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Bobby Durango Interview
(Delta City Rebels )

Few groups are able to take L.A. by storm. "Delta City Rebels" is one group that succeeded. In just 9 months, they landed a recording contract with Geffen Records. They are the talk of L.A. In July, the group will enter the studio to begin recording their debut album. A tentative release date is stated for January '88. Lead singer Bobby Durango talked with us about his group.

Q. According to your bio., your "unique style defies com­parison with anyone." What’s so unique about your group?
A. I think it really has to do with the fact that our stuff real­ly goes more to the roots. A lot of bands will just go to the last generation of music, like Aerosmith type rock ‘n’ roll. And, they'll go one step beyond that and try to sound like the Stones. I really have always thought you should really just go to where those people have taken their inspiration and get your own from that. I listen to a lot of soul, a lot of Otis Red­ding, a lot of blues. I think it definitely shows up in our music. It's different in that respect.

Q. You're 21?
A. No, I just turned 22.

Q. And, you've toured all over the U.S.?
A. Yeah, basically.

Q. You started working clubs when you were 15. What did you do, drop out of school?
A. Yeah.

Q. You're probably not too proud of that.
A. Well, I'll tell you what, since then I got my GED, and I went to University of Miami for one year. I'm not really ashamed of it because I went back and did it.

Q. Is Ann Boleyn of "Hellion" promoting "Delta City Rebels" in some way?
A. We were going to put out a record on New Renaissance Records. That's what got us out to L.A. It was cool, 'cause it brought us out here. We came out here and realized a lot of other people were really interested in us. In Florida, there's nothing going on. We were playing a lot in Florida. Even in New York it's hard to get picked up if you're not playing heavy metal or punk rock. We didn't even know there was a market for rock 'n' roll. We just figured we're going to play that whether people liked it or not. A lot of labels came up to us. We just had to figure out how we could get the most people to hear our music. I think Geffen Records will definitely do the trick. Not to put down New Renaissance, because she really did help us as far as getting out here, but it just wasn't enough.

Q. How did you live when you first moved to L.A.?
A. I lived in my car for a long time, for about a year. We played clubs as soon as we got here, just to make a couple ex­tra bucks. I personally did not want to get a job, because I always felt it cuts in too deeply into time you could be writing music. I just felt, I'm gonna go out here and survive, and I'm gonna make it however I gotta do it.

Q. So you didn't have any money saved?
A. No, I get around here without a dime.

Q. Did Geffen sign "Delta City Rebels" on the spot?
A. They didn't know we were represented, so at first, they tried to come up to us then we told them, we don't deal with business, talk to our management company. It wasn't an on the spot thing. They had heard about us for a while before they decided to come in and watch us. Then, when they wat­ched us, they decided they wanted to sign us, but, that still takes a little while too. It took about 2 more months after they were initially interested.

Q. So, in a little under a year, you had a record deal.
A. Yeah, but then again we've been playing for six years, so it seems like it's an overnight thing but it's really not. There's a lot of work involved with it. You just can't start a band in a year and get a record deal. It doesn't work like that. This is years and years of building up songs, learning how to write. It definitely takes experience.

Q. You've added a fifth member to the group. Was that your idea or the record company's?
A. It's kind of funny 'cause they wanted us to add a fifth member, but by the time they told us, we had already gotten one. It's kind of a coincidence.

Q. What's going on in L.A. with the current wave of "glam rock?" Why is that so popular?
A. I'll tell you the truth; I think a lot of bands are trying to get away from that because for awhile it was really cool when nobody understood what it was really all about.