Austin, Texas is arguably one of the greatest cities in America. Known as the live music capital of the world, it's home to some of the best venues, coolest music festivals and hottest new bands around. The latest and greatest new band to emerge from this diverse and eclectic scene is Bridges Ablaze. The band began in the minds of Brien Allen and Ruben Zamora, two virtuoso guitarists who don’t bend their identity to any one idea. While clearly soaked in heavy metal, this band actively displays their influences ranging from Jazz, death metal and beyond.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey! Bridges Ablaze, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you all into music?
RUBEN: Growing up, I have always had a passion for music. Back when I first started middle school, I had chosen “Music” as my elective. I remember daydreaming of playing the guitar, listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns N Roses, Metallica, and I would play mean air guitar to their songs. Fast forward into my early teens - my parents bought me a nylon-string acoustic guitar. I quickly fell in love with the instrument and the freedom to express how I was feeling. It was a unique experience.
BRIEN: I always had an affinity for music, even as a young child. I’d memorize songs from movies, or sing things I’d heard from somewhere like the TV or radio. After playing some instruments in school, I saw one of the kids in band played guitar. I thought it was the coolest thing and vowed to learn it. After hearing AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and Van Halen’s “Eruption”, I became obsessed and really pushed forward aggressively ever since with music.
What is your creative process like?
RUBEN: I tend to just doodle with riffs. I get inspiration from my favorite artists and channel what I’m feeling into the guitar. At times, Brien and I send each other our Logic Pro files to inspire one another, and that usually does the trick to start the writing process.
BRIEN: My creative process varies from song to song. I’ve seen songs be written from the drums up, the vocals down, or from the guitars outward. Or even something else. There is no limit to creative stitch-work with compositions. I’ve written songs based on drums or MIDI I’ve programmed, or even from vocal ideals. Although more often than not, songs usually start from the guitars. Also, songwriting varies between me, Ruben, and Robby. Sometimes me or Ruben will write a whole song with little alterations/additions, and sometimes it’s truly a creative collaboration between the three of us.
Your latest song is 'Hellbent'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
RUBEN: I recall Brien showing me the demo. He was starting to experiment with MIDI and one day he had shown me what he’d written. I’ll never forget how chunky that guitar tone was. It was at that moment we decided to dig deep into the song based off what Brien had written. Fast forward several months, and we took this song to our producer. We loaded up the demo and all felt the song and the vibes, and then started to carve away at it. The whole process was flawless - nothing but great ideas were tossed around in the room with Robby. We all knew the song felt right with the three of us. We couldn’t have done this with without any of us.
BRIEN: I’m not sure I noticed anything particularly unusual. Maybe, if anything, I just really let go of any expectations. I remember Robby carving up my demo and I wasn’t totally used to it. I fully trust and respect Robby, so I just went with it. I’ve seen him work unbelievable magic and I knew he’d come up with really cool edits and additions. It wasn’t long and I started to see the vision. At that point, I fully went with the flow of the room. From there, Hellbent was created. We wrote some parts of the song in the studio, although the vocal melody of the chorus and other parts were mostly written before entering the studio. I remember Ruben rapping and entirely believing in him as he did it, even though he had never rapped before on a track. I remember writing the breakdown on the spot, subtly inspired by Car Bomb (a prog/extreme metal band) actually. So much of Hellbent happened on the spot that wasn’t scripted. I guess if anything, that was what was unique - letting go without being too scripted. Letting go in such a way made space for a really powerful creative three-way synergy.
What was the most difficult challenge you faced in the song’s development?
RUBEN: Making sure it flowed, I had some really good ideas that tended to revolve around “Riffmageddon”. I do remember having the strongest urge to try and lay down a small portion of a rap in the song, and I quickly looked at the guys and said “Hey, put me on the mic! I have something!”
BRIEN: I suppose I kind of already started to answer this one in the previous answer! For me, it was letting go of the vision I had initially in the demo. But once I saw the new and improved vision, I was mind-blown, and very excited.
What is the biggest mistake you have made within your career to this point?
RUBEN: Trusting the wrong people. We have both had experiences with other projects where things fell through, but with how things operate with Brides Ablaze, everything flows so smoothly. Robby, Brien, and I love working with one another because we are always pushing one another’s ideas to the peak. Allowing trust and freedom during the process truly helps elevate one another.
BRIEN: What are the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made? That’s a great question. I’ve made so many! And all of them have yielded SO MUCH learning! Perhaps the biggest mistakes were trusting the wrong people, not trusting my inner voice or my instinct, or disempowering myself. This is why Bridges Ablaze is what it is today. The people are wonderful, hand-picked, vetted, and trustworthy. The structure of the band is extremely effective and functional in an interpersonal way and in a legal way. A lot of personal development from these mistakes ultimately led to a lot of musical and artistic development, and even business and industry development.
Are there people who help you with the production of the songs?
RUBEN: Yes, Robby Joyner. He’s helped with writing sessions and honestly, he brings out the best in us. With Brien, Robby, and myself, we all have an amazing time writing songs and recording. We are always building on each other’s ideas to create and it’s the best process we have ever had. It’s definitely the best building process that I’ve been a part of.
BRIEN: Yes! One person - Robby. He is amazing, too! If me and Ruben are bricks, he is the mortar. If we are the hand, he is the glove. He’s so skilled at his craft, and he is one of the few in the industry I fully trust. A truly great human, all around. Some songs, he’s had more of a laissez faire approach, and others, he’s been more interventionalistic. Either way, the songs have turned out great each time! If anything, I’ve learned that great songs can be crafted from any angle and it’s important to hold some vision while also being open to other angles as well.
What are your long term goals?
RUBEN: To bring people together. Music has saved me and it’s a part of my soul. It’s been there when I was at my lowest and it’s helped me with my toughest battles. I want us to make a living with Bridges Ablaze, to meet our Idols and prove to ourselves that our dreams can come true.
BRIEN: Some of my long term goals would to be make a living doing what I love and seeing the world while touring. Another important long term goal is to spread my songs to people who find peace, healing, and enjoyment in them. Essentially, to create community. These songs are monuments crafted in honor of my painful life experiences. The act of creating them is innately healing. If these songs can provide others with a space to feel what they need to in regards to their own version of these experiences, that is the next step in the process. If these songs heal me, that might ripple outward and could even heal others too. Knowing that others are impacted in a positive way gives so much more meaning to the painful experiences I’ve had.
What do your fans mean to you? What do you value most in them?
RUBEN: Our fans mean the world to us. Without them, we wouldn’t be doing what we do today - they give us the courage to travel the road less traveled by and to give them amazing music along the way. We value their trust in us, and their love and continuous support towards Bridges Ablaze. We love when someone reaches out and says, “I loved your song!”
BRIEN: Honestly, the fans are everything. They are so kind and so uplifting. I’d say another aspect of music that is really healing is in how supportive people can be. Music is difficult. It’s a hard life and a brutal industry, but the fans make it worth it. They are so good to us and we love them with all our heart. I value, most of all, their sincerity and self-expression and uniqueness.
What are some memorable responses have you had to your work?
RUBEN: Seeing someone react to our music or my guitar playing is something I will cherish forever. Especially when they start to sing along, those moments truly make me feel blessed to be here.
BRIEN: I’ve seen people roll out of chairs and onto the floor in response to some of my work. I’ve also seen people scream with excitement. I’ve had people ask me on dates. I’ve even had people fall asleep because I’m playing something droning, trance-like, and peaceful. It’s truly been wild to experience such vivid and lively responses! I am truly blessed to have experienced reactions like this to my work before I die.
Where is the best place in the world each of you has been to?
RUBEN: The best place I have traveled to would be The Grand Canyon. My family and I would make trips out to New Mexico to fish, hike or go visit The Grand Canyon. I remember being overwhelmed with awe on how beautiful the sight was. I’ll never forget when my stepfather, John Close, and I ended up hiking from the North rim to the South Rim, it was along adventure! Beautiful experience, but sore the following days due to all the walking/hiking.
BRIEN: I’d actually have to say Red Mountain Pass. Although I love parts of Northern California and Southern Arizona, Red Mountain Pass takes the cake. It begins in a small town called Silverton, CO and stretches to Ouray, CO. It’s a region of Highway 550 in Colorado that is blasted into a cliff of pure quartzite. Quartzite is metamorphosed quartz, so it is quite beautiful. It is jagged, granite-like, and multicolored in spots. At points, there is hardly any shoulder to the road - there is just a cliff with a multi-hundred foot drop off. And at the other shoulder, it is a vertical cliff rising up hundreds more feet upwards. It is an incredibly beautiful landscape, but also incredibly hostile and unforgiving. I think that’s what is so intriguing about it to me. It is terrifying. One of the scariest places I’ve been to. But, it is also the most breathtaking. It shows you just how big nature is, and how small we are in the face of it, and how it is in our best interest to go with the grain of nature and not against it. I find the raw experience of it to be viscerally cleansing because it is quite the in-your-face reminder of such important truths that we all need, but don’t often get to see so boldly in more traditional, benign landscapes and in everyday cityscape.