THE WARNING – Biography
Band-Members:
Daniela „Dany“ Villarreal Velez: guitars, piano, lead and backing vocals
Paulina „Pau“ Villarreal Velez drums, piano, lead and backing vocals
Alejandra „Ale“ Villarreal Velez: bass, piano, backing vocals
Discography:
Escape the Mind (2015)
XXI Century Blood (2017)
Queen of the Murder Scene (2018)
Narcisista (2019)
ERROR (2022)
„We are three sisters from Monterrey, Mexico. We love music.“
The early days:
It all started back in 2005 when Daniela was five and Paulina was three years old and had their first experience with music when attending a summer camp with music and theatre activities. After that they began piano lessons. They listened from children’s songs like Barney to rock and roll like AC/DC and Muse.
Fast forward a couple years later in 2007 when Daniela turned eight and Paulina six and they loved to play the popular video game ROCK BAND. This was a huge influence on which instruments the girls would start playing next.
Alejandra, being the youngest, had a whole different approach to music. She had to wait until she was five years old to enroll in piano and music lessons. Being raised in a house full of music and the role models that her older sisters came to be for her always kept her motivated to take a leap into music properly. It took her a lot of music-video-binging for her to realize she wanted to try out bass guitar, because she really loved the sound it made.
The girls never planned to form a band, especially since Alejandra was too young. The girls just liked playing music. It was a Christmas Holiday’s school festival where Daniela and Paulina decided to play together a song that they had been working on separately. They invited Alejandra and her skills were tested at such young age but she handled the bass lines as if she had been playing for years. The satisfaction and enjoyment of that first musical experience on stage was so big they started practicing more songs together, setting higher goals for each on their instrument, goals that they saw and heard in music from the rock and roll bands they loved listening to.
They started videotaping those rehearsals and uploading them to their YouTube channel, where they had a few followers and with time started gaining more. But it wasn’t until they uploaded a cover for the song “Enter Sandman” by the band Metallica. This one broke the internet.
In just a few days it went viral and millions of people from all around the world became hardcore fans of THE WARNING, setting off a series of events that would kick the girls into the musical scene in a way nobody expected. Up to this day, this video still gets copied and reposted in social media and goes viral over and over again to a cumulative total of over 70 million views, officially „liked“, shared and commented by members of Metallica themselves. Fueled by this success and the fuzz it created, others of their covers got public acclaim by bands like Guns’n’Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Coldplay, Muse and Twisted Sister and the band started to get into the focus of magazines like the Rolling Stone as well as music business and TV executives.
Escape the Mind (2015):
Soon after, they began writing their own songs and in January 2015 they recorded their first EP composed of original songs written and performed by them. Playing and experimenting through different styles and genres they found that rock and roll was the kind of music they loved playing.
By this time the sisters had a dream: attending a five-week summer course at Berklee College of Music. They created a GoFundMe campaign to raise the money they needed to attend the summer course. The Ellen DeGeneres Show found the girl’s viral video online and invited them to appear in the show for an interview and performance. Thanks to the huge support that Ellen showed to the girls and the significant fan base they had gained in their social media, they raised the money to attend to Berklee, where the talk show also followed and documented the girl’s experience during their summer course for EllenTube.
Inspired by THE WARNING's early achievements, the American video game developers Harmonix Music Systems became aware that their Rock Band video game had been the catalyst for this online phenomena, so they reached out to the girls, invited them to visit their facilities and included their single “Free Falling” in the latest version of the game, Rock Band 4. Later on, they also added their song „Survive“ as a free download.
By this time they started receiving offers to play in different venues around the U.S.A. and México, including large and renown festivals like the Pal Norte and SxSW. Here is a list of a few of their shows up to 2017:
Musak Festival (California, USA)
Pal Norte Festival (Monterrey, MX)
Gibson Guitars Showcase (Beverly Hills, USA)
House Of Blues (Anaheim, USA)
TEDx Talks 2016 (Reno, USA)
Hard Rock Café (Boston, USA)
Sunshine Festival (Texas, USA)
SxSW Music Fest 2016 (Austin, USA)
XXI Century Blood (2017):
During the time of these shows and different stages they started the songwriting process for their first LP. Disappointed by the numerous offers from producers and record companies, that approached them, wanting to sign them only under the precondition of gaining control over their music and style, they decided to go independent instead, keeping full control over their image and creative output. During 2016 they worked on the recordings, editing and mixing of 13 songs written by them and their first studio LP was born: XXI CENTURY BLOOD.
XXI CENTURY BLOOD was released on March 27th, 2017 along with a six-minute concept music video for their first single also titled “XXI Century Blood”, that gained worldwide attention and achieved several awards at film festivals.
2017 saw another round of shows in order to promote the album. Once again, these included small local venues as well as large open air festivals like the Mother Of All Rock Festival together with bands like Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, Buckcherry and Def Leppard, who also invited them to become their official support band for their 2017 Mexican tour. Here’s a little excerpt of 2017’s show highlights:
TEDx Talks 2017 (Reno, USA)
JRZ Music Fest 2017 (CD. Juarez , MX)
TECATE FoodTruck Fest 2017 (Monterrey , MX)
Rock Fest 2017 (Toluca , MX)
Def Leppard Opener Arena CDMX (México City, MX)*
Def Leppard Opener Auditorio Telmex (Guadalajara,MX)*
Mother of All Rock Festival 2017 (Monterrey, MX)
Festival Cielo Magico (Santiago, MX)
*Official Supporter for Def Leppard México Tour 2017
2018 began just as 2017 ended with more live shows and more invitations to local Open Air festivals. Events, that deserve a special mention, were their first appearance at the legendary „Whisky a Gogo“ in West-Hollywood as support for the Dio Disciples, their position as The Killers‘ opening band during their Mexican tour, the double-headliner „Power Trio Tour 2018 throughout Mexico together with the multiple Grammy Latino Award nominees Eruca Sativa from Argentina and their appearance in front of over 27,000 enthusiastic metalheads on the main-stage of the Hell & Heaven Festival, headlined by Deep Purple, Judas Priest, The Scorpions and Ozzy Osbourne:
Dakota Studio Bar (Monterrey, MX)
Whisky a Gogo (West Hollywood, USA)
The Killers Opener Arena Monterrey (two nights) (Monterrey, MX)
Roxy Fest (Guadalajara, MX)
Corona Hell & Heaven Festival (México City, MX)
Concert & Storytelling at Agua Fria (Monterrey, MX)
Dogma Bar (Saltillo, MX)
San Francisco Country Club (Chihuahua, MX)
Grill Master HEB 2018 – SMP (Monterrey, MX)
Dakota Studio Bar (1st anniversary celebration) (Monterrey, MX)
Abridoras Moderatto (opening band) (Monterrey, MX)
Force Fest Open Air (Monterrey, MX)
„Power Trio Tour“ w/ Eruca Sativa (Guadalajara, Leon, Toluca, Cuauhtemoc, Queretaro, Zaragoza, Saltillo, MX)
The Warning & Jet Jaguar, first QOTMS live presentation (México City, MX)
Queen of the Murder Scene (2018):
Throughout the first half of the year, they continued writing music and over time, the idea, not to release just another collection of songs, but to create a concept album following a storyline took form. Fascinated by psychological topics, like they already explored in certain songs on their first album, they decided to take the listener on a journey through the mind of a young woman, who drifts from unrequitted love to despair, obsession, schizophrenia, violence, murder and finally her own inescapable death. The outcome was their second album QUEEN OF THE MURDER SCENE, that was fully financed (recording, editing, mixing, mastering, production of the physical copies on CDs and deluxe double vinyl) by an overly successful Kickstarter campaign, carried by their huge international fanbase. On November 25th, 2018 the album was officially released at a co-headliner show with Wacken Metal Battle 2017 winners Jet Jaguar.
2019 was marked by further live performances throughout the world to promote their QUEEN OF THE MURDER SCENE album. It began with a return to the legendary „Whisky a Gogo“, this time with a full two-hour headliner show. Later that year, they played a sold out show at the „Foro DiDi“ in their hometown of Monterrey, where they premiered their new song „Narcisista“, the first one in Spanish, which quickly became a fan favorite. They also played at the prestigeous „Rock al Parque“ Festival in Bogota, Colombia, the biggest rock festival in South America. Later that year, they embarked on a tour through Argentina with their friends Eruca Sativa. The year ended with two shows at the Mercury Lounge in New York.
Mercury Lounge (New York, USA)
Sala de las Artes (Rosario, Argentina) Eruca Trio Tour
Tribus (Santa Fe, Argentina) Eruca Trio Tour
Museum (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Eruca Trio Tour
Club Paraguay (Cordoba, Argentina) Eruca Trio Tour
N8 (Mendoza, Argentina) Eruca Trio Tour
Teatro Opera (La Plata, Argentina) Eruca Trio Tour
Teatriz (Mar del Plata, Argentina) Eruca Trio Tour
Witches Fest (Rioverde San Luis Potosi MX)
Cafe Iguana (Monterrey, MX)
Coyote Harley Davidson (Santiago, MX)
Festival Cultural (Aguascalientes, MX)
Hoteles Authentico (Monterrey, MX) Acoustic Session
Grill Master HEB 2019 (Monterrey, MX)
Black Box (Tijuana, MX)
Rock'Si (Aguascalientes, MX)
Bunker (San Luis Potosi, MX)
The Destroy (Zacatecas, MX)
Rock al Parque (Bogota, Colombia)
Papa Sobre Ruedas (Monterrey, MX)
Foro DIDI (Monterrey, MX)
Inferno Fest (Cabo San Lucas, MX)
Gama Music (Monterrey, MX)
Atypical Fest (Monclova, MX)
London! Music House (Piedras Negras, MX)
Whisky a Gogo (West Hollywood,USA)
Early 2020, they ran their second Kickstarter campaign to fund their next album and a Noth America Tour to overwhelming success. With over six-hundred percent funded, it became the most successful Kickstarter campaign, that ever came out of Mexico and the sixth most successful worldwide within the rock genre.
The plans for their first extensive North American tour were already set. Beginning in March there would have been 23 dates all over the USA and Canada. Unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic put a spoke in their wheel. Nevertheless, they had the chance to play two times more in the sold out Whisky a Gogo, at the Crossroads Festival in Brownsville, Texas, at the Vive Latino Festival and to open for the Mexican star-band Moderatto and Stryper before the public performances had to be stopped.
Vive Latino Festival (Mexico City, MX)
Montana Live Club (Torreon, MX)
Crossroads Festival (Brownsville, USA)
Escena Monterrey Monterrey Mexico Opening for Stryper
Gimnasio Rodrigo M. Quevedo Chihuahua Mexico Opening for Stryper
Cafe Iguana Monterrey Mexico Big City Family!
Cafe Iguana Monterrey Mexico Big City Family!
Dogma Bar Saltillo Mexico
Showcenter Complex Monterrey Mexico Opening for Moderatto
Whisky a Gogo West Hollywood, CA USA
ERROR (2022):
However, 2020 has set another milestone in the history of The Warning for quite another reason: After watching them play, Jason Flom, head of Lava Records, a label of the Universal Music Group, got interested in the band. After initial talks it became clear, that the band had finally found a strong partner, who believed in their visions and was seriously interested in supporting them without trying to influence them into doing things, that they don’t want. So after seven months of negotiations, The Warning finally signed a five-record deal with Lava Records and became the first Mexican band under a US major label’s wings.
Later that year, they entered a studio in New Jersey to record their third full length album with star producer David Bendeth, which will be published worldwide in 2021/2022.
On May 21, 2021 The Warning released the first single called "Choke" of the upcoming album, which went to number one in the streaming rock charts of Mexico, Peru and Ireland. The video clip for "Choke" garnered over 1.6 million views on YouTube before the end of the year and got into heavy rotation at Sirius XM Octane. It was followed by four more singles, called "Evolve", "Martirio", "Disciple" and "Animosity". The video clip for "Animosity" was a collabotartion with Webtoon and featured animated material from the comic "I'm the Grim Reaper" by artist Graveweaver.
On October, 8 they finally released their six-song EP called "Mayday", which consists of the five singles plus the high energetic song "Z" as a sneak preview of the upcoming album.
They also took part in Metallica's project "The Metallica Blacklist" in order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their legendary "Black Album" and recorded a new rendition of "Enter Sandman" together with Canadian Grammy winner Alessia Cara for it. All profits were donated to charities. This cover version was featured later on as the background music for the trailers to Marvel's video game "Midnight Suns" and the NETFLIX series "The Imperfects".
Welcome to Rockville Festival 2021 (Daytona Beach, USA)
Live TV show "Desvelados at Canal 6" (Monterrey, MX)
With the pandemic finally coming to an end, 2022 saw them play over 100 shows throughout North and South America, not only taking part in well reknown rock festivals like Sound of Music, Upheaval, Rock Fest, Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Rock Al Parque and more, but also in three tours as support-act for "Halestorm" and "The Pretty Reckless" on their "Summer Tour", "Three Days Grace" on the Canadian leg of their "EXPLOSIONS" tour and their own headlining tour "MAYDAY TOUR 2022". They also got invited by Foo Fighters to open their show in Mexico City in front of over 60,000 people and Guns 'n' Roses to be their support act for their stadium show in Monterrey.
While still on tour, their latest album called "ERROR" finally got released on June, 24th, entering the rock and metal charts all over the world, achieving acclaim by critics and fans alike.
In 2023 they plan to tour Europe for the very first time, being already invited to perform at the "Rock am Ring" and "Rock im Park" twin festivals in Germany.
C.C. Teatro Legula (Lima, Peru)
ROCK AL PARQUE 2022 Festival (Bogota, COolombia) ROCK AL PARQUE 2022 Festival
Dia de los Muertos Virtual Reality online concert for Tidal Rising
Opening for Guns n' Roses - Estadio de Beisbol (Monterrey, MX)
MEX RAIDER NATION FEST 2022 (Mexico City, MX)
PENINSULA TECATE Festival 2022 (Tijuana, MX)
AFTERSHOCK Festival 2022 (Sacramento, USA)
Louder Than Life Festival 2022 (Louisville, USA)
Teatro Metropolitan (Mexico City, MX)
Upheaval Festival 2022 (Grand Rapids, USA)
SUMMER FEST (Milwaukee, USA)
Opening for Stone Temple Pilots (Iceberg Alley, Canada)
Sound of Music Festival 2022 (Burlington, Canada)
SxSW Festival 2022 Opening for Sammy Hagar & The Circle (Austin, USA)
Opening for Foo Fighters - Foro Sol (Mexico City, MX)
Opening for Mammoth WVH and Dirty Honey (Las Vegas, USA)
(... and many, many more)