See the Last Bandoleros Channel the Beatles on Wild ‘Kimmel’ Performance
With harmonies that call to mind Ed Sullivan-era Beatles and a raucous performing style, the Last Bandoleros made their late-night TV debut last evening on Jimmy Kimmel Live. One of Rolling Stone Country‘s Artists You Need to Know, the Tex-Mex-influenced group turned in a raucous “Where Do You Go,” their first single.
Made up of core members Jerry Fuentes, Diego Navaira and Derek James, and augmented by an accordion player and rhythm guitarist, the Last Bandoleros represent the latest example of country’s band resurgence. But while other groups are exploring drum loops and pop-heavy beats, the Bandoleros lean heavily on an organic border sound and Fab Four harmonies. They’ve more in common with the Mavericks than, say, Old Dominion, which James admitted to Rolling Stone Country in May.
“It feels like country music is experiencing a broadening of its borders, which is exciting for us because we know we’re not a down-the-middle country band. We have a lot of flavors,” says James. “As important as our musical tastes are, it’s equally important to like the people you’re making music with. We’re coming from a place of mutual admiration, and that was the key for us as a group.”