Start Listening To: Dinero Romero
Get the hooked on Louisville psych-rockers with lust for life and thirst for beer.
Dinero Romero came from rural Louisville and the two blokes with a grand idea of creating a psychedelic supergroup. A couple of years, trials and tribulations later, John and Kenny have found musicians willing to explore the wonderfully woozy instrumental dimensions with them. Blending DIY garage, jazz and personal musings, Dinero Romero gives us their unique, cross-genres take on their surroundings. Their freshly-released debut single, ‘Laser Beam of Consciousness’, shoots straight to our subconscious and dares us to bear witness to their weird exploration. After getting the first dose of their wacky medicine, we’re desperate for more. It’s highly addictive.
Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?
Levi: We are a denim-psychedelic band from the denim areas in and around Louisville, Kentucky, that is hungry for life and thirsty for beer. We make music that is for swashbuckling for sure.
How did it all start?
Kenny: The group started out with me, John, and the idea of creating a super group. Through a couple years we went through trials of finding members from different bands around Louisville, that fit the denim psych style and had the same musical direction as us. We then came across the fine lads we have the pleasure of creating with now.
If you were to describe your sound to someone who’d never heard you before, what would you say?
Cameron: A blend of garage rock along with soulful jazz and jam band inspired arrangements. With an overall psychedelic backdrop.
How are you feeling about the release of your debut single Laser Beam of Consciousness?
Robbie: I’m stoked about the release of the single. I’m really satisfied with the sound we were able to get, and I think it has been received very well.
Can you tell us more about how you produce your music?
John: We’ve got a very ”homecooked” method for writing our tunes. Usually I’ll bring in a fragment of a song idea and we all work together figuring out who plays what, how the parts should weave together, where the song direction should go, ect. From there, we record in the studio and then do the mixing and mastering ourselves. I’ll usually do most of the mixing and then Robby will finish off the mix and master the track. A song isn’t considered complete until Levi adds a pinch of magic with his tambourine.
What inspires your music?
Matt: Our ability to work together makes it easy to get quality songs in our repertoire. We’ve had this lineup less than a year, and everyone seemed to gel right away. It’s about as organic of a group you could ask for, which to me is all the inspiration you need to create.
Where did you get your name?
John: Well it was sort of a name that I had been kicking around for several years before. I thought the name “Romero” was really cool when I saw it in the opening credits of Night of the Living dead movie (directed by George Romero) and I was like “shoot that would be a great name for a band”. So I got to thinking about what words would fit with it and “Dinero” (which means money in Spanish) just felt right. It doesn’t have any secret meaning like “Money Romeo” or anything like that.
Can you tell us something interesting about the band that doesn’t have anything to do with music?
Will: We wear denim for all of our shows but it’s just purely a coincidence, we are just that in sync with each other (not to be confused with NSYNC, the 2000s boy band)
What advice would you give for anyone trying to achieve a similar sound to your band?
Kenny: I would tell them to find two drummers that know how to mesh together so well, that at a point they become one entity. Then you pair them with the sauciest guitar, bass, keys, and auxiliary players you can find. From there you just create what you love to hear.
How has Louisville, Kentucky influenced your music?
Robbie: Louisville has influenced my music through my friends and all the experiences we have had here together. I’ve been so inspired by several Louisville bands like My Morning Jacket, Slint, White Reaper, Bendigo Fletcher, Boa Boys and so many other great acts and getting to see them up close takes it to a whole different level. It truly is home to me and I don’t think I would be the person I am without it.
If your band were a film or TV show which would it be?
Cameron: I’ve never watched the sopranos, but I can get those vibes. All with some aspects of the midnight gospel.
Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s important to you?
Will: An album I listened to as a kid/still is Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall”. I love the entire production of the album and the songs just make you wanna move and groove. Also, the horn line parts are just to die for. The person who wrote them was a trumpeter named Jerry Hey. Hey and I share a common trumpet teacher, Bill Adam, so I feel extra connected to the songs knowing that.
What do you hate right now?
Levi: I hate when I’m hungry and I can't get something to eat, I hate interviews, I hate disrespect, and I hate throwing up.
What do you love right now?
Matt: I love lamp.
What comes next in the Dinero Romero story?
John: We’ve got a slew of shows coming up, (follow us on IG and Facebook @DineroRomeroBand for more info) as well as a 2 new single before the end of the year, a music video, and a full length in the spring. Ow Ow Ow!
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Kenny: I also love lamp