A cult following 

Twin Tribes, the darkwave duo hailing from the Rio Grande Valley, will return home to perform on the Breakthrough Music Stage during the MXLAN three-day art and music festival. 

Its homecoming show is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. Saturday at the McAllen Convention Center, located at 700 Convention Center Blvd. 

The duo, Joel Niño Jr. and Luis Navarro of Twin Tribes, spoke with The Rider via Zoom while on tour in Canada.

They shared only one opportunity comes around a year to play in the Valley, so it was very “special” for them to play at MXLAN.

 Niño said being able to play in front of their family and friends is something they always look forward to, and of course, being able to represent the 956. 

“It’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “And every time we do come around, it’s magical. And I believe the MXLAN festival is going to be one of those things that we won’t forget for quite a bit.” 

Although the band’s name is not derived from the television show “Twin Peaks,” it draws deeply from similar themes of darkness and the unknown, tinged with a cult-like mystique. 

Navarro said the band’s name emerged from an initial inclination toward a “cult” aesthetic. He recounted researching the Twelve Tribes communities, after which Niño conceived of Twin Tribes, a name Navarro immediately embraced for its “symmetry.”

“Speaking of Twin Peaks, we’ve actually been to that waterfall that you kind of see [in the show],” Niño said.

“It’s a mandatory stop every time we go to Seattle.”

Navarro said touring offers the reward of experiencing diverse cities.

“Seattle is actually my favorite city from, like, all of the ones that we visit in the U.S.,” he said. 

Niño said a meaningful aspect of their journey is the presence of Latino fans at their shows, both domestically and internationally.

 “It’s a really cool feeling that they feel represented,” he said. “And we feel amazing representing them.”

Niño recounted a memorable tour experience in Spain in 2024.

 “I’ll say it’s a bad experience,” he said, describing how half the crew suffered from food poisoning, leading to “a lot of projectile vomiting, stuff you’ve probably seen in ‘The Exorcist.’”

Navarro shared an unusual, yet positive, memory from a 2021 show in Germany. 

“The venue was actually a house, and the promoters came out and they showed us to the inside of the house,” he recalled. “‘This is the venue you guys are playing.’ It’s the living room. And, yeah, we were like, ‘Whoa, what is going on?’”

Despite their initial surprise, they discovered the house was well-equipped for a performance, and the house was packed with “goth people,” creating a uniquely special and surreal community.

The duo shared a laugh, acknowledging a YouTube comment that aptly described their sound as “like Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, Joy Division and Depeche Mode had an evil little baby.”

“Of course, all of these legacy bands, you know, inspired us,” Navarro said.

He cited Johnny Marr’s guitar work with The Smiths as a significant personal influence on his own playing.

Beyond these iconic bands, Niño pointed to contemporary artists such as, Lebanon Hanover, Drab Majesty, She Past Away and Boy Harsher as sources of inspiration.

“This is music that we love and that, you know, we’re able to create as well,” Niño said.

Their music videos’ form was another crucial facet of their artistic expression, drawing inspiration from films and from being on the road. 

“‘Monolith,’ for instance, was influenced by ‘The X-Files,’” the duo said.

The Rider asked if the paranormal themes ever led to unsettling moments during late-night drives on tour, Navarro simply replied, “sometimes, yeah.”

“There’s a time where we would, like, just put on podcasts, like scary stories, and we’re just freaking ourselves out,” Niño said. “It’s all fun.” 

For their show at MXLAN, the duo said they have a cool set, especially curated for their tour and the Valley.

“Come on out and see us,” Niño said. “And all the other cool bands.” 

For tickets to the MXLAN festival, visit MXLAN.com, and visit Twin-Tribes.com for more on the band.