AUK readers have long been admirers of Richmond Fontaine and The Delines and so it’ll be news to readers’ ears that Freddy Trujillo, who plays bass in both bands has announced the release of his fourth solo album entitled ‘I Never Threw A Shadow At It’, due for release on 24th May 2024. The singer-songwriter, who was born in Simi Valley in California but now calls Portland, Oregon home presents an honest storyteller’s look at his life growing up in Southern California as a Chicano.
The record is very personal: the album’s title track details a situation where Trujillo called the Los Angeles Police Department when someone attempted to steal his car, only to be treated like the criminal because of the colour of his skin when the police showed up. “I usually write songs about my life or memories,” he says of the song. “[This song] is about a personal incident I had with the LAPD in 1992. All songs, except ‘Corpus Christi’ and ‘Remember’ are personal songs or about someone that is close to me.”
‘I Never Threw A Shadow At It’ blends folk, Chicano-rock, and a lot of heart throughout its ten tracks. It was engineered and co-produced by The Delines’ Cory Gray at his Old Unconscious Studios. “This record has all The Delines on it in some way or the other. But the record is super different [than The Delines],” admits Trujillo. “I am exploring different beats and tempos. If I didn’t say anything, a person wouldn’t have guessed that it is the same group of people.”
Like many albums from artists with a lot of time on their hands during the pandemic, ‘I Never Threw A Shadow Out It’ grew from needing something to do while touring or playing out were impossible. “This album was motivated by needing something to do during the pandemic. I finally had a group of guys that show up as my band and then covid hits. I felt I had to do something to keep us engaged since we couldn’t play,” he recalls of the origins of the songs. “The Black Lives Matter movement got me thinking about my own struggles with the police throughout my life. Especially when I was younger. ‘Many Years of Minding,’ which closes out the album, is sort of a bookmark or review of what my experience has been in the United States. I am staying on theme with a lot of my past records, which is life as a Chicano. ‘I Didn’t Cross the Border, The Border Crossed Me’ is exactly that, a look at the fact that Mexican culture was in the Southwest before it was considered America.”
When asked how the record fits in the musical landscape of today, Trujillo shrugs that he’s not sure if it does, noting he’s never really fit in prior. But, he’s still proud of the record and knows it fits in somewhere, and that those that connect with it will really connect with it.
“I am not sure. I haven’t fit in very well up to this point. Although, I have been waiting for a time like this. I feel there are many Latino artists doing experimental things. Artists like Adrian Quesada, Gaby Moreno, Chicano Batman, Sacred Souls, and Angelica Garcia are moving things into new territory. I hope I can get noticed by the people that are putting these artists on the map. Latin music has always been so safe. Whether it be Mexican polkas or Latin dance grooves like Reggaeton, it’s been safe. I wanted to make a record that didn’t feel safe, but really spoke the truth, from my experiences.”
Trujillo will be supporting The Delines on their UK and European dates in June and July.
The Delines with Freddy Trujillo 2024 Tour dates:
8 Jun – Liphook, Hampshire- Wild Acres Roots Rock Festival
11 Jun – Oxford, UK – O2 Academy 2
12 Jun – Cambridge, UK – Junction 2
13 Jun – Chester, UK – St Mary’s Creative Space
15 Jun – Portsmouth, UK – Wedgewood Rooms
9 Jul – Eindhoven, NL- Muziekgebouw
10 Jul – Alkmaar, NL- Victorie
11 Jul – Hengelo, NL – Metropool
12 Jul – Leeuwarden, NL- Neushoorn
13 July – Oberhausen, DE- Static Roots Festival
