In advance of his show Saturday at The Sinclair touring with Say She She, Paul Hernandez (Katzù Oso) talked with me about coming up in the Los Angeles music scene, mentors and influences, leaving bedroom pop behind with his latest album “La Conexión,” and how anything is possible. The interview has been edited and condensed for publication.
I’m catching up with where you’re at on tour.
We actually just finished Santa Cruz last night. I’m still here by the coast, a city called Seaside. Then we have the L.A. show tomorrow.
Your hometown?
Yeah, born and raised in L.A. I got into music through my dad because he had guitars lying around and he’s always jamming on his Stratocaster. Him and my uncle would always be recording in their garage – just for fun. One day my dad was like, “You want to learn guitar?” You’ve got to pick up the bass first. You have to get your fingers strong. As soon as I picked up the bass, I was like, this is me, you know? That led to the guitar, and I fell in love. I was around 9, 10. By 11 I was already playing some songs with my dad. My first bass was a mock Hofner, the violin bass that Paul McCartney has. I still have it. For my first live show, I was in the Cub Scouts. My dad was on the acoustic and I was on the bass. We did “Light My Fire” by The Doors and “I’ll Cry Instead” by the Beatles.
Any teachers or mentors a little later on that got you even deeper into music?
I joined a concert band in middle school and did marching band in high school. It was always those band directors that gave me a different sense of the music that I wanted to create. Mr. Curry in high school and Miss Knutson in middle school.
A nice part of growing up in an urban area is that you’ve got a lot of city there to explore. What were some of the music venues that were part of your growing up and seeing music live for the first time?
I feel like there’s shows everywhere. In high school there was a small club called The Smell, which is still around. That was always a spot with indie bands, and you’d find me there. My early shows with my high school indie band, we’d be playing the Five Star Bar. Little dive bars. The first concert I ever went to was The Kooks and the Morning Benders at The Wiltern in like 2008. I begged my dad to take me. And he took me to see Coldplay. That was a big eye-opener for me too.
I was looking at some of the press around your early music, say 2018’s “Pastel” and the 2022 debut full-length “Tmí.” I see the recurring descriptor “bedroom pop,” which is not necessarily lo-fi, but with spare resources, and that’s not what “La Conexión” sounds like.
Starting from my first EP, “Pastel,” I was very limited on what I had to create music. I was still living at my parents’, and I just had my bedroom, literally. It picked up a lot of traction, and I was like “oh shit, my music’s actually reaching people.” With more releases, I was able to get more equipment, better equipment. I was more involved in getting friends into the recording studio and dialing in a bigger sound. I feel like I’m always on the hunt for a bigger sound. And on “La Connexion” I’m tapping into this different part of the music that I want to make. I feel like from here on out I’m just trying to go up in quality of the recordings.
The early days is a lot of solo singer-songwriter stuff. Do you have a group you regularly gig with? Are they involved in writing?
They’re my closest friends. When it comes to songwriting, I typically just have my acoustic guitar and I try to map out the bone structure of the song. I try to write everything myself, then present it to my friends. Like, hey, what do you think about this? What can we add here? How can we make this sound different? I try to kind of have control of every song. My best friend Rudy, ever since I was like 13, we sit down and we start freestyling and whatever comes out, comes out. We build around that. When I’m in the studio with my friend Gil, we kind of just see: Where are we going with this? How do we want the sound to be?
What’s your setup on this tour?
Years back, I would take all my friends on board and we would be a six-piece or a seven-piece. We’re three-piece right now. I have Alec on the keys and the synthesizers, and Gil’s doing guitar and a lot of the backtrack work, and I’m doing a lot of the synth stuff, some backing tracks, some samples and singing. It’s a lot more stripped back, but I feel really, really solid about this tour setup.
What does a day in the life of touring look like for you?
I like to try out the local mom and pop shops. I love trying different food. I try not to eat gas station food. But when you have to, you have to. I’ve been there. This time around, we’re a little more mindful of what we’re eating … and maybe not so much on the drinking, because I feel like we do drink every night. Except on my days off.
Does that help you loosen up?
Totally. Especially after the first show, when we did San Francisco, that was the first time we were running our whole new setup. I was so scared, dude. I was nervous. But as soon as we were on stage and the first song started and everybody was dancing, I was like, “Oh, this is gonna be smooth sailing.” I get excited for the crowd to hear these songs. We do a medley cover of a Herbie Hancock and a Daft Punk song. People love it.
Do family and friends come out?
I try to always invite family. They love seeing me live. my girlfriend, of course. I wish I could bring my dog.
You identify as a Chicano musician. Where do you see yourself within Chicano music?
I try not to keep myself in a bubble. I’m trying to tap into the indie folk, into the pop, into the cumbia, into romantic ballads. So there’s so many people that I look up to and so many artists and friends that make music, and I love their work. I’m really inspired by Julieta Venegas, and I go back to older artists like José José. My friends’ band, Clubz, are killing it out in Mexico. Seeing the community really come out with just great music – it inspires me every day.
Who would make the wishlist of artists you’d love to collaborate or tour with right now?
Dang. For sure, Tame Impala would be up there. I love, love Tame Impala. Dijon, I love his work. The Marías always. I toured with The Marías back in 2019, and that was such a great time. Seeing them blow up and play arenas – and they just got nominated for a Grammy – really puts it into perspective for me. Like anything is possible. We were playing little clubs, and now they’re headlining massive arenas.
Paul Hernandez, performing at Katzù Oso, opens for Say She She at an 8 p.m. show Saturday at The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $42.
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