In an effort to build a space for queer people like myself, every Tuesday I’ll be posting interviews, opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx/WOC community since I am Latinx.) Welcome to Queerly Not Straight! Enjoy and leave a comment below if you have a suggestion for what I should cover next.
You don’t know it yet but REYNA is the Latinx and LGBTQ duo of your dreams that is going to conquer your Spotify, one song at a time! To help cater this love, we got a chance to speak with Vic Banuelos from the ‘80s-inspired electro-pop duo known as REYNA about representation, the importance of LGBTQ music, and how they’re getting by during this time of quarantine and self isolation.
Read on for our interview below and make sure to check out their latest video “Coachella” HERE! They filmed it at home with a projector and a lot of love and ended up with a hauntingly beautiful piece of art that my little queer & Latinx heart is still thinking about!
1. Can you tell us a little bit about REYNA, for those that haven’t listened to your music before?
We are sisters, two years apart & we have been making music as REYNA for three years. I would say our style is feel good 80s inspired indie pop. If we aren’t making you dance then we are probably making you cry. Our music can be moody and vibey.
2. How important is it to incorporate your Latinx heritage into your music?
We are really proud of who we are and where we come from. It’s definitely a defining characteristic of our artistry and I think it’s important to be authentic and to project your true self. It’s the only way that people can really connect to you and the art you’re putting out. We want to connect and relate to everyone but we also want to represent our culture and inspire people that look like us to follow their dreams.
3. What queer artists have inspired you in your journey to create LGBTQ+ friendly music?
I would say Freddy Mercury and Tegan and Sara are like our founding father and mothers. Hugely influential in our music and personally I really related to Tegan and Sara during my whole struggle with figuring out my sexuality. They were the band that I held on to and comforted me during my coming out journey.
4. How did your new music video for “Coachella” come to be?
We had this whole elaborate plan for this video, we wanted to have a mariachi band and our Grandmothers in the video which we would have had to fly to El Paso Texas (our hometown) to shoot it. Because of COVID we had to improvise quickly so we borrowed a projector from a friend and came up with the idea to project places we wanted to go to after the quarantine. We tried to make it vibey and fun even though we shot it in my bedroom!
5. What advice do you have for fans stuck in quarantine?
Take it day by day, some days are harder than others. Indulge in the things that make you feel good and try to avoid negative vibes and people. At least that’s what has worked for me, I’ve been running a lot and watching Netflix with my girlfriend over FaceTime since she is in Mexico and we can’t see each other for who knows how long. We have also been doing workouts together and trying to eat as healthy as possible. A little healthy competition is a good thing! Stay strong and sane we will get through this together.
REYNA‘s new song “Coachella” is available to view HERE.
Queerly Not Straight posts every Tuesday with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx community since I am Latinx.)
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Love the Song, would also like to see more transgender news. Thanks