Upon its 2022 release, Katy Guillen & The Drive’s debut album, Another One Gained, was met with critical praise, with Uncut Magazine noting that they “hit the sweet spot with a mix of spiky garage rock and soulful country torch songs.” As lauded by Under the Radar Magazine, the duo evokes a “simple and timeless indie rock sound carried by Guillen’s chugging guitar and [Stephanie] Williams’ driving drums, yet they also show off effortless instrumental chemistry, locking into an easygoing groove that gives both members a chance to shine.” Since its release the band has toured on the record across the country and shows no signs of slowing down.
2023 will see them playing club dates and festivals, including Mile of Music, Boulevardia, and Treeline, in support of their summer release of a deluxe edition of the album. Another One Gained Deluxe features three previously unreleased songs, including “Batallas,” the highly anticipated remixed Spanish version of the bands’ fan-favorite “Battles.” Spotlighting special guest Latin Grammy-winner Mireya Ramos (Flor De Toloache) on violin and backing vocals, Guillen and Williams stripped away select layers of the original recording and tracked a rewritten Spanish vocal, as well as a rich array of percussive elements like palmas, timpani, cajon, and claves. An abiding rallying cry to never succumb to the darkness; “No dejes que te controle. No dejes que te traiga abajo. (Don’t let it rule you. No, don’t let it pull you down.),” “Batallas” takes the listener on an adventurous and vulnerable journey, culminating in a triumphant and stirring violin solo by Ramos. Another One Gained Deluxe will be released digitally on August 4th.
Today Glide is premiering the previously unreleased track “Batallas,” which finds the group offering up a remixed version of their tune “Battles.” With the kind of triumphant guitar and orchestration that would make Jimmy Page Smile, the song is a dramatic work of pop-laden rock that showcases the sheer power that this group can produce. We get intricately suspenseful violin, sonically expansive orchestration, and heavy guitar work that balances the sinister with triumphant to make for a song that feels like a true journey.
Listen to the song and our chat with Katy Guillen below…
What is the story behind this song? How did you come to write it? What is it about?
The original English version of the song came together in the middle of the pandemic when we weren’t able to tour or perform live, so we spent our time at home writing and working on demos. The song sprouted from a flamenco guitar flourish I was playing around on, and Steph noted that the time signature of the flourish was in seven. We jammed on it for a while, and the other sections came together over time. Sidenote – we’d gotten really into recording split screen video songs during the thick of covid and covered Pink Floyd’s “Money,” and it really got us interested in writing our own song in seven. “Battles” is a song about staying strong through the dark, slow days of the pandemic, as it was a massive mental and emotional challenge for both of us, like it was for so many. The rewritten Spanish lyrics express this same message.
This is a Spanish language version of a previous song of yours. What made you want to record the song in Spanish? Besides the obvious language difference, what else do you feel is different about this version?
I’ve always wanted to record a song in Spanish. I’m half Mexican – my dad is from Cuernavaca, Mexico – and have been wanting to explore this side of my heritage through my music for years, but for some reason I felt too intimidated to try. This song felt right for my first attempt since it was born out of a flamenco guitar riff and lyrically reflected the mental hurdle I faced when I thought about writing and releasing my first Spanish song. In high school, I loved listening to Latino rock bands like Mana, Juanes, and Shakira’s first record (“Donde Estan Los Ladrones?” was a favorite.). I also became very passionate about flamenco guitar around that time and loved to study and play the style. It has since worked its way into my songwriting and electric guitar playing. My mom was my Spanish teacher for three years in school, so I was fortunate to have her guidance during the rewriting of “Batallas.” It was great to work on a song with her and feel things come full circle since she introduced me to so much of the Latino music I listened to growing up; she used music to teach the language, which I always thought was so unique and effective. The seeds for Spanish to work its way into my music have been there for years, so in a sense it’s been a long time coming.
This version is very unique because we were able to have an amazing special guest – Mireya Ramos tracked background vocals and violin, which added a whole new energy to the song and really amplified the mood. On top of that, we tracked a lot of fun, extra percussion like palmas, cajon, timpani, and claves. The musical landscape is very adventurous on this version!
Are there any lyric lines that you are particularly proud of or that really speak to you? What do you feel makes them resonate?
The lines that resonate most with me are the chorus lines because I think they help provide a more triumphant and positive overall feel to the song. Since the music is fairly intense, I like that the final message is to stay strong in the face of uncertainty and darkness – “No dejes que te controle / No dejes que te traiga abajo.”
If listeners can take away one thing from having heard this song, what do you hope that is?
I hope people are able to take away strength and a feeling of being reinvigorated. I’d love for the listener to simply feel something from the musical elements, or relate to a line of the lyrics in their own personal way.
How does this song fit in among the others on the album? How is it similar or different?
The song fits with the album’s overall theme of change, growth, and starting new chapters. It also fits with the themes of mental health and pulling the positives from a negative situation. The core of “Batallas” was originally tracked in the same session as the rest of the album, so the vibe, mood, and energy feel similar. We recorded the additional tracks in Kansas City to add to the original session, as well as adding Mireya’s strings and vocals. This is the only song on the album that features a special guest collaboration.
The album is a deluxe edition of a past release. What made you want to give this album the deluxe edition treatment?
We wanted to share the extra songs that we’d recorded during the original recording session, as well as take the opportunity to try something new and long-awaited with the Spanish remix of “Battles.” We’re an independent band, so we poured everything we had into “Another One Gained,” and we just felt like we wanted to give it one more little boost into the world since we had more music to share from that time and felt so proud of what we created.
