Meet Sebastian Vazquez | Father, Musician, and Fitness Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sebastian Vazquez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sebastian, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
In the beginning, it was all work and zero balance when it came to social life, home life, and even marital life. Both of us are married men and I am a father of two, so before we got heavily involved in home life we were touring for years, playing as often as we possibly could, and trying to get on bigger shows to develop a bigger audience.

In the last two years living in a pandemic it has dramatically altered the way we live our lives. We are primarily a live performance band, putting out original recordings every few years or so. Since we had a stunted two years of living life under a pandemic, I personally had to stay at home and focus on building my family and providing for them. It was a pretty big sacrifice as I had prior to the pandemic worked flexible jobs with not so great pay.

But with a growing family to feed and to provide for, I had to entirely shift to taking on more work during the pandemic to provide while we continue to wait out the pandemic and hope for the best of the live music industry.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Artistically, we tried to set up an aesthetic component that was core to the influences we had growing up. What I like about our output over the last few years that it is difficult for an external listener to find the core groups of influence. We read the reviews we get for the stuff we put out and we always get different lists of artists that come to mind, which is actually makes us happy.

From the beginning we never tried to pigeonhole ourselves into a genre since we really had no idea where we could fall branding wise. Certainly, the closest camp we fall into is the NWOTHM scene, but at points in our music it could be difficult to draw parallels to the other flag bearers in the scene if you go song by song.

What I feel makes us the most proud is that we haven’t caved to scene or artistic pressures. We watch the currents and the ebbs and flow of the music industry, but we don’t seek to adapt to trendy conventions or artistic expression. We have a new album in the works, and while it draws from the foundations we developed from our eponymous release, it still breaks boundaries and artistic molds. We are very much excited to produce and release it.

Professionally, from the time period of April 2017 – March 2020, we were hard at work. We covered a lot of ground by doing our first tour months after releasing a demo, and releasing our EP and doing extensive touring on it in 2018. By 2019, we broke international barriers and appeared on festivals. While 2020 cancelled our biggest tour to date, and our first venture into Europe.

It was an emotional and financial challenge. It is difficult to keep a band together, and even though it is just the two of us, we have family, professional, and occupational pressures always brewing, It is why we were dormant for the better part of the last two years. We wanted to focus on our families, professions, during a period that was pretty unknown to the world and to the music industry. We believed by waiting to release our debut, we could hit the ground running at the return of live music in the underground scene.

A lot of lessons were learned of course. No one will ever hand you anything you don’t deserve, and a lot of underground music life is nasty, brutish, and short. However, it is exceptionally rewarding spiritually and emotionally. People will take advantage of you along the way and you just got to learn who wants to genuinely help you.

We want people to know that we are two genuine people, with families, and are pretty relatable. We connect well with our audiences with our music and our personalities, and you won’t get a gimmick, veil, or “front” by meeting us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had someone coming to town and they had visited, I would definitely show them around and eat at the places that have the best Mexican food. In San Diego we have a strong cuisine and it is quite international, and you can just about find anything delicious for anything you are hungry for.

I’d dedicate a day or two in visiting all of the best places to grab a quick bite, and then another two-three days visiting the beaches, and taking them to some cultural places, like Barrio Logan. The street art there is incredible and has an extensive history.

There is so much to cover in San Diego and it is difficult to traverse everything in a week. But food, beaches, and relaxation are what make San Diego…San Diego. Nothing quite like it anywhere else too. You can drive 20 minutes north, east, south, or west, and hit a part of town with a distinct vibe, culture, cuisine, and nightlife.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few.

The first is definitely my immediately family and my life partner Jil. My father and my mother both have been immensely involved in our band’s kick off and journey, and have always been our number one cheerleaders. They were at all the shows and have always been involved in our early developments.

I also have to say that the support I have received from my life partner Jil has been extraordinary. I know having someone that is away from home or having to rehearse or play gigs takes away from home life. It has always been a pleasure knowing that I have her by my side supporting my dreams and endeavors.

Lastly, Andrew of Metal Assault and Matt Alcobia of Noize Cartel Records were our mentors in developing our professionalism and helped us route our first real tour and music release respectively. They showed us the ropes in becoming a professional musician in this day and age and we thank them eternally for their help and guidance.

Instagram: @tzimani_official

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tzimaniofficial/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mlCcOha1rQ

Image Credits
Image Credits: Chris Mcfly – San Diego Robert Todd Wilke