Last month, I sat down with San Francisco-based band Inti Mystica in their practice space to talk about their new music video for their song titled “Borders Kill.” Formed in 2020, they’re a self-proclaimed proud band of immigrants. With roots stretching from Guatemala to Venezuela, to Mexico, Puerto Rico and Chile, this band found their north star in the heart of San Francisco. Their newest release, “Borders Kill,” was released last month as a tribute to the pain felt by families across their community. Please welcome to the stage, Inti Mystica.

What was the inspiration behind “Borders Kill”?

Lucia (lead vocals): Inspired by a true story, I was traveling through Guatemala visiting family members. 40 people died in a fire in a detention center during my visit, and most of them were Guatemalan or Venezuelan. I wanted to process the grief and process that this is what happens when we create borders – it divides and it kills. Lucia is quoted saying “We begin to believe that land is ours, and we are willing to kill for it.” I brought my song to the band and it was a collective process with Arturo (guitar, ukulele, vocals). We performed the song in Washington DC and arranged it so that it included everybody in the band. Arturo added, “The drums are a key component of this song because it’s the heartbeat and represents the journey and the grief.”

Arturo: Lucha (Lucia) sent a voice message and I felt that the beat was meant to be like a Calgary – something that had a drive of rage caused by seeing people like us being killed at the border. They couldn’t escape the fire because they were incarcerated. We put the song together in 2 weeks and performed it for the Day of the Dead in 2023. That night, we recorded the imagery that would become the video.

Lucia: The lyrics “the last time I saw my brother he had a smile on his face” came to me because there was a story of a young man who left for the detention center. His family’s last video was him saying goodbye and going to the border. He had a smile on his face – he was hopeful. Seeing him smile for the last time still lives in my mind and I think of his face when she sings the song. I didn’t know him but I want to honor his story.

Would you consider this one of your favorite songs to perform as a group?

Alberto (Cajon): It is one of the more intense songs to play, but every new song that we write together becomes our favorite song.

Andreina (lead singer and cuatro): I like that it has a performative component – I imagine theater, dance, theatrics. The storytelling qualities make the song unique.

How did it feel debuting both the song and the video in front of your community at your show?

Lenel (percussion, keyboard, vocals): It gave me goosebumps to see that we created that song and the other media that we created with it. They became even more powerful together. It became “Sagan Level 3,” harnessing all of the energy in the entire galaxy.

Lucia: It’s very special to see your own growth in a community. We didn’t mean to release the song during the particular time that it came out, but it happened. It gave people a moment to feel some release.

Arturo: Unfortunately, we could’ve released this song at any moment and it would’ve been relevant. It just so happened to come out in June. But it would have met any moment, any time. There were so many elements that were unique to this song. The first time we presented it, we performed it on stage with an altar created by (artist) who drew the faces of the fire’s victims. In the video, Andreina’s face changes into all of their faces, which was masterfully crafted by Carlo.

Author’s note: It feels important to note that during this time in the interview, there was a duck noise that appeared from somewhere in the background. They said “don’t quote us on the ducks” and I promised them that I would, in fact, be quoting the ducks. Here I am making good on that promise. Back to the interview.

When do you feel most connected as a band when you’re on stage?

Lucia: We have a tradition where we have to hug before we get on stage. We are getting used to not having Andreina in the front – we’re more used to seeing each other’s faces as we perform. It feels good to have those moments of connection. I love being a part of this family. We love each other like a family.

Andreina (vocals): Body language has evolved in our band – at this point I can tell what everyone is thinking by the look on their face. It’s such a beautiful moment as the time passes. That’s the moment of explosion. The audience also feels it, feeds off of it.

Arturo: Owen –the silent duck of the team – according to Lucia has polished the sound of our music that comes out into the world.

Author’s note: It all comes back to the ducks. Owen even started quacking. So much for silent.

Arturo: Our sound comes from all of the play, joy, and thunder that can be harnessed into a 3 or 4 minute chunk. We’re influenced by our roots of rock, folk music, reggae, reggaeton, cumbia, and psychedelic rock.

Andreina: Sometimes we don’t do well on a song or it doesn’t sound the way we practiced it, but it’s always from the heart. Sometimes the song comes out even better than the rehearsal in the heat of the moment

You can catch Inti Mystica’s next performance on July 31st at The Lost Church. You can find them on all platforms, with Bandcamp being the preferred platform (support local musicians!).

Instagram

Bandcamp

Band members:

Alberto Rodriguez (Venezuela): Cajón

Andreina “Nina Limón” (Venezuela): Lead singer and cuatro

Arturo "Suavecito" Mendez (Mexico): Guitar, ukulele, and vocals

Ilia Correa Sepúlveda (Puerto Rico): Barril and vocals

Kachucho (Chile): Bass

Lenel Guzman (Venezuela/México): Percussion, keyboard, and vocals

Lucha Obregon (Guatemala): Lead singer