Interview: Joudy free themselves

Diego Ramirez, Gabriel Gavidia, and Hulrich Navas had so much to consider when they decided to flee Venezuela. Times were tough, but they knew they had to leave. It wasn’t an easy decision. In fact, it was the hardest choice they’ve ever had to make. “The major thing we had to consider was that we were probably never going to come back to Venezuela,” says Ramirez, “or at least that a good decade might pass before that would be possible.”

Considering for a moment, the band known as Joudy (pronounced “howdy”) left behind literally everything. They left behind love stories and lifetime friendships and lost poems — old songs, hidden places, nature. Their lives would never be the same, yet endless opportunities awaited them in New York City. “We each left Venezuela at different times and under highly complicated circumstances,” continues Diego. “It’s not an easy subject for us to talk about openly, but we could say it was extremely difficult for us to get here. We landed in New York quite frightened and confused.”

In “Tail End,” the band’s new song, a primer to their forthcoming Destroy All Monsters, Ramirez howls a single refrain: “Free myself to see myself.” Guitars crash like thunder, synthesizing their pain and sorrow into a great, chest-pounding anthem of redemption and freedom. The album, expected later this year, is cut into seven, transformative chapters — with “Tail End” representing “the point in the album’s storyline where the main character comes to a deeper understanding of self and the world around them,” the lead singer and guitarist explains. The lyrical incisor breaks the skin and draws blood, infecting the body with its special concoction of venom. In theme, the repeated phrase “has to do with making the effort to detach from everything that is not you, so you can truly see and feel yourself as you are, and genuinely decide for yourself.”

Admittedly, Ramirez found great healing through such cathartic songwriting, something he did not anticipate. “The results of my experiments conclude that awareness during the process of creation can become a transcendental experience,” he says. “The reality we live in is deeply connected to what we think we are and how we think we are. Writing about healing heals.”

Below, Ramirez dives deep into the band’s musical mutation, finding creativity in NYC, and what reuniting really felt like.

How did this all feed into your musical transformation?

Well, Joudy’s music has always been a reflection of the situations we are in at the moment of creation. Joudy’s sound, in parallel to us, evolved into something more direct, even rawer, and expressive. The lyrics became more spiritually rooted and overall, more positive.

How do you think you’ve changed as human beings?

We’ve become more aware of our thoughts and our emotions. And we have become more aware of our boundaries and limits. We have become more aware of our actions and the way they affect others, and we have learned how to manifest the version of the world we want to live in.

With Destroy All Monsters, what kind of deep personal work did you do?

Radical acceptance of everything we cannot change so we can live a life without fear and resentment.

Have you found creative inspiration in NYC you didn’t expect?

NYC in its entirety was something we weren’t ready for, but the energy of this city is truly unique and inspiring. Without this city, I’m not sure if the dream of having a band and playing music for a crowd would’ve ever been restored for us. We’re grateful to have a second chance every day that we wake up here. We still find NYC inspiring every day, that aspect doesn’t get old for us.

What’s the biggest lesson since arriving in NYC?

Learning how to be completely alone and independent. Feeling blissful within solitude. Learning how to stay focused even when everything seems to be against you. Self-love, self-compassion, and forgiveness.

Since reuniting in 2020, what’s the journey been like together as a collective and just people finding each other again?

It’s weird. It always feels like time has never passed when you reunite with the people you truly care for. So many friends have come to visit us, and it’s always like we are still trapped in a timeless space where our relationship keeps growing regardless of where we are physically or mentally. Experiencing this really changes how we perceive human connections.

Were the other original band members unable to make it to NYC?

Joudy has had many members in the past, depending on the circumstances we were in at the moment — we have worked with different collaborators along the way. The number of band members has fluctuated over the years, too. At this point, it feels like Joudy has been the product of a big community. Ex-members of Joudy are now scattered across different countries, mainly in South America. We always carry the hope we can reunite someday for a couple of shows.

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