MCO Studios is a tranquil space tucked away in the wooded green Anzures district of Mexico City. With its sky-high ceilings and magnificent trees on the terrace, this venue reflects the beauty of the Mexican capital, and singers Leon Bridges and Natalia Lafourcade are immediately relaxed when they arrive here on a bright August afternoon. That could be because they both found endless inspiration in Mexico City. Lafourcade was born here and has released albums like the two-part one in recent years “Musa”-Projects and 2022 “De Todas las Flores” recorded in which she explored the folk sounds of her hometown and the rest of Latin America.
Bridges is a newcomer; After releasing three acclaimed soul and R&B-inspired albums, he needed a change of scenery. The Fort Worth, Texas native decided to come to Mexico, where he released his latest album “Leon” recorded.
Although they celebrate their heritage in different ways, their respective journeys have brought them here, where they meet for the first time. As they sit in the studio, they begin to talk about their shared love of mezcal. From there, they quickly realize how many similarities they share, from their passion for classical eras to their love of guitars. In the end, they both shared some of their most intimate songs and sang to each other. Bridges shyly intones “Blue Mesas,” Lafourcade’s favorite song, and Lafourcade ends the conversation with a breathtaking rendition of the Mexican classic “Cucurrucucú Paloma.” When she’s finished, Bridges looks at her with admiration. “How do you even do that with your voice?” he says. “It’s definitely the effect of some ancestors.”
“I’m Mexican and very intense – intensa – but I don’t know why I never had the same relationship with tequila as I did with mezcal”
Bridges: So, mezcal instead of tequila.
Lafourcade: Mezcal instead of tequila, yes. For me too.
Bridges: This is my first choice. I love mezcal on ice, with a little Tajín on the side. I guess some people don’t like the smoky taste.
Lafourcade: I love him. I’m Mexican and very intense – intensa – but I don’t know why I never had the same relationship with tequila as I did with mezcal. Mezcal is a good companion. When did you drink it for the first time? In Mexico or outside?
Bridges: I mean, I’m from Texas. We like to drink mezcal.
Lafourcade: That’s good. Well, I’m so glad I met you.
Bridges: The joy is entirely on my side. Man, it’s kind of surreal that I’ve been doing this for ten years.
Lafourcade: How old are you?
Bridges: (Laughs.) 35.
Lafourcade: 35? I thought you were older! You seem like an old soul. How do you feel after these ten years? Now that you’re about to release another album? Your fourth?
Bridges: Yes, my fourth. My path there was rather coincidental. I never expected that my music would be well received. And then there was this moment when I was working on this album called “Coming Home” worked and we released it on SoundCloud and a lot of people liked it.
“There are moments when I feel like I can’t keep up with the speed of things.”
Lafourcade: Do you think your relationship with music has changed – from the first album to this album?
Bridges: There are moments when I feel like I can’t keep up with the speed of things. Ultimately, I would like to withdraw and relax a bit. What inspired you to pick up a guitar?
Lafourcade: I was 14 years old. Our house was broken into, so my mother and I moved into this other apartment that my aunt had let us use. I was very curious about what was in her closet. I opened it and found a nylon guitar with three strings. And I took her with me. Of course I didn’t know how to play, but I just tried everything. I still have so much to learn. And you?
Bridges: When I was in college, I initially pursued dance. I wanted to be a choreographer. I started with hip-hop choreography and then learned ballet, jazz and modern dance. In my free time I met these musicians who would get together and do little jam sessions. This sparked my love for playing the guitar. One of my friends showed me A minor and E minor, and I just strummed away and tried to write songs. That blues sound… Is there a particular era that you want to incorporate into your music? When I listen to your songs, I feel transported back to the 1940s and 50s.
Lafourcade: It’s the same for me too. That’s something we both probably have in common: a love of music from the past. I don’t know why, but I just feel like I’m not from that era. I like the sound, I like the spirit, I like the classical.
Bridges: I love it. It’s very transcendent.
“’Leon’ is a reflection of my homeland.”
Lafourcade: I always try to get to the core and spirit of what I do. But there was a moment in my career when I tried to be more modern or maybe trendy. Do you understand what I mean? To be more like everyone else did. And then I learned that I wasn’t really happy with it. The last two years have been more about “No, this is what I like.” And I’ll leave it at that – I’ll stay true to these inspirations.
Bridges: I had a similar experience. When I started, I was immediately pigeonholed. I think that inspired me to redefine myself and, I think, reinvent myself. I wanted to show some of my influences that aren’t just soul music – I grew up on R&B from the ’90s and ’00s. But I noticed that some of it didn’t really translate well live, which inspired me to do it on my album “Leon” to return to this simplicity. This is about going back to my roots. It is a reflection of my homeland.
Lafourcade: Did you have the feeling from the beginning that you were returning to your roots, your culture?
Bridges: Yes. I think that was inevitable. My dad played Stevie Wonder and my mom was a big Sade fan. When I picked up the guitar, I saw that there was a hole in the music. I love soul music and wanted to honor my heritage by making this type of music but telling my own stories.
“It’s hard to find your own path.”
Lafourcade: Your music seems very coherent from the beginning to today. I can see the influences and the way you learn new things. But everything seems to be in line. How did you do that? How did you find this sound?
Bridges: I was all about pushing my limits, but the only way to connect is to keep the foundation soulful. So all my albums have a different presentation.
Lafourcade: How do you look forward to the current album?
Bridges: Man, I’m thrilled. I’m a little nervous, but I’m pretty confident that this album will do well. We worked in LA and Nashville and were kind of burned out on those places. That’s what inspired us to come to Mexico City to finish it. And big praise to Studio El Desierto for giving the music a home. I think it was the perfect place to really finish the album at home.
Lafourcade: I worked there! I worked on two albums there “Musa” were called, and they had a lot to do with traditional music from Mexico and Latin America. This project helped me find my own path in music. The first album I released was when I was 18, and I can see that I spent about ten years, probably more, doing a lot of things but not really finding my own way . It’s hard to find. When you’re in your late twenties. But then for me it was like: This is it. This is what I feel more comfortable with. And I recorded this album in El Desierto.
“I feel like the world is oversaturated with music that isn’t uplifting.”
Bridges: I am honored to share the space with you. We started working on some of these songs about five years ago and I put everything on hold because I felt the songs were too vulnerable. I had to listen to my intuition and thought: This is what the world needs. I feel like the world is oversaturated with music that isn’t uplifting and that’s what inspired me to stick with it. When we got to Mexico it was more about reshaping the production and just getting into a space that felt good sonically. I love it because it’s kind of a gumbo of sounds, but still embodies the Texas vibe, embodies Fort Worth.
Lafourcade: I’ve been through something similar. Now I’m working on an album that contains music from the past, like two or three songs that didn’t fit into the music I put on two years ago “De Todas las Flores” have taken. I was like, no, that’s not the vibe of this album.
Bridges: That’s the crazy thing about this process. You write so many songs and then you have to condense everything into a ten-song album. This is pretty difficult. I saw this common thread of home in many of the songs.
Lafourcade: How do you write?
Bridges: For me it starts with me just strumming the guitar and trying to sing a melody, kind of disjointed. Often the concept comes later, or there are moments when I know exactly what I want to write about. A lot of the stories on this album are personal to me, but I love that it encompasses the human experience. It evokes a sense of nostalgia and a vibe that I think a lot of people can relate to.
“You have this connection, this complicity with people.”
Lafourcade: How do you feel about your relationship with your audience?
Bridges: Being on stage is my refuge. I love seeing that collective effervescence in the crowd. It is such a powerful moment and a blessing to see everyone singing the songs word for word. You say you’ve been doing this for 20 years?
Lafourcade: Almost 25 years. I’m turning forty this year, so it’s been a time for me to do a little bit of taking stock – you know, going down memory lane, thinking about all the things that I’m grateful for because I can do what I love. We are very lucky to have a song that comes from who knows where. And you have this connection, this complicity with people. I thought that was something very special. For me it’s like a ritual. Ceremonial. Maybe this has happened to you too, but I’ve been on the verge of saying, “I’m not doing this anymore.” I can’t go on anymore. This is just too much.” But then I realize that music is a gift that was given to me. Do you see it that way too?
Bridges: Mm-hmm.
Lafourcade: And the opportunity to make that important connection with people, to be included in people’s lives. And then you see what’s happening in the world and you think: I wish I could give something to this crazy world we live in.
INTERVIEW: Julyssa Lopez
You can read the full conversation in the December issue of ROLLING STONE.