If you have ever preferred a cover version over the original, chances are it was by Boyce Avenue. The band comprising brothers Alejandro, Daniel and Fabian Manzano, will be in India this weekend and though they made a name for themselves with their rendition of popular numbers, the trio have three original albums and singles to their credit as well.
Speaking over phone, before setting off on their tour, Daniel’s excitement is palpable. “We’ve been touring for almost 20 years and this will be our third visit to India. We love coming there.”
Boyce Avenue, which come to India courtesy BookMyShow, derived their name from two streets the brothers lived on as children.
Daniel says their “origin story is quite simple, because we’re brothers”. At the same time, he admits their foray into music was rather “atraditional in a sense”.
“We started into music late since we were all interested in sports. Alejandro, our lead singer and youngest brother, did not start playing music or pick up a guitar till he was about 13. I was 19 then, so that was a late start. But, Alejandro was so passionate and intense about it, almost obsessed, and in two years, he was an exceptional guitarist.”
Daniel says that over the next few years, they worked on covers, “occasionally writing an original and playing in little pubs and college towns, trying to do whatever we could”.
Boyce Avenue
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“It wasn’t until MySpace came up and we started posting our music online, that we realised it would have a broader reach. You have to remember this was a different time, a different era,” he says, adding that it was the band’s transition to YouTube that truly boosted their profile.
“Our very first videos garnered over 100,000 views and soon we were hitting it out of the park with every post. We’ve never looked back since.”
While Daniel is the percussionist and Fabian and Alejandro play the guitar, all three lend their voices to the songs. And they do the same when it comes penning the lyrics and composing music.
“We all write our music and lyrics, though Alejandro is the most prolific — it comes easier to him. We’ve also had quite a few songs where we’ve collaborated. I’ll do the music and chorus, Alejandro does the verses and Fabian sings. Its different every time and we’ve worked through all the various combinations between the three of us.”
“We have our own ideas, develop them as far as we can, and then bring everything to the band. It is a process that works for us.”
When asked about the possibility of another album from Boyce Avenue (their last one — Road Less Travelled — was released in 2016), Daniel says, “I believe for the whole world, the album is a bit on its way out and it is a sad reality for me, because I grew up listening to albums and still love them. But, we understand it is more of a singles climate right now, and fans can expect a few towards the end of the year or maybe early next year.”
Talking about their India tour, Daniel says their tight schedule barely allows for sightseeing or the chance to collaborate with local artistes, so they make do with “enjoying the local cuisine and the local culture”.
With World Jazz Day round the corner and given that their tone of music is ballad-like, with a clean, quiet sound which would blend well with that genre, Daniel says, “It is not something we grew up listening to, so we don’t naturally gravitate towards it. However of late, I have started buying the records of Etta James, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, so it is not inconceivable that a song or two of that nature could slip in. But it’s definitely always going to be a rare occurrence.”
Boyce Avenue performs on April 11 at Phoenix Marketcity from 7pm. Tickets on BookMyShow
Boyce Avenue
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Published – April 10, 2025 11:48 am IST