Photos: Sandra Byars
For interview #23, I got an amazing opportunity to chat with Pedro from Black Budget. We discuss things such as how he got started in music, favorite equipment, new projects, shows, hobbies and more! Get to know Pedro here:
trtlz: Hi! Thanks so much for doing this interview with me! I'm actually really excited about this and it's finally happening!
Pedro: Hey!! Thanks for having me and I am so excited its finally happening as well ahh!!
trtlz: To start things off, can you tell me a little bit about yourself, like a small introduction?
Pedro: My name is Pedro Alvarado, I am the guitarist and singer of the punk rock/desert rock band Black Budget based out of the Greater Toronto Area, in Canada
trtlz: Awesome! Let's get to know Black Budget a little better. Who is Black Budget? I read that it started out with you and Jack, and Michael came later on, is that right? How long have you been together and what brought you all together?
Pedro: Black Budget got started in early April of 2020, when we were all locked down. Originally it was Jack and I who have been friends for many years and we have been playing music together since the 10th grade. I started sending Jack some demos and he recorded drums and we worked remotely for the first few months of this project. Then once things started opening up together we went to a rehearsal studio and played the songs together and Michael joined the band. We have worked with Michael in the past in a cover band we were in, and that band went their separate ways so we reached out to him and he joined immediately. He was the missing piece in the puzzle and it was amazing because the 3 of us have been playing together for almost 3 years now so we have an amazing chemistry.
trtlz: Ahh man that's really cool you guys have history and this brought you all back together!
trtlz: What was it like working remotely with Jack in the beginning? Was it strange or did it go smoothly?
Pedro: It was interesting at first because when we work in person we are bouncing ideas and trying new things, so working remotely we had to really trust that the parts we were performing, and playing were going to work for the song. If something didn’t sound okay we would just record it and send it to the other again. I found that to be a bit of a challenge. On a positive side we were recording and writing from our home studios and it is a comfortable experience, there is no time limit and we didn’t work with a producer or anyone else, so we could take more risks and try different things out. It was a cool experience that I personally think made me a better musician!
trtlz: Yeah, for sure! That's really cool you guys were able to take such a difficult time and transition it into an amazing learning experience for you as well as an opportunity to try new things and progress your skills!
trtlz: I love hearing about how people come up with their artists names. So what's the story behind the name Black Budget? How did you guys come up with the name?
Pedro: A few years ago Jack came up with the name when we were hanging out!! I remember it being one of those names that sticks around and we were saving for the right time. Its neat as well because Black Budget is the term for a government budget that is used for secret operations, like aliens, military stuff, and a bunch of more spooky stuff hahaha
trtlz: Ahh yes!! You guys really did save it for the right time! It sounds like a fun name haha
Pedro: Definitely stay on the look out for some songs about aliens and spooky stuff hahaha!
trtlz: What inspired you to get into music and start a band? Do you have any music artists or songs that have heavily influenced you to become the musician you are now?
Pedro: I have been playing guitar since the 1st grade (many many many years ago) and I havent stopped since. I grew up with Green Day, Ramones, Blink, and more punk bands that really always made me want to be in a band. I think my biggest influence has to be Green Day’s American Idiot.. that one was my favorite album growing up and that entire album is what made me the musician I am now. The song Jesus of suburbia specially, its a masterpiece ahh!!
trtlz: Yeah that's incredible you got an early start, that's always fascinating to me when I talk to someone who's passion for music started so young. I was the same way, so it's super relatable.
trtlz: Do you have specific preferences for gear you love using the most? Which guitars, strings, amps, and pedals are you currently using and why? Do you have any other go-to brands and equipment choices?
Pedro: Ahhh I am a complete gear head so I will go crazy for this question!! My current set up is a Vox ac30, with a 2020 Gibson les Paul Classic. Thats my main guitar and amp and for a backup I have an ESP Explorer guitar and a fender blues junior amp. To me, there is no better sound than a les Paul through a cranked Vox but I am always on the hunt for guitar tone. I use Ernie ball strings, for most of the songs we do they are tuned to C standard, so I play with 11’s, but I alternate between the classic 10s as well. I have always used these strings and havent tried others yet, I am a creature of habit so if it works, I stick to it haha.
Pedro: I have a pedalboard that I built that has a few overdrive, delay and chorus pedals, but to be honest most of the time I am only using the amp distortion. Only for a few solos to boost out of the mix I will use either the Blues Driver, or the SD-1. Both are solid and you can really beat them up on stage. I tend to beat up my gear on stage while I play so all of the things in my set up have to be solid and reliable
trtlz: Shoot that's such a phenomenal response, probably the best response to this question I have ever received. I love how you explain why you have the preferences you do and how they relate to your music.
trtlz: Do you use your Gibson Les Paul for writing too or do you have a different guitar you prefer using for writing?
Pedro: For writing, I will either use an old acoustic I have or the Les Paul. But also I have this trick I use if I am having writers block, I will pick up an instrument I’m not comfortable with and try to create on it. It is usually bass! Some of my favorite riffs I have made have come because I was doodling on a bass
trtlz: That's interesting! How do you feel that helps you with writers block? Is it because it makes you think more since it's not as familiar?
Pedro: It definitely makes me think more! I find that with guitar sometimes I can get too comfortable, so when I create on a bass it makes me try different notes and progressions. I find that I take more creative risks because I am not 100% confident on the instrument so I am not afraid to mess up in a way
trtlz: That's such a good idea and makes so much sense
trtlz: So you have a couple of singles out currently- I've heard "Do You Want It" and "Smooth". "Do You Want It" is my personal favorite because I really love the energy in that song and it's the first song I heard from you guys! It has a grungy punk rock sound and just listening to it always gets me pretty pumped. Can you tell me a little about what that song means to you and what motivated you to create it?
Pedro: Thank you!! That was the first song I ever fully wrote and it is what started this band! The motivation from that song came from thinking back to past relationships, and how much people can overthink things sometimes. It is basically about not caring anymore and just letting everything play by ear and see what happens. Creating this song was very fun too because as I said before, it was done remotely, so we were still kind of figuring it all out. I am still to this day surprised about how energetic and fun of a song it turned out to be
trtlz: Yes!! It really is a lot of fun. And I had no idea it was done remotely, that's amazing to me! And it's really cool to listen to cause I'm trying to transition into a more laid back, play things by ear vibe so this song helps with that for sure
trtlz: And of course, let's talk about your brand new single "Stuck In the Desert"! It turned out incredible! I hope you're really proud of it.
trtlz: I really love the deep tone of the guitars in this song and also how its so in sync with the vocals. It almost sounds like the guitar is part of the vocals in certain parts, I love that. The drums also have this really cool robust, powerful sound and kind of stomp into the song and it really gives the track a nice, dark, edgy impression. What are you most excited about with the song?
Pedro: Yeah!! That is a song I am extremely proud of. Thats actually an example of writing a song out of my comfort zone on a different instrument as well! I really appreciate you noticing the vocals because I wanted them to blend in with the guitars in parts as well. I am so excited for people to hear that song because it is nothing like our other songs. The way I see the song, it’s one ride and the song can take you wherever you want it to. Jack’s drumming is incredible and he is a machine! This song really highlights how good he is at the drums.
trtlz: Yeah honestly I think you all sound amazing in this song. It is different, but 100% in a good way. I think it shows off your skills as musicians really well.
trtlz: What was the whole process like creating this song, from writing to recording? How has this experience been different from your previous recordings?
Pedro: The writing process was very unique because I wrote this song many months ago when I was playing around on bass, I had just gotten a new pedal and I was doodling around when I came up with the intro chord progression and I immediately hit record. From then, the song kind of wrote itself by putting everything together, the melody, and the lyrics all came very naturally for me because it was when we were in the middle of the second lockdown in Toronto. I was feeling stuck and I created a song exactly how I was feeling at that time. It is a very personal and close song to me. I showed jack the song and we rehearsed it together a few times, adjusted a few things and we completed the song together. When the city started to open up again and studios were operating, we took this song to our local studio and worked with an engineer getting the guitar tones, bass, drums and vocals.
Pedro: The song was recorded in about 8 hours, which was an incredible experience. For this song, I also played bass. This was when Michael wasn’t in the band yet, and when we weren’t legally allowed to have too many people in one room for recording, so it all kind of worked out. It was the first time jack and I got in a studio together to record something we created and we were blessed to have such a smooth experience, I think you can hear that in the song as well.
trtlz: I know everything has been crazy tough for the music scene as a result of this pandemic and so many venues have been suffering and artists as well. How has this whole experience been for you? I know you mentioned a little about it before, but has it provided more opportunities for you to work on projects and sharpen your skills or has it been a challenge?
Pedro: The pandemic has been extremely tough for venues, artists, and so so many more people. We have been teaming up with Save Toronto Music Venues, who are an organization that provides support to our local venues. They are putting together events, creating merch, donating profits, and doing so many more things to help the music scene which is amazing and very needed at a time like this.
Pedro: Personally, this experience has been full of ups and downs. In a way, if it wasn’t for the pandemic Black Budget would’ve never started, or it would’ve come later on. So I am very thankful and appreciative of the time it gave me. I am a way better musician than I was 2 years ago. But at the same time, I miss playing shows, performing in front of friends, and meeting new people.
trtlz: That's so amazing you have an organization like that out there! Obviously being someone with a music blog, I have such a huge appreciation for other people who want to support music.
trtlz: I've seen some places are slowly starting things up again and shows are popping up more and more. I also saw you have a few shows coming up! How has the experience been so far as you've gotten back into playing live?
Pedro: Its been amazing! The three of us have played many shows before but this was the first time that we take the stage as Black Budget and the support we have received has been so rad. We played our first show August 14th at the hardluck in Toronto. That was a killer show, it was a sold out crowd and we could feel the energy of the audience. It’s been almost 2 years of no shows and for a few people this was their first show back, so we played our hearts out. A very cool experience that I cant wait to continue doing
trtlz: Ooohhh yeah for sure I know that must have been a mind blowing feeling being back at a show. I just went to my first show since everything and it was a blast, you could totally tell how much both the bands and the crowd missed it
trtlz: You know I got to catch the live stream of you guys playing at El Mocambo a few months ago and that was really cool. I was super grateful being all the way in Florida that it was live streamed. How did that feel for you?
Pedro: I read your review of the 21 Years of really bad luck tour by the way and it was amazing! El Mocambo was an amazing experience and I am so happy that Black Budget was involved. It felt incredible playing at the same place where so many legendary acts have played! Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ramones, Queens of the Stone Age, Rolling Stones.. so many of my inspirations and influences. The night was very cool as well because I had my family in Chile watching, and we were able to reach a very wide audience all over the world thanks to the livestream studio they have set up. I think the only thing that would’ve made it better would be to have fans there, and that is definitely in my list of things to do!
trtlz: Oh man thank you so much that means a lot you actually read it! And of course! That's such a sick venue, I'm sure being there was really exciting. Hopefully there will be another there soon both live streamed and with a live crowd as well
trtlz: Aside from recent events and the struggles the scene has experienced, how is the Toronto music scene generally? Is it really active? Do you feel a lot of other artists are supportive of each other?
Pedro: Toronto has so much cool music, there is jazz, RNB, blues, metal, and so many more music styles that it makes it a very interesting music city. Its very active and there is always something going on. I do think it can be a bit competitive at times for smaller acts, but I also find a lot of support and appreciation for music. Especially now, we all just want to play music and get back out there
trtlz: What tips or advice would you offer for other artists looking to connect and network?
Pedro: Go to shows!!! Meeting people and supporting other artists is the best way to create relationships. I prefer doing that compared to using instagram or doing things on social media. It is a more human and organic experience and you also get to go out and watch a show!
trtlz: Haha yes! Exactly. I love that, you're so right. Social media can be great, but actually being around people and sharing your passion for music is unbeatable.
trtlz: What message do you hope to convey through your music?
Pedro: I hope to make people relate to the music but more importantly I want them to interpret our songs in their own ways. Everyone sings a song for a different reason and emotion, and I hope that my music can be sung 1000 times for 1000 different reasons.
trtlz: What's something you feel makes up a huge part of who you are that most people might not realize about you right away?
Pedro: I think on a personal level, people may not know this but I am a huge soccer fan. My friend and I even have our own podcast where we talk about the sport. You can ask my family or close friends and they will all tell you I am insane with how much I love the sport hahaha! My life is guitar riffs and soccer games
trtlz: Haha that's sweet! I was actually going to ask what other hobbies or side projects you have so that's perfect! Real, real cool. Is there anything else you like to do for fun when you're not creating music?
Pedro: I enjoy driving and listening to new bands or podcasts. Hmmmm, other than that I have been watching Avatar The Last Airbender on Netflix which is the best show ever!!!
trtlz: Oh man, I can't even start talking about Avatar The Last Airbender, haha I'll go on and on. It's so great.
trtlz: What's next for Black Budget? Any exciting news or plans in the works?
Pedro: We are going to finish writing a few more songs and then going to hit the studio to record more music! However for now, we are playing shows and getting ready for Stuck In The Desert to release, which is sept 24th and I am so excited for everyone to hear!
trtlz: Yes!! I'm excited as well! Thank you so much again for taking the time to do this interview. I'm super grateful! Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Pedro: Thanks for having me on your blog and thank you for your help supporting independent musicians! It means so much to us. You are amazing and I cant wait for you to hear more Black Budget music! 🤘
You can hear Black Budget on most streaming services, including Spotify https://tinyurl.com/74jz2zyu and be sure to check out their newly released song "Stuck In The Desert" on Friday,September 24th .
Thank you so much for having me!