Drumming With The Tye Trybe
Jonathan Hernandez is the drummer for The Tye Trybe and is currently studying music education in City College of New York.
Michael Marfil: So I am with Jonathan Hernandez. He’s twenty-one years old, and he plays for The Tye Trybe, right?
Jonathan Hernandez: Yeah, twenty-two, and yes.
MM: Oh, twenty-two, yeah. So, how did the Tye Trybe get together?
JH: Uh, we got together — just because my younger brother, who plays guitar and I play drums, so we figured, instead of just fooling around we should, you know, start a band and stuff.
MM: So what would you describe your genre of music?
JH: I guess garage rock, like e-bass rock.
MM: Cool, cool. So, how many years has The Tye Trybe been — how long have you guys been playing?
JH: Yeah — wait, I can give you an actual answer. [goes to retrieve information] Our first actual show with my brother and I was September in 2010.
MM: Oh wow, so you’ve been active in the New York City music scene for about three years, approximately?
JH: Yeah, yeah, three to four years.
MM: Okay, cool. Where are some places that you have had some gigs?
JH: The more known ones that we play in are The Bitter End, Mercury Lounge, Arlene’s Grocery, The Bowery Electric, Pianos, Spike Hill in Brooklyn, Webster Hall.
MM: Oh, Webster Hall, that’s a big music scene, right?
JH: Yeah, it’s cool. And those are just to name a few. There are a lot of other ones.
MM: So you have been all throughout the city. Can you describe some of the scenes that you have played at?
JH: Describe it like what?
MM: Like, the atmosphere, the vibe, I guess.
JH: Oh, most places are pretty loud. A lot of music going on, a lot of people. Each venue is really different, but everybody’s just going out to just de-stress from work or whatever, so, yeah, mostly loud. I don’t really know how to describe it. Each venue kind of has a different atmosphere, but they’re all generally the same at the same time, just loud, a lot of people, dimly lit. They’re different but not different at the same time, it’s kind of hard to explain.
MM: Right, it’s kind of like how different parts of the city are different but they have their similarities.
JH: Yeah, like, how each place tries to stand apart so they’ll try to have, like, decorations or different things throughout the week but they’re all pretty much the same.
MM: Yeah, right. So how do you think the city has affected you and the way that you play?
JH: Like, New York City in itself?
MM: Yeah.
JH: I wouldn’t say the city necessarily affected my playing, maybe it has in a sense of like — I don’t know, I don’t think it’s affected my playing so much, like, the city in itself. I don’t think it’s really affected me. I mean, just seeing other performers — I can get ideas from other performers, but not necessarily the city in of itself — actually, maybe the only thing that the city has done was that I’ve tried to mimic the sound of a train coming in and out of a station, ‘cause it has kind of a rhythmic feel to it, and that’s probably the only thing. I guess I’ll try to listen to other things or try to copy it.
MM: Right, so what influenced you and your brother to play the kind of genre of music that you play?
JH: Well, mostly, growing up, since we were raised in the Bronx everybody’s kind of listening to rap music, hip hop, R&B, and stuff like that, and everybody was listening to the same type of stuff — it wasn’t necessarily our favorite, so we just wanted to see what else was out there, and — I guess, also, my older brother kind of got us into rock music a little bit, too, ‘cause we wanted to be like our older brother, you know, we wanted to listen to the same type of music.
MM: Wow, that’s very interesting. So, basically you just wanted to depart from the usual, from the normal.
JH: In a sense, yes.
MM: Have you played outside of New York City, and if so, how different is it?
JH: Well, our first show that we ever played was in Ohio, ‘cause we were visiting my older brother and he set something up for us. How different is it? Venue-wise, not so different, like I said before, you know, they were kind of all the same. But I guess the people — you know, it’s not very different. I’m sure the people, individually, are different. But you know, when you’re on stage, you’re not really talking to them or, like, people will still laugh or applaud regardless of whether the music is good or not no matter where you go and they’re just there to really, like, enjoy good music, so, it’s sort of the same thing everywhere, you know. It’s just, like, we’re entertaining and people are being entertained so it’s not much different, really. No, it’s not really different. I mean, I don’t have much experience with other places, but as far as the little that I have I don’t see a big difference.
MM: I mean, what, if any, what are some of the differences that you can kind of perceive between New York, and, say Ohio?
JH: As far as, music, or venues, or just in general?
MM: I guess in general, if there’s just a different vibe between New York and Ohio.
JH: I guess the pace of New York is a lot faster, kind of a lot more hustle and bustle. Kind of fast, I don’t want to say selfish but they’re always kind of concerned about themselves first before anybody else. They’re kind of a little uptight, and even when they’re trying to have a good time they still can’t — I can’t find the word.
MM: Like, rave, like, get down?
JH: No, no, not like that. It’s just, like, the pace of Ohio is a lot slower and the people are a lot nicer. Yeah, but when it comes to music everybody likes good music. If I probably spent time with people outside of a venue or in the workplace, I would see more of a difference, but in a music setting there’s not much of a difference, you know. If people like what they hear, they’ll tell you that they like it. If not, they won’t. If people enjoy it, they’ll get into it, and that’s about it. I guess in New York people are trying to be cool and trying to prove themselves more than anywhere else, if that makes sense.
MM: Yeah it’s interesting, the hustle and bustle of New York. So, I know that our drummer in church influenced your drumming. Was there anything else that influenced your learning the drums?
JH: Well, I’m a very visual learner, so, just watching the drummer at church — he helped me a lot. And, just, watching a lot of videos. I guess, too, the question that you asked before, how the city influenced me, just, like, watching performers on the street or watching people at music stores and stuff like that, but just —
MM: Like, say, people on the train or people sitting with their buckets, their paint buckets, I guess?
JH: Exactly, yeah.
MM: I guess that influenced the style that you play, because your style is very different from the style of, say, Keith (the drummer at church) or other people.
JH: Yeah, I just try to be very versatile, you know, just try to learn a lot of styles, a lot of different things.
MM: Right. So, if you could say one word about drumming for the Tye Trybe and your experience in the city, what would that word be?
JH: Work. It’s a lot of work.
MM: Yeah, it is a lot of work.
JH: And ultimately, that’s a lot of what musicians are doing, you know, they ultimately want to do that full time as their job and be paid and make a living off of it, so, it is like work, it really is like work.
MM: Yeah, cool. So it was really nice interviewing you, Jon, it was a really good experience getting to know how the Tye Trybe started and the various influences in the city. Thanks, Jon.
JH: Yeah, thank you, too, for involving me in your project.
MM: Oh, it’s a pleasure, it’s a big pleasure.
JH: Alright, thanks, Mike.
You can check out more about The Tye Trybe and download their EP Word Is Born on thetyetrybe.bandcamp.com
Jonathan points out that cultural influence doesn’t just operate by attracting us to certain genres or art forms; sometimes we also go down new paths because we reject what is popular, and want to find something that feels like our own.