Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Alvarez.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I got my first guitar when I was 10, and it was a tiny, crappy First Act steel string acoustic my grandpa had gotten me from el Pulguero over at the old Flagler dog track (which is now the Magic City Casino). Growing up, I didn’t really fit in with any of my friends in private school, so I was always into doing my own thing and being unique, so I decided to teach myself how to play that guitar. It took some 5 years before I could fart a power chord out that thing, but once I got the hang of that, I started my first band “Sad, Sexy, Stupid” and we went on to play shows together for a while. We were pretty much the only indie band out here in Kendall, so that meant being put on all the mixed genre shows at Kaffe Krystal where the majority of the lineup (of 8 or so bands, mind you) would be any mix between metal/hardcore/ska/punk. Eventually, that whole scene imploded with the closing of several venues and that band broke up. 4 bands and 12 years later, Firstworld came about and here I am now. I could tell you that entire odyssey here, but you wanted a brief walk through!
Please tell us about your art.
Firstworld was born from the ashes of my previous band Sigh Kicks. Originally, Firstworld was just an outlet for me to write songs that couldn’t fit with Sigh Kicks’ more poppy, glossy aesthetic. Firstworld was where I could play with more lo-fi sounds, write sadder/darker songs that were more reflective of how I was feeling at the time. It was also an opportunity for me to write full compositions without the guilt of writing someone else’s part in the band for them because there was no band, it was just me.
A lot of the music can be likened to Chill wave or Synthwave, both of which are titles I’ve embraced. I love artists like Neon Indian, Washed Out, and Toro y Moi and they influence my own music quite heavily, but I’ve always tried my best to expand on what’s there in those genres rather than continue down the same beaten path. So, what I can’t change sonically, I try to change it in my lyrical content. Not a lot of songs from those bands are dark, they’re usually just your general run of the mill love songs, for the most part. My songs are also love songs, but I try to tell an overall story through an EP than I would through just one song. I liked the idea of concept albums like the ones The Mars Volta and Coheed and Cambria made, so I wanted to try and tackle that with my work.
While I might be telling my story, I try to go out of my way to not set the meanings of the songs in stone. I feel like the best music one can listen to is the kind that one can relate to, be it in the lyrics or in the sounds themselves. So, my method of songwriting has always been inspired by trying to write something in a manner in which the listener can put themselves in the song and attach their own meaning to it. I also make it a point to have the music reflect the mood in the lyrics. I don’t like the idea of writing happy music with sad lyrics or vice versa (unless I’m trying to be ironic or cheeky), so I always try to imagine what the emotion I’m trying to convey would sound like. I try to make sure I can feel the music more than just hear it, which I think is something that is rarely done in Chillwave, as it’s always just being described as “dreamy” and “ethereal”.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Short answer: Harder, extremely harder.
Long answer: Bands starting out these days don’t have it as good as I had it back in 2005 when there were a ton of venues anyone could have played at and almost all the shows were all-ages shows, which meant more people could come out and be exposed to new music and get involved. Granted, it wasn’t perfect: we had to sell tickets for shows and hardly ever got paid for playing, but we still had ways to get out there and build a following.
These days there’s almost nowhere to play, and the places that do exist are either exclusive with their bookings, super far away, or 21+ venues. There also isn’t a “scene” so to speak. In my definition, a music scene consists not only of active musicians and bands that perform, but it also consists of venues taking in these musicians AND a community of audiences that is supportive and welcoming of new talent. Miami does NOT have that and it has been a VERY long time since it has. So, this translates into bands not having an outlet nor an eager audience to perform to and the audiences don’t have any place where they can be exposed to new music and support rising talent. And this is all just for the rookie bands.
The more veteran players like myself have to deal with almost the same things plus venues not paying well enough and audiences not being receptive enough. It’s very hard to get people going these days, as most people just go out to either to party, get wasted out of boredom, and/or to have something to post about on Instagram or Snapchat. Too much of the music business down here is also built on clout and a “who-you-know” kind of culture that leaves some hardworking artists out of important shows or opportunities simply because they don’t know the right people or aren’t cool enough (though it’s not to say that networking isn’t an important and crucial thing an artist needs to do in order to be successful in the music industry).
I think we need to start investing again in all-ages shows in the suburbs so kids can get out there and play their hearts out and have fun and make new friends at shows. So many of the people I’ve met at shows growing up have ended up helping me later on in my career, simply because we played shows together at Drake’s or Kaffe Krystal back in the day!
I also thing we need to open more venues in Wynwood and Midtown in general. We need to open the doors to more acts and get rid of the bullshit politics we have down here for the more veteran acts, so that they have more opportunities to progress in their careers, without having to jump through hoops.
Most importantly though, we need to start paying live acts much, much more. I’ve always said, if you’re a venue/bar and you can’t pay your acts at least $300 for a set, you have no business booking live music. We do this for the passion and yes, even the exposure, but we certainly won’t do it for your shit change or even less for free. You want to save money booking acts? Don’t book 5 bands in one bill. Book two acts, three at most, have them play for an hour each, and then a DJ for the rest of the night. Audiences won’t be gassed by the end of the night, bands won’t have their sets cut short, and you will get more of a bang for your buck. Promoters also need to start doing some promotion, rather than just booking the acts and making them do all the work. There are a few promoters down here who do amazing work and do their best to do right by the bands they book, but not all do this and I think this is a huge problem.
Acts also have to learn how to stand up for themselves and demand the pay and respect they deserve. You guys are taking time out of your lives to go out on a Thursday night and play these shows. You could be at home getting a good night’s rest for work the next morning, but you’re out doing what you love. You should definitely be fairly compensated for it because your time and your work does INDEED matter. You also shouldn’t be awkward about having a good time on stage or being proud of your work. Engage with your audiences. Put on a show, don’t just go play one.
Finally, audiences need to stop being so stuck up. It’s not embarrassing to dance at a show, or sing along to a local bands song, or even to buy their merch and BE A FAN. There’s nothing stupid or awkward about going to a show and getting into the music. If you feel that way, either get over it and have fun, or stay at home. Don’t come stink up the vibe with your disinterest and snobbiness.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The easiest way to hear my music is to go online and stream it. The BEST way to do it is to come out to a show when we have one. My band (Joey Prats and Daniella Chamorro) and I always try and put on a fun and engaging show. I absolutely dislike the idea of people coming out all the way Downtown, or to Wynwood, or the Beach to watch some pack of douchebags stand around on a stage and play their music, rather than perform it. I try to include the crowd in what we do up there because I need them to have a good time so that we can have a good time and put on the best show we can put.
So, going out to shows, partying with us, learning the words, and following us on social media is the best way to support us (aside from buying shirts and listening to my music online which actually pays for stuff, of course)!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/1stwrld
- Facebook: fb.com/1stwrld
- Twitter: twitter.com/1stwrldmusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1xqlVMH5EAhhmHSRwhXJUy
Image Credit:
All Images by: Jasmine Diana Romero
Junette Reyes
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