Los Bitchos on their debut album and Scottish connections
As they prepare to release their long-awaited debut album, we catch up with Agustina Ruiz and Josefine Jonsson of London-based four-piece Los Bitchos to discuss their international influences and love affair with Scotland
If there’s one thing Los Bitchos are about, it’s fun. Through joyous rhythms and sun-soaked grooves, the band take us on a journey through Argentine cumbia, Anatolian rock, Scandinavian pop, British punk and beyond, showcasing their diverse musical backgrounds and influences.
With members hailing from Australia, Uruguay, Sweden and the UK, Los Bitchos truly is a global affair. But it was through playing in different bands and floating in similar circles in London where they all came together. “It's not intentional; it is quite random that we're all from all these different places, but London brought us together,” says bassist Josefine Jonsson.
Following a chance meeting at a party, guitarist Serra Petale and keytar player Agustina Ruiz originally formed the band back in 2017. Then, a year later, they enlisted Jonsson – Petale’s friend of ten years – to join on bass and, shortly after, found drummer Nic Crenshaw, who was recommended by friends. But watching the band perform, you would think they had been playing together all their lives.
“It's just such happy music to play; it's impossible to not have a good time,” says Jonsson. “In previous bands, it's been a lot more serious… but with this I couldn't even if I tried, because it's just a fun project. I think having fun is a really big part of our group, and that's important to all of us.”
With fun at the centre of the Los Bitchos ethos, it’s no wonder they’ve named their debut album Let the Festivities Begin! Recorded all the way back in January 2020 in London’s Gallery Studios – before you know what came along – the album was produced by Scottish indie royalty Alex Kapranos, after he had seen the band play live and went on to produce previous singles Pista (Great Start) and The Link Is About to Die.
Both singles feature on the album, but – like many of its tracks – have been given a freshen up; so much so that even some of the track titles have been altered to reflect the changes. Previous single Pista (Great Start) has been renamed Pista (Fresh Start), while another popular track from their live sets, Bugs Bunny, has also been given a lick of paint, featuring on the album under its new title Change of Heart.
A highlight on the album is its closing track, Lindsay Goes to Mykonos, named after Lindsay Lohan’s Apprentice-esque reality TV series Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club. “That's why we called it that, because we're so obsessed with her and we wanted to make a song for her,” exclaims Ruiz. While Jonsson adds: “I'm determined that we're gonna do a music video in Mykonos for that song!”
Although they haven’t made it to Mykonos quite yet, the trio of singles released from the album so far has taken them to some other interesting places in their music videos. “We don't think too much… we just find things funny and want to do them,” says Ruiz, while singing the praises of their director – another Scot – Perth-born Tom Mitchell.
The video for lead single Las Panteras finds the band resembling Charlie’s Angels on the hunt for mastermind criminal Pantera – who isn’t quite as threatening as you’d expect – complete with dance breaks and a fight scene. The story continues in the Good to Go! video, in which Alex Kapranos makes a cameo as a slightly psychotic game show host, before reaching a conclusion in Pista (Fresh Start).
“I think the actual trilogy concept we came up with while we were waiting at an airport,” says Jonsson. “We planned Las Panteras… and we were like we should just build on this first video and do a spin-off for the next two,” she continues. Ruiz adds: “Also, Good to Go!, for us, is really like a game show song… so it ended up making a lot of sense in a way – or at least for us it makes a lot of sense, I don't know for other people,” she laughs.
Funnily enough, the ties to Scotland don’t stop at Kapranos and Mitchell, with Jonsson sharing the realisation that the band “work pretty much only with Scottish people in our team.” Then, Ruiz interjects: “I did say that in a message once to the group. I was like, ‘Oh my god, guys! Our manager, producer, and Tom – they're all Scottish!’ And no one answered,” she laughs. “You know when you're drunk and you're like this is the best thing that ever occurred to me!”
Drunken realisations and seemingly batshit ideas are an important part of what makes Los Bitchos so special. Unpretentious, fun, and often a little bit mad, it’s difficult to resist their charm; and, once you’ve had a taste, it’ll feel like the best party you’ve ever been to.
Let the Festivities Begin! is released on 4 Feb via City Slang
Los Bitchos play Stereo, Glasgow, 18 Feb