In Conversation With Black Pumas

January seems like a lifetime ago. Before Coronavirus put the music industry’s events calendar on pause, the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards managed to avoid becoming a casualty of cancellation. There, side-by-side with pop sensations Billie Eilish and Lizzo in the Best New Artist category, were the new kids on the block: Black Pumas. The duo, singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada, pounced out of Texas in 2017 and their eponymous debut album was released in 2019 to critical acclaim. One global pandemic and a deluxe reissue of ‘Black Pumas’ later, I got a chance to catch up with the most enigmatic and exciting neo-soul duo in America.

After some confusion over time zones and a quick schedule reshuffle, I finally came face-to-face (or webcam to webcam) with Eric and Adrian. Even over a Zoom call riddled with technical hitches (‘can you see me now?’, ‘can you repeat the question?’ and all that carry-on), they both ooze an effortless coolness that most musicians would sell their soul for.

Black Pumas was born out of Eric and Adrian meeting through a mutual friend in Austin. The live music capital of the world, Austin is brimming with culture and creativity. Eric arrived around five years ago and instantly knew it was the place to be. He started out busking, and says that “right away there was a level of receptivity…though I didn’t have too much of a support system, the generosity of the public…and their attraction to live music… made me feel inspired to stay and stick it out. I’m glad that I did because I met Adrian”.

Rock and roll folklore dictates that all the best bands must in-fight; something about smashed bottles and fistfights backstage makes for more entertaining live performances. But what is immediately striking about Black Pumas is their respect for one another as artists. Adrian, a veteran of the vibrant Austin music scene, felt a deep connection from early on.

“I didn’t want to get too excited. It was like a first date. You wanna act like you’re not that interested and play hard to get. But I was getting chills any time [Eric] was singing… I tried to play it cool for a while until I couldn’t contain it anymore,” he says. The feeling is clearly mutual. “It’s just so nice to be in collaboration with people who you connect with on an interesting level,” Eric adds enthusiastically.

The original edition of ‘Black Pumas’ was released in June 2019, but many of its tracks seem to transcend the confines of the era. ‘Fire’ and ‘Know You Better’ echo the classic soul stylings of Bobby Womack, while ‘Black Moon Rising’ blends subtle funk elements with Burton’s smooth vocals.

However, the undisputed champion of this debut is ‘Colors’: an epic, cinematic single that could have been plucked straight from the ‘Kill Bill’ soundtrack. Actually, scrap that. It’s a beautiful, building, gospel-infused song worthy of its own double feature. If you’re yet to hear this track, I recommend full-blast headphones on a sunrise walk. You’ll feel reborn after your first listen, strutting along as you belt out Eric Burton’s carefully crafted lyrics (disclaimer: your voice probably isn’t as good as Eric’s, and your neighbours might look at you funny).

Lyrically, ‘Colors’ was a long time coming. “As a song, it was written a little over a decade ago from my end,” says Eric. However, he acknowledges his bandmates' influence. “It would not have seen the light of day if it weren’t for the sound quality that Adrian came to the table with,” he explains honestly. In their back and forth, each Puma constantly expresses gratitude for the other.

When we speak about the commercial success of single ‘Colors’, which has been used in a television advert for mobile phones, Eric reveals: “It’s brought in a lot of new opportunities and opened new doors. I was just able to buy my uncle a vehicle. He taught me how to write music and took care of me at a very early age”. Their raw musical talent has earnt them their stripes, but it’s their kindness and generosity that make Black Pumas the coolest cats on the block.

The album received critical acclaim and snagged Black Pumas their Best New Artist Grammy nomination. Adrian Quesada is a winner already, taking home the 2010 statue for Best Latin Rock album with Grupo Fantasma. I ask if, when making this record, he knew Black Pumas were on the brink of something special.

“In the back of your head you want that validation, but at the same time we never really discussed it… The most important thing is that the song and record kick ass,” he says. And kick ass it did.

Pretty soon after The Grammys, the world changed forever. Coronavirus spread across the globe and forced us inside for an extended period. Understandably, it has taken its toll on most people’s mental health. So, how did Black Pumas deal with being caged in? Rather well at first. Adrian enthusiastically tells me he’s been busy with his “musical version of making banana bread”, experimenting with new sounds and instruments in his home studio. He takes a moment to reflect, then confesses: “It kind of tapered out after a while”. Recalling something he’d read during lockdown, Adrian affirms that “it’s okay to not feel inspired 100% of the time during this. It’s okay to feel heavy.”

You’d think keeping such an interdependent duo apart would make it impossible for them to collaborate. The partnership feels so solid, it’s hard to imagine one without the other. However, Eric reassures me that his and Adrian’s forced separation has not hindered their creativity.

“Adrian and I have never sat down to write a song from scratch,” he laughs. Wait, what? I’ve always pictured ‘songwriting’ as two ageing Elton John lookalikes perched at the piano, bashing keys and plucking random words from thin air until they stumble upon something that rhymes. Apparently not for Black Pumas.

“We’ll kind of share back and forth what we’re inspired by”, Eric continues, “…it’s really cool to me that we work very well in that way, where we don’t actually have to be together to make the music that we’re making”. Built on a bond of musical passion and mutual respect, this is one partnership that can survive long-distance.

(maybe something to break up the text here? Especially as it’s a break in the story – some sort of divider maybe?)

The album’s deluxe reissue followed in late August, and Black Pumas delighted fans with a wealth of new material. It includes several covers, including Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ and The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’; two songs most wouldn’t add to the same playlist, let alone cover on the same album. Adrian explains, “these covers are all about paying tribute to [their] influences. Every once in a while, I think it’s good to learn somebody else’s song and see what you can get out of that”. What we get is a perfect blend of emulation and interpretation. Burton’s vocal talent means he can carry Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland’s classic ‘Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City’ close to its original form, but Adrian’s clever arrangements on ‘Eleanor Rigby’ takes it in a new, neo-soul direction.

After being rocked by a pandemic, the world was once again left reeling at the murder of George Floyd at the hands of white police officers. Black Pumas have asserted before that their music is not about making overt political statements. ‘Black Pumas’ is an album that echoes old soul and drips musical nostalgia; the lyrics often cry out to ethereal feelings of love and devotion, rather than being grounded in current events. But, in a time where ‘silence is violence’ has become a slogan of the Black Lives Matter movement, is not being political even possible? When I question them on it, Black Pumas clarify that just because they aren’t using their music to make a statement doesn’t mean they aren’t supporting it elsewhere. Eric says, “I have definitely…felt the change in the way we acknowledge certain things America is experiencing. To see Europe and different countries respond to these events has been really amazing. All of these things are working together”.

It’s on that note we end. We could wrap up by reflecting upon 2020 as bleak, perhaps the worst year in modern memory, but Black Pumas are staying positive. Eric and Adrian’s musical partnership is still in its infancy, and lockdown has provided the luxury of time for experimentation. Although this year felt rather apocalyptic at some points, the world hasn’t ended. Life goes on and live music will return. When it does, Black Pumas should be at the top of your must-see list.