In depth with Montufar about new single release, “Defectos”

Photo by Nathaly CM

Montufar is an alternative band consisting of siblings Victor and Marifer Montufar. They began their music career in 2019, recording demos in their bathroom. Their debut single, “Ojos,” was recorded at Chapel Studios and released towards the end of 2021. In 2022, they followed up with two more singles, “Escaparnos” and “Acércate.” In addition to their original singles, Montufar also incorporates covers into their live performances. In 2023, they achieved significant milestones by performing two sold-out shows. The first was in Mexico City, and the second was as the opening act for Jesse y Joy in San Antonio, Texas.

 Victor speaks to us on behalf of Montufar, for an exclusive interview before the release of their new single “Defectos”, released today.

Photo by Nathaly CM

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “Defectos”? Would you be able to share any personal experiences, events or emotions that influenced the creation of this song?

“Defectos went through so many versions since 2018, lyrics and production wise. The lyrics used to be in english, accompanied by a very acoustic production. That was back when I was studying in LA for a semester. From that point on, it would come in and out of the drawing board. I almost officially killed the song because it became so complex to me on a technical and emotional level. I tried turning it into another song. That didn’t work – but it did squeeze out some nice lyrics for another song. I then realized “Defectos” worked very well with the crowd when we included it in our set at the Aztec Theater. So, after we got off stage, I told my sister, “Defectos” was very fun, let’s get back to it and just change it up a bit.

We started from scratch the next day and went on a massive journey in search for the missing pieces. The song was all recorded from home. The bass, percussion, keys, and sax were done by other musicians from different parts of the world. They all did an amazing and beautiful job. This song would be nothing without them, I swear. The bass was recorded by Valeria Cruz; she is part of Leon Larregui’s live band. The percussions were done by Pipe Ceballos; he is also part of Leon Larregui’s live band, and also part of Zoe. The keys were done by Brenda Livier, she was part of our live band in Mexico City. And the sax was done by John Waugh, part of The 1975’s live band. 

 We came across many moments of doubt, writer’s block, and imposter syndrome. It got very dark. But by some divine “aha” moment; we managed to tear down those walls and bring in the light. Listening to a lot of albums helped us out a lot. It’s healthy to go back to what got us into this in the first place. We tried to get that stadium rock energy that The Killers, M83, Bruce Springsteen, and Soda Stereo delivers in their music. But also, the intimacy The 1975, Billie Eilish, Fleetwood Mac, and Mecano depict within their lyrics and essence. Also, watching a lot of “The Sopranos” and “The Knick”, and playing “Bloodborne”, as well as some other PlayStation games helped me out a lot on how to persevere through the process – it really helps your mind to search for ideas.”

How does this song differ from your previous work? Are there any instrumental elements that separate this song from your other releases?

“It’s different in the sense of how we approached everything from the first day of recording. Like I mentioned before, we all recorded from our home studios. A different process. I had to direct everyone through phone calls, texts, or email. I’m used to being there with the musicians at the moment. Both ways are great. 

Another reason why this song can be considered a bit different from our first 3 singles is that we managed to do a non-traditional outro. That outro was really all a combination of a “happy accident” and a huge “what if” moment. I won’t go into details because it’s confusing, but let’s just say M83’s “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”, The Killers, watching “The Knick”, and reading Rick Rubin’s “The Creative Act: The Way of Being” inspired me to do some major changes to get to that outro. I realized that it’s okay to go in blind into a sea of huge waves. Once you trust your natural instinct; the water will safely float you on to a new shore of possibilities.”

Are there any particular moments or lyrics in the song that are meaningful to you?

“That’s a difficult question, Nimsi. Very difficult. But I would have to say the bridge; that’s where everyone can easily start dancing to the song. I hope so. The sax solo is insane, John did a great job there. All in all I can’t really answer this question at its fullest because I honestly love every single moment of this song.”

I had the honor and absolute pleasure of hearing the full song before the release date, and the emotions evoked within me ranged from nostalgia but also a sense of longing. What do you hope listeners will take away from this song, and what emotions or reactions do you hope to evoke from your audience?

“I hope they can find themselves in some corner of the universe of this song, just like you did. The goal is for them to connect our music with their personal memories or even moments. I want this song to be heard through some headphones at some random hallway in a high school by some lonely teenager. You know? I want them to feel what I felt when I was losing myself to music during my teenage years. I also want this song to be heard by some mid-20s soul that just got their heart broken in some college dorm. I don’t know, I just wish for this song to connect with many souls, and accompany them during any kind of moment in life. We don’t view Montufar as a narcissistic band where we show off who we are, but we view Montufar as a band that writes and composes for the people who want to feel some kind of nostalgic feeling in life. It’s for the ones who want to disconnect from reality for a while.”

How does this release contribute to any ambitions you have personally or as a band for your musical career in the future, any specific goals or aspirations?

“Our goal is to reach more people so we can get to the point and do more music and shows. We want to connect with more people this year, we have so much to deliver to them. But without any listeners, we can’t seem to find another reason to make more music. It’s the hard truth. So please, if you’re reading this - tell all your friends about us, we’re here to make you feel something with our music.”

Follow the band and listen to “Defectos” now!