Take5 with Pigsney Charmer

 Who's Who in Pigsney Charmer:

 - Roy Chavez, 30, Brownsville, drums

- Ruben Vela, 27, Harlingen, vocals and bass

- David Rojas, 27, Santa Rosa, guitar

What's with the name?

Chavez: Basically the name comes from two words. (Pigsney) is a word from the middle ages, saxon - now obsolete - that means darling. Ruben found the word in an old dictionary. And charmer, well that's pretty self explanatory. We thought it was a name that would define our band, what we are about. There are a lot of bands out there and we wanted to stand out.

Vela: The name Pigsney Charmer means girl charmer. Pigsney is Saxon for girl, now these days "darling" or "eye." The word is no longer around or long forgotten maybe. But we're bring it back.

How did you get into music?

Chavez: I have been into music since.. ahh, since I first listened to a Metallic tape - yes tape, not CD- and I knew I wanted to rock out.

I picked up a broom to play air guitar. I was about 13 when I picked up my first guitar. I learned to play drums in my early 20's. It's pretty cool because drums keep the rythym and the heart beat of the songs.

Rojas: Basically in the beginning, I wanted to mimic my music heroes, my guitar heroes. When I was about 15, I had a friend with an acoustic guitar and played with his until I got my own.

What's the story behind the band?

Vela: Dave, Roy, and I have played in a couple of bands before PC, which were Moo and onomato. I knew Dave through a friend from high school, which we didn't even attend together back in the day. We had played together off and on throughout our lives - I have known him about 14 years. As for Roy, I have known him for a little over 7 years now. I first heard his drumming through a band called Poor Excuse.

Chavez: I was playing one day in 2004 with another band - we had broken up but were back together for a reunion. Ruben approached me about a new band he and David were starting. We got together to play and there was good chemistry, so we started a band called Moo. In spring of 2006, after losing a guitarist we adapted, learning to play different instruments (at the time Ruben was only vocals and David played bass) and refining the sound.

When we first started playing gigs, we entered a Battle of the Bands contest in Harlingen against about 10 other bands and won.

How do you create your songs?

Rojas: We just start jamming and see what comes out of it. I think there was only one time I actually came to practice with a whole song idea.

Chavez: The music is the product of live improvised sessions - the music spontaneously comes together and then we refine it. We spend a lot of hours in the garage playing the music over and over until we get the sound we want. Ruben listens to the sessions and comes up with the lyrics.

How would you describe your sound?

Chavez: It's upbeat, dance punk rythms with emotional lyrics - the whole word, not emo - a lot of the music is about declaring love and having a good time. We pretty much just want to jam, make moving rythms and sounds.

Rojas: It's like indie rock with a little bit of dance beats... a little punk maybe.

Vela: All around good sounds - melodic-pop, with a 3-4 beat rhythm. Considering it's a 3-piece band it has a very full sound.

Rojas: Especially in a 3-person band, the guitarist and the drummer have to be really tight together, because you have to carry the rythm.

Vela: Once you listen to it, you'll love it, wanting for more.

 Click here to listen to Soulless Concerns by Pigsney Charmer.

If you are in or know of a band you think should be featured in TAKE5, call (956) 982-6622 or e-mail us at thescoop@brownsvilleherald.com.