Amidst the crop of country acts hailing from the Lone Star State, J.R. Castillo and his band Unwound have been making a strong impact on the revved up country scene in and around Texas. From the small South Texas town of Green Acres, J.R. & the boys have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the live country music circuit. The success of their 2004 studio project Its All About A Girl has also been influential in winning over the country radio masses and a new corps of fans the world over.
J.R. has been in and around music circles all his life. His Dad, in paying tribute to J.R.s uncle who died before he was born, put a guitar in J.R.s hands at the tender age of seven. His mother further perpetuated his love of music by filling the Castillo home with her own renditions of her favorite songs, while encouraging her young son to sing along. "In a sense, she was my first ever duet partner and background singer" claims Castillo.
"My parents are the sole reason I do what I do. Dad grew up listening to my Uncle Neto sing and play guitar on my Grandmothers front porch and that served as a huge inspiration to him. When he passed away while in the Navy, my Dad, in trying to preserve his brothers memory, picked up the guitar and taught himself to play a few chords. He vowed that if he ever had a son, he would put a guitar in his hands, too. And so it goes.
"My mother has a beautiful voice and I have very fond memories of her singing around the house and in the car as far back as I can remember. She used to have me sing along with her and in some cases she would have me sing the harmony parts to songs. She may not have realized it, but she was giving me an early lesson in Voice 101 continues Castillo."
An accomplished songwriter as well, J.R. has been writing and honing his craft since the start of his teenage years. With an elaborate catalog of more than a thousand songs, J.R. has been recognized within the industry and hailed as one of the top upcoming writers on the scene. As a result, his compositions have caught the recording interest of the likes of George Strait, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Chris Cagle, Jo Dee Messina, Terri Clark, Mindy McCready and Miranda Lambert, to name a few.
"My folks had anything and everything to do with my start as a songwriter, as well. Aside from Dad putting a guitar in my hands and Mom singing around the house, both of them were a huge influence on my development as a writer. Dad is a closet poet and I grew up finding his compositions scribbled on legal pads and notebooks throughout the house. I remember studying them and looking at their structure. Hes got a knack for it. Overall, he just has a way with words and I think it rubbed off on me over the years.
"Mom, on the other hand, is the grammar queen! Lets just say that Mom still brags about all the As she got in English in both high school and in college. She used to look over my earlier compositions and grammar check and spell check them for me. I think she helped write the program for Microsoft! jokes Castillo. She would also check my use of alliteration and my rhyme schemes and such. Her suggestions and corrections helped me develop tremendously and in turn, helped me become better at my craft."
J.R. has been playing the live music scene for as long as he can remember. Hes been forming and fronting bands since his teenage years and over the years as a student at the University of Texas and beyond.
"Growing up, I was blessed with being surrounded by friends who had the same passion for making music that I did. From my buddies back at Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco High to my Phi Kap fraternity brothers in Austin, I always had a close circle of fellow musicians to jam with. The list of past players is long and the list of band names is longer, but all of that helped contribute to the success were experiencing today as J.R. Castillo & Unwound" states Castillo.
Ask anyone thats experienced their music live and they can attest to the quality that J.R. Castillo and Unwound exude on stage. "You cant go wrong with J.R. Castillo. We make a pretty good team on stage and the energy of his show definitely compliments our show" commented fellow Texas recording artist, Kevin Fowler in a recent radio interview before a recent concert together.
J.R. Castillo & Unwound is comprised of some of the areas best musicians. Beeville Texas native, Richard Sanchez serves as the groups Band Leader and Keyboard Player. "Rich is our rock on and off stage. His stage experience includes work with several successful bands in Austin and in the Coastal Bend. He's also worked with Texas recording artist, Tracy Lynn and was instrumental in the success of South Texas favorite, Country Breeze, during their heyday in the nineties. Hes been with me since 2000, along with Skip" adds Castillo.
Also a former member of Country Breeze, Skip Hernandez of Alice Texas handles the rhythm guitar duties and background vocals for the band. "Skip's also been involved with several successful bands in the Coastal Bend such as Branded and the Breeze and hes also worked with Country Music recording artist, Kelly Kenning. Skip and Rich have helped me make the wheels turn with our band since we teamed up."
On drums, Sintons own Joe Surginer has been playing in intervals with Unwound since 2000, as well. "Surginer's a veteran of the L.A. Rock scene. Hes graced the stages of several of Sunset Drives mainstays such as the Whiskey and the Rainbow Room and credits Sting and Faith Hills drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta as his mentor. He is very critical and very meticulous with his playing and thats helped me solidify our sound" states Castillo.
Rounding out the rest of the pack from Bishop Texas, Luis Martinez has been holding down the duties on lead guitar for Unwound since 2003. "Luis is a lawyer by trade, but dont hold that against him" jokes Castillo. He's my fraternity brother and a former college band mate and I convinced him to return to the stage after meeting up with him at a reunion. Hes been in all types of bands from speed metal to country and I am a huge fan of his songwriting" concludes Castillo. Martinez also serves as one of J.R.s choice songwriting partners.
With a new project on the horizon, J.R. Castillo & Unwound seem to be on track to exploit the success of their last studio effort and their on-stage successes. Already receiving unprecedented critical acclaim before its completion, J.R. and Unwounds new project, Diablo, seems to have some folks in various music business circles buzzing about their future.
"I've been writing this project for about a year and a half and I am excited about its potential. Weve let a few jocks and some industry folk listen to some of the work tracks and they are excited!" states Castillo. "Ive been getting emails and phone calls daily in anticipation of the release of the CD and its first single. Our job now is not to disappoint once it hits the streets. No pressure, right?" quips Castillo.
Having received some pre-Grammy nomination buzz from some members of NARAS for his last project, Its All About A Girl, Castillo has some big shoes to fill after its success. After charting his first Number 1 with 'Surviving Emily' and having hit several Top 10 charts here and throughout Europe, the Netherlands and Australia with 'Emily', 'Goin To San Antone', 'Cantinero Cantinero', and 'Don't Talk About Her', the success of this next project could establish J.R. and Unwound among the upper echelon of Country recording artists from Texas.
"We did well with 'Its All About A Girl' and Im proud of that. We made a lot of new friends here and across the big pond, in the process" claims Castillo. "We were approached with several offers from record labels as a result, and it opened up the eyes and ears of the music industry to our music, again. Now that we have their attention, I'm hoping Diablo can deliver with a punch that will further their interest and hook the deal we've been fishing for" states Castillo.
Whatever the future holds for J.R. Castillo and Unwound, they can be proud of what theyve been able to accomplish to date. On the heels of the success of their last CD and the continuous success of their live shows, the band that hails from South Texas has established themselves as arguably one of the best country acts throughout Texas and beyond. If the success of their next project, Diablo, equals the buzz and anticipation its created, it could far exceed any of J.R. and Unwounds greatest expectations.
"All we can hope for is that folks continue to spread the gospel of our music by land, sea or internet. That they continue to request the heck out of our songs on their favorite country stations a few times a day, everyday. That they come out to our shows in droves and raise some hell in front of the stage, while going home with a ton of merchandise. And last but not least, that they buy a few dozen copies of the new CD each when it hits the stores. Now thats not a tall order to fill, is it?" concludes Castillo. Be careful what you wish for Mr. Castillo. As the old adage goes, you just might get it.
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