Juan Wauters has quickly become one of the most likeable and sought-after musicians of 2014 since the release of his debut solo album, N.A.P North American Poetry, earlier this year. Wauters is not a stranger to this kind of reception after gaining a big following with his previous project, The Beets. N.A.P North American Poetry, now out on cassette and LP via Captured Tracks, picks up where The Beets left off in 2012 with acoustically driven, infectious melodies and a healthy balance of both English and Spanish lyrics. But this album takes a bit of a different direction from Juan’s previous releases by having the spotlight not only on his songwriting abilities, but also on his exploration of what it means to be “you”.
I was lucky enough to see Juan two times in one week; once at day 2 of the Burger Boogaloo at Mosswood Park in Oakland, and then later that week when he opened up for Mac Demarco at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
After his second set of the week, I met up with Juan in the windiest alley of San Francisco which is conveniently located in the back of the Great American Music Hall. Check out the interview below where we discuss existentialism, what it means to be New Yorker, Jonathan Richman, and his creative collaborator Matt Volz. Also check out the music video for “Water” below directed by Matt himself.