AJ Dávila. (Image via facebook.com)
We've stressed the individuality of full-time musicians' schedules before, that no two bands or artists operate the same on a daily basis. What works for Alex White of White Mystery, for example, isn't exactly suitable for Puerto Rican musician and producer AJ Dávila. Compared to her highly organized schedule, his is significantly more... abstract.
After relocating to Mexico City about two years ago, AJ, formerly a central figure in the late punk troupe Dávila 666, became intensely focused on finally releasing solo work. As AJ Dávila y Terror Amor, he debuted Terror Amor, an album featuring collaborations from a slew of comrades both hometown and abroad, on Nacional Records in February of 2014. Touring a record with so many featured artists meant he'd need to assemble a committed backing band – so he did, and then he hit the road.
While the LP was still fresh, AJ apparently couldn't wait to deliver another batch of jangly garage-pop jams. In November of the same year, he served up Beibi via Burger Records – then gathered a slightly different lineup of available friends and toured some more.
He's accomplished a lot in a short period of time, though some of his output can be chalked up to several years spent sitting on material. But he's still writing – he's forever writing. In fact, he's got a whole 'nother platter slated for release this year. You'd think his work would be highly regimented, but it's absolutely not. AJ writes constantly – and always organically.
What's your daily schedule like as a full-time musician?
"I always like to write new songs or to be in the studio producing other projects when I'm not on tour," he says. "It's like an addiction!"
When does the band rehearse?
Because he writes all the material for AJ Dávila y Terror Amor himself, full-band practice sessions are a final piece of the puzzle, slipped in just before tour, rather than a part of the songwriting process. He doesn't even practice on his own, really. He mainly writes. And writes and writes.
"I just go with the flow," he says. "I never practice the instrument; I prefer to practice the songwriting. I just let it come to me. I always start with the vocal melody; it's like a radio in my mind that sing all these melodies and then I work on writing them with the guitar or piano."
What's a typical day on tour like?
AJ enlisted Alex Garcia, who's managed tours for Together Pangea and Guantanamo Baywatch, for the group's most recent jaunt. The lineup included six players total: AJ himself, Johnny Otis (also ex-Dávila), Julian Freez (Missing Monuments), Lola Pistola, David Castillo (Pizza Time), and Sam Yoger (Babes). Needless to say, hiring a tour manager was helpful – but it didn't stop them from pushing their party limits.
"To tell you the truth, we never took a break from partying on this last one! It was every day and night of partying," AJ says.
The band played almost relentlessly so, unsurprisingly, AJ admits he was pretty beat by the end. "I got really sick when I came back home," he says. "Like, I never felt my body feel so bad after a tour. It was heavy, 45 straight shows. I gained, like, 15 pounds. I think we had like two free days, and they were for driving. It was a really long tour, but we are troopers – it's what we love! Being on the road, it's hard, but it's the best feeling too."
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AJ emphasizes that his bandmates are the "best people" and are like family. Without their exceptional chemistry, he says, things probably wouldn't go so smoothly.
...and how do you recover post-tour?
"I usually do a straight week of sleeping like a bear and watching movies," he says. "I think I let my body decide for me. I just can't work feeling mentally or physically tired!"
We think he's earned the right to hibernate every now and then.
Jhoni Jackson is an Atlanta-bred music journalist currently based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she juggles owning a venue called Club 77, freelance writing and, of course, going to the beach as often as possible.
