Felix Contreras | January 31, 2023

There is a slow burning intensity to everything Hermanos Gutiérrez does, including how the duo walked into our offices and saw the Tiny Desk for the first time. “Wow, there it is…” Estevan said quietly to his brother Alejandro.

Hermanos Gutiérrez’s origin story is as intricate as the guitar playing styles of its two members. The brothers have roots in both Switzerland and Ecuador, and the time spent in those two very distinct cultures and geographies gives their sound a tempered European coolness, coupled with a warm, playful energy. From the opening strains of “El Bueno Y El Malo” the brothers’ turn behind the Desk is the perfect introduction to their music if you don’t already know them — and a treat if you already do.

They weave intricate guitar lines over each other that intertwine to the point that if you close your eyes you can’t tell where one begins and the other ends. With a slight touch of a digital loop pedal, Estevan even sneaks in an entire percussion section on bongo and cowbell on “Tres Hermanos.” When my Alt.Latino co-host Anamaria Sayre and I interviewed them on the podcast last year, I notice that they converse very much like they play: their comments intertwine and layer upon each other’s in the same way they play in unison and against each other in songs like “Thunderbird” and “Pueblo Man.”

SET LIST
“El Bueno Y El Malo”
“Tres Hermanos”
“Thunderbird”
“Pueblo Man”

MUSICIANS
Alejandro Gutiérrez: guitar, lap steel
Estevan Gutiérrez: guitar, percussion

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bob Boilen
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Sofia Seidel
Audio Assistant: Brian Jarboe
Production Assistant: Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #nprmusic #hermanosgutierrez