The Red Skirts is an 18-year-old Latino indie pop/bedroom pop act located in Fontana, California. About 50 miles east of LA, The Red Skirts consists of 1 member, Luis Bustamante, who takes care of every aspect.
Honing in on the increasingly popular bedroom pop genre and lifestyle, The Red Skirts takes a melancholic approach to the songwriting process, incorporating elements of Chicano mellow alternative and indie-pop to create an atmosphere of reminiscence that can be felt with every note of reverb-heavy guitar and charming vocal performance.
Propelling ourselves into the almost ethereal world of The Red Skirts' most recent release, "Call Me When You Get Home," the indie-esque sounds trickle into our speakers and bring forth a tantalizing burst of thought-provoking melodies.
We admire the seamless balance of timing and spatial cues that allow us to fast-track through the imaginative portal that The Red Skirts has intended for us to visit. Using a tame projection to send out The Red Skirts' timbres, there's a warm embrace that we allow to lift us as we further dissect the lyrical motifs present.
"Call Me When You Get Home" has a designated narrative reflecting on long drives at night that The Red Skirts experienced as a child. Taking this personal experience and amplifying other themes such as the fear of dating for those who suffered the hardships of today's toxic dating culture, the brilliant myriad of sentimental value that makes itself apparent is rather uncanny.
Feeling the notions that run through these melodies firsthand, we pick up on the therapeutic essence that The Red Skirts graciously offers up to us. Latching onto us with relatability one song at a time, we'll gladly swarm in The Red Skirts' authenticity through a genre unique to those who approach it.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, The Red Skirts! Congratulations on the release of "Call Me When You Get Home." What inspired you to be so candid with your audience with a song that digs deep into your personal experience?
It's not so much about what inspired me to be candid and truthful about genuine experiences of my past, it's more about what inspires me to not be so secretive. I don't feel comfortable with who I am at all. The way I think, dress, body, hair, eyes, height, etc and I find it very difficult to live with myself and actually take pride in anything I do. But if there's at least one thing that I can do right in my life, it would be to express my humanity. I just want to be understood as a person.
Do you tend to take this approach to your songwriting? What does this song say about you as an artist?
I do tend to take this approach to songwriting consistently. What I write isn't fiction, they're very real to me in ways that people may not understand. Oftentimes, I'm not looking to make a point necessarily, I just recall the moments in my life that have stuck with me to this day, and write down what comes to mind, often in the form of conversation. Call Me When You Get Home was written at a time of reminiscence of times I don't really understand. There's no particular memory, just when I was younger driving through DTLA with friends after a fun night, or a peaceful rainy day with a blanket to keep me warm. But these memories hit me hard, and I don't understand why. I'm unnecessarily and unconvincingly emotional.
Could you please share a glimpse into what the creative process entailed when bringing "Call me When You Get Home" to life?
When writing "Call Me When You Get Home", I wanted a song of my own to sit down and think about absolutely nothing. At the time, I was listening to Apocalypse by Cigarettes After Sex and was absolutely certain I wanted at least one song with this type of ambiance. I sat down with my guitar, started messing around with some random chords, and honestly felt very unsatisfied with everything I had written up to that point. I was zoned out, I honestly didn't really FEEL there, I was just in my head. When I came back, I found myself playing what eventually became "Call Me When You Get Home" and instantly loved it. I threw in reverb, added bass, strings, and everything else seemed to fall into place naturally.
What is the main message that you hope your audience reflects on when taking in the meaning of this song?
There are far too many people out there who don't really know how to take "no" for an answer and engage in inappropriate and obsessive behavior without even knowing it. I know I can't stop any of it, but maybe some people will listen to this song and realize how obsessive and creepy their behavior is after listening to it. It's basically my version of "Creep" by Radiohead but for the kind of creep, no one wants to admit to relating to. Lyrically, this song is about a person who will not stop bothering and obsessing over someone that will not give them the attention they're desperate for and will engage in unhealthy behaviors such as refusing to eat, sleep, or even enjoy themselves with a good laugh. Yet, holding on to this delusion that you still have a chance with this person, expecting the feelings to be reciprocated. These were not good times, but I was young, dumb, and didn't know any better, but I do now and can admit to it.
What's next for you?
A lot. I'm not going to stop, even when everyone around me tells me I'll never amount to anything more, even if I'm stressed over college and work, I simply won't stop. Expect more music, live shows (eventually), music videos, acoustic versions, etc, I'm not going anywhere. Instagram
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