Road stories and rock love with Boston-based Aloud

For more than half their lives, Henry Beguiristain and Jen de la Osa have shared a creative and romantic partnership. Now the driving force behind the Boston-based band Aloud – who are set to play at Paddy Murphy’s in Bangor this Friday – the two met in early high school when both lived in Miami, and connected over a shared love of the Beatles.

“Our respective grandparents had known each other for decades and, long story short, they introduced their weirdo Beatle-loving grandkids to each other,” said Beguiristain, who married de la Osa in 2010. “We spent about a year talking about music and sending songs back and forth until we eventually decided to play music together… when you find a kindred spirit like that you cling to ’em.”

Flash forward to 2012, and Aloud has released three full-length albums of infectiously melodic, tightly structured songwriting – most recently in 2010, with the album “Exile.” Known in Boston (where they resettled in 2001) and beyond for their energetic live shows, Beguiristain and de la Osa share just as many musical similarities as they do differences – which contributes to their vital, eclectic style of rock songwriting.

“Our move to Boston coincided with The Strokes putting out [their first albums]. That band — those records in particular — are incredibly important to us and really shaped the way we think about arranging our guitar parts,” said Beguiristain. “Growing up, Jen listened to way more Motown and 60s soul stuff than I did, which I’ve come around to and it’s quite possibly the best music on the planet. The next Aloud album may be in that vein, but we shall see.”

They do different in other places, however. De la Osa loves Madonna; Beguiristain does not. Beguiristain can sing the entirety of the “Weird” Al Yankovic back catalog; de la Osa could care less. But they connect more often than they don’t on the important things, like the Who, Dr. Dog, Feist, Bob Dylan and, of course, the Beatles.

Aloud has toured pretty relentlessly over the past few years. Touring is a tough prospect for a lot of bands. The time, effort and nonstop problem-solving required to live on the road for a large percentage of the year requires a certain kind of attitude. Beguiristain said advance planning is one of the keys to success – but with it must come a flexibility and willingness to just go with whatever the road throws your way, and an ability to have fun.

“The real trick is to enjoy this life. If that’s not there, you will not last,” he said. “I’ve seen people fall to pieces on the road after a week because they weren’t having fun on some level. What’s the point otherwise, y’know?”

Touring with people you like plays a big role in it as well – you’re going to see the people you’re with all the time, so you might as well get along in the first place. Fortunately, de la Osa and Beguiristain like each other quite a bit. So much so that they’re married – and whether or not they’re on the road, they still deal with all the stuff any married couple would deal with.

“We still give each other crap, we still get excited when the other comes in with a great song,” he said. “Most of my advice to couples in bands isn’t necessarily exclusive to couples in bands: keep things fun, even when it’s not; keep the drama to a minimum; and remember that your relationship is probably more important than dressing up in silly outfits and playing music.”

Aloud will play starting at 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 1 at Paddy Murphy’s in Bangor.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.