THE ANIMEROS: ON GUIDING SOULS THROUGH SOUNDS

This fall, as the sun dipped low over Zilker Park and crowds gathered for one of Austin’s most anticipated weekends, The Animeros made their Austin City Limits debut and they did not disappoint. With a sound that threads together cumbia, salsa, and Texas-rooted rhythms, the trio captivated the crowd, introducing thousands to their hypnotic blend of tradition and innovation. 

When we connected with The Animeros ahead of their ACL set, we learned that the group’s name is more than a stylistic flourish. It is a statement of purpose. Inspired by the Animeros of Colombia, shamans believed to usher souls into the afterlife, the band reimagines that role on the dance floor. Their mission remains clear: to guide listeners into immersive, transformative experiences through sound. 

Their roots run deep. Influenced by the music of their childhoods, cumbia, salsa, and Tejano, The Animeros channel those traditions into a contemporary framework. During our conversation, they described their songwriting process as both collaborative and experimental. “We usually start with a melody and play around with that,” they told me. “Everyone brings a different vibe, so we’ll think, okay, Nico could add this to it, and then we build.” They also admitted to testing a lot of their songs out live, “almost like a focus group”, adjusting based on the crowd’s energy.

There’s a cinematic quality to The Animeros’ sound, lush, expansive, and pulsing with rhythm. When asked how they imagine their music in a visual sense, one of them grinned and said, “A Quentin Tarantino movie for a driving scene through the desert.” “An Italian western” was also offered. Both images fit, music that feels at once grounded and untamed, evoking sun-scorched highways and late-night dance floors. 

Their ACL performance also marked the live debut of a new track released just days before the festival. “We are most excited to play Terlingua,” they said, and the crowd’s reaction proved it was a solid choice. For the trio, taking the stage at ACL was more than another gig. “We’ve been big fans of the festival for years. We’ve been in the audience. We go to Zilker with our families,” they shared. “Receiving the invitation was surreal”. With one member even choosing to keep the news a secret until the lineup was officially released. 

Even as performers, The Animeros remain fans at heart. When we spoke ahead of their ACL debut, they shared which artists they were most excited to catch once the festival kicked off. Modest Mouse, The Strokes, and Dr. Dog were all on their list. For them, the magic of ACL lies in performing while still feeling connected to the crowd, artists and fans sharing the same energy. 

Offstage, The Animeros are as grounded as they are inventive. Their chemistry was easy and infectious, a mix of humor, warmth, and curiosity. We asked what kind of food they would serve if they ran a food truck at the festival, and they laughed, imagining quesadillas, tamales, or arepas. These answers not only reflected their roots but were strategically chosen for their practicality for eating while standing, walking, or dodging a dancing crowd. And if their music were a Texas landmark? They chose the desert out in Marfa, expansive, enigmatic, and unforgettable, like their energy and sound. 

With a name steeped in ritual, a sound grounded in heritage, and a collaborative spirit that embraces evolution and experimentation, The Animeros are a band worth checking out. Their music transforms any space into a living ritual of rhythm and connection, pulling listeners into a shared, erratic moment where tradition and modernity collide on the dance floor. And if you did catch them at ACL, lucky you!  

Written by: Ana Oquendo