Chicano Batman

Biography

Fast Facts About Chicano Batman

Chicano Batman was formed in 2008 by Eduardo Arenas, Carlos Arevalo, Bardo Martinez, and Gabriel Villa. The band’s sound has been described as a combination of funk, soul, rock, psychedelic, and prog music. They’re currently signed to ATO and have released four albums since 2010 – Chicano Batman, Cycles of Existential Realm, Freedom is Free, and Invisible People.

Chicano Batman has supported some of the biggest rock acts active today, including Alabama Shakes, Jack White, and more. They’ve also performed at Coachella and appeared in a big-name whiskey commercial.
In addition to their four albums, the band has also released numerous singles and EPs. These include Joven Navegante, Magma, Black Lipstick, Please Don’t Leave Me, This Land Is Your Land, and several others.
Chicano Batman’s most recent album, Invisible People, was released in May 2020. The record was produced by Leon Michels, the founder of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. Invisible People received favorable reviews from music outlets like Pitchfork and Under the Radar, and it peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard US Heatseekers Albums chart.
Some of the bands that Chicano Batman draws inspiration from are The Beatles and Deflfonics, as well as famed soul musician Curtis Mayfield. Carlos Arevalo, the band’s guitarist, has also mentioned in interviews that the band’s members all love Brazillian music from the 60s.

instruments played

bass

drums

Guitar

Piano

Vocals

Genres

Soul, tropical, psychedelic

Labels

ATO

Origin

Los Angeles, California, United States

Website

chicanobatman.com

Years Active

2008apresent

Wiki Link

Chicano Batman: The Bio

Chicano Batman gets a great deal of inspiration from psychedelic music, a genre that is largely inspired by 1960s drug culture and the free-spirited lifestyle of the West Coast. The band’s members have also shared that they appreciate soul music, and the influence of many black artists from the 60s and 70s can be heard in Chicano Batman’s music.

Their First Albums

Their debut album, Chicano Batman, was released in 2009 independently, and the band gained traction with minimal help from others. Shortly after the release of the first record, Carlos Arevalo joined the band’s lineup as a guitarist. With Arevalo added to their ranks, the band released Joven Navegante, their first EP, in 2012. After the release of Joven Navegante, the band continued to write and record in Los Angeles for the next several years. They played shows as a high-profile opener during this time, supporting Alabama Shakes, Jack White, and others. In addition, a highlight of 2015 for the band was their performance at Coachella.

Freedom Is Free

In 2016, the band officially signed to ATO, a label that began helping them promote and distribute future releases. Not long after getting signed, Chicano Batman released their third studio album, Freedom Is Free, at the beginning of 2017. AllMusic’s Mark Deming described the album as a combination of “Brazillian Tropicalia, Latin funk, vintage American soul, and R&B, with shades of Afrobeat, and psychedelia of all sorts.” Deming went on to classify the album as a bridge between the band’s passionate and laid-back sides.” Freedom Is Free was produced by the band, and band member Bardo Martinez created the album’s cover art.

Invisible People

Chicano Batman’s most recent album is 2020’s Invisible People. In regards to the new record, the band told Rolling Stone magazine, "For the first time, we completely disregarded the 'Can we play this live?' challenge.” For the band, this meant forsaking their roots as more of a team of improvisational jammers and embracing tighter production. Allmusic’s Thomas Erlewine described the band’s sound on the record as “shape-shifting,” a testament to Chicano Batman’s ability to combine elements of numerous genres to create their unique sound. Invisible People was produced by Leon Michels, known for his soul project El Michels Affair. Michels’ influence can be clearly heard on the album, with the producer often favoring elements of funk, soul, and Latin music. Michels has previously worked with The Arcs, The Olympians, The Fabulous Three, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and several other acts. His contributions to Invisible People made the album Chicano Batman’s most polished record to date. Thanks to the band’s constant desire to innovate and the help of Michels, their producer, Invisible People also includes elements of hip-hop. Michels had previously collaborated with A$AP Rocky, and he’s no stranger to the genre. As a result, Invisible People features what Red Light Management describes as an “endless barrage of addictive hooks and hard-hitting beats.” The band’s most recent album was partially inspired by Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, a novel about the hardships faced by African Americans during the twentieth century. The novel has won numerous awards, including the National Book Award for Fiction in 1953, and it served as a highly relevant inspiration for Chicano Batman’s creative evolution. On several of the tracks on Invisible People, the band explores topics related to systemic racism. This is a theme that hits close to home for the band members, all of whom have been the victims of racism during and before their careers as musicians.