on earth. He scribes song after song laden heavy with the sadness that only exists in utter loneliness. But with musical expression came relief and a renewed hope in life.
Shift to today and Saving Damsels finds itself in a new, vibrant light. They are ready to sing the soulful songs that were berthed in the darkest of times for JJ Otero (lead vocals, rhythm guitar). Accompanying JJ are Joe Pacheco on bass guitar, Pax Garcia on drums, Chuck Hawley on lead guitar, and Doug Bellen on keyboards. This current lineup has been rocking dive bars, benefit concerts, fundraisers, and film and music festivals all over New Mexico and Arizona.
"What do they sound like?" you ask. Let’s try earnest, sexy, honest, and all original. If genres are your thing, then please put them in the Rock Soul category with their sound always morphing in good ways with the influences of rock, soul, country, bluegrass, blues, and latin.
The saviors say they are not special, but they are determined to take constant musical junkets. Or maybe they just like to take a break from life to play, sing, and wail.
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