Pleased To Meet Me: Pablo Garcia-Rejon Gaubeca

Pablo Garcia-Rejon Gaubeca

Palmetto / Jyraph etc…

Introduce yourself… (Where are you from, what band do you play in etc..)

Hello, my name is Pablo Garcia-Rejon Gaubeca I'm from Mexico City and I play in the band Palmetto, as well as make solo music under the name Jyraph, and have occasionally drummed for various local ensembles such as: Lightbulb Alley, The Fuzzy Undertones, Bland, and a little bit of Chacal. 

Why do you play music?

The primary reason is that when you play music with other people whose company you enjoy and are complimentary and good, the feeling you can get from that is indescribable. Really one of the best feelings of all time. So there's an addiction aspect and I guess secondly to realise ideas that are rattlin' around in your ol' noggin. Also the physical aspect too. The feeling of playing drums or playing a guitar feels good in the fingers and arms and the bones. Its meditative. 

What was a major influence on you as an Artist/Band?

The list could be endless, but for me the monolith is the Beatles. In part for the ethos of exploration and also the friendship. Ive been lucky enough to be in some bands with friends ive known for a very long time and its family at this point. As well as our friends in all the other bands around town and elsewhere. The connection you make from having musicianship and usually also comedic sensibilities in common really makes friendships so much deeper. So I gravitate a lot to bands of any genre that have long friendships (e.g. Outkast, Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Wu Tang Clan, etc.)

What's your ideal festival line-up?

That would take alot of brain searching to determine, however what I can tell you for certain is an idea I'd love to see happen where the format of a festival is different, so instead of having act after act go on, you setup lets say 3 stages, pointing inwards with the crowd in the middle then you get 3 different bands to do like a mixtape where they rotate songs one after the other and the crowd has to keep turning around. It's super impractical, but I do think it would be cool. Might create better performances if there was a bit of "oh yeah?" in the atmosphere. Like the Jools Holland Show I suppose, but in a festival setting. It would suck for the stage techs, but fuck those people (I am one of those people. Lol).

Do you prefer the recording process or performing live?

I adore playing live, because drumming is excruciatingly fun. There's no instrument for me that tops the feeling. And playing with good players and hopefully making an audience move is always a great time. I enjoy the social aspect of it alot as well. Meeting new people and other bands. Traveling, etc. Recording is more like painting, not especially as visceral, but there are times when you can really catch some magic and it's there afterwards in your headphones and it didn't exist at all before. Creation is a beautiful feeling. Making something that you want to hear that doesn't currently exist. That's the goal. Since I started playing live and recording at relatively the same time, they've both grown on a parallel path. So I love them both really. 

What would be a dream collaboration?

Probably something where there would be a combo of female and male harmonized vocals. I love that combination. Like Graham Parsons and Emmylou Harris, but not necessarily country music. PJ Harvey. Man she's good. 

Describe a favourite album.

My favorite types of albums are the onion kind. Many layers. The ones where you hear new things in it everytime. So something like OK Computer by Radiohead. It's so packed with all these tiny little details and when you really pay attention you can tell that alot of care and work went into things that might go at least somewhat if not totally unnoticed. But it's giving the songs that magical feeling. Subconscious. I like artists that pay close attention to the sonic details, while preserving viscerality. 

What's your favourite local haunt?

I'd have to go with Lesco, because of the enormous backlog of good memories associated with the place and they've always been so welcoming and supportive of the local scene. Honey Martins in NDG also has a very special place in my heart, and Bar de Courcelle in St Henri as well. All of them hubs for enormously talented people and the source of many laughs and hangovers. 

What's your strangest experience while performing live?

Well, there have been many, but one that stands out was a particular Fishfest at LEsco (local festival put on by Fishbum Records) where I was drumming for Lightbulb Alley. I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with the alcoholic malt beverage created by Satan himself called Four Loko, but I had drank two cans of that evil swill before the show and my mind became rather disconnected from my body. My limbs were not properly executing the commands coming from my brain. So there I am, trudging along, doing my best under the circumstances but not very pleased with my performance, and I look up, and dead center at the front of the stage there is the shaking ass of a fully naked man with both hands in the air, shaking his junk at everyone and the crowd was going wild with surprise/disgust/exhilaration, everyone was dancing and having a ball (or two, though I can't even be sure of that claim because I did not see this nude man from the front) and I thought to myself "I guess my drumming isn't that bad tonight."

What are some of your favourite aspects of being a musician in Montreal?

I'd say mostly the camaraderie, as well as the ability to make friendships that go beyond the bonds of age. There is something very special about being part of the large extended family of musicians in Montreal and around the world. 

If you weren’t playing music in Montreal where would you be ?

Im not quite sure. Probably in Mexico City, or somewhere in Mexico. I've always wanted to go to Jamaica as well, I think I'd feel at home there. Perhaps one day I'll go and dig up the treasure I buried there in a previous incarnation. 

Any sage advice for young musicians?

I'd say most importantly don't box yourself in, a good song is a good song, so drive the song to where it wants you to take it, like a taxi driver. Secondly, embracing the idea that music comes through rather than from you. Lastly, never lose sight that the ability to create music is a great gift and a universe of infinite exploration.