Singer-Songwriter Brian Lopez premieres hallucinogenic video for “Soledad”
Singer-Songwriter Brian Lopez premieres hallucinogenic video for “Soledad”
Shining bright under the Arizona sun, singer-songwriter and producer Brian López has played a significant role in shaping the sound of the American Southwest over the past two decades. López, a classically-trained musician with indie-rock roots, seamlessly bridges genres from indie and art rock to Americana, psychedelia, folk, cumbia, and chamber pop.
López’s critically-acclaimed fourth studio album, TIDAL, encapsulates his sweet magnetism and characteristic Southwestern psychedelic tendencies. Since its release in 2023, the album has garnered significant recognition, being named “Album of The Month” on FIP national radio in France and receiving features in major outlets like NPR, Americana UK, and Rolling Stone France. Recorded at Dust and Stone Studios in Tucson, Arizona, TIDAL has been lauded as “a psychedelic masterpiece” and a “mature, baroque, sunlight-and-shade album that a few lucky artists get to make in their careers.”
Since the release of TIDAL, López has captivated audiences across North America and Europe, performing at prestigious venues like the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and opening for acclaimed bands such as Calexico and DeVotchKa. Besides his solo career, López has been an active member of the band Calexico since 2018, which has profoundly influenced his songwriting. He has also toured with notable artists like Gaby Moreno, Nouvelle Vague, KT Tunstall, Giant Sand, and Mexican Institute of Sound, and he is the frontman and founding member of the psych/cumbia band XIXA.
López’s music has found a place in numerous recordings and media, including Amos Lee’s “Windows Are Rolled Down,” Calexico’s “California Dreamin,” and KT Tunstall’s album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon. His tracks have also been featured in CBS’s “Coyote,” Netflix’s “October Faction,” and Amazon Prime’s “Night Sky.”
Marie Montiero
Marking the one-year anniversary of TIDAL‘s release, López presents “Soledad,” an instrumental B-side single from the album. The title “Soledad” is inspired by Gabriel García Márquez’s 1967 novel Cien Años de Soledad (100 Years of Solitude) and pays homage to the author’s use of magical realism. “I wanted to produce the sonic essence of Magical Realism — a score that would pair seamlessly with any page inked by García Márquez,” López explains.
The music video for “Soledad” was directed by the internationally renowned fine artist, Daniel Martin Diaz. Diaz, whose art philosophy sees art as a mirror to humanity and a medium delving into the physical and metaphysical realms, reflects on the collaboration: “Collaborating with López on the ‘Soledad’ video was a great experience. Our vision sought to capture the spirit of Luis Buñuel and the techniques of early surrealists. The nostalgic musical tone of ‘Soledad’ inspired a sense of the past and familiarity, leading us to let the music itself inform our aesthetic decisions.”
In “Soledad,” López and Diaz offer a mesmerizing visual and auditory experience that captures the essence of magical realism and the profound influence of the American Southwest on López’s music.
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