We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Fer Borrego a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Fer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Sans Patrie started as an idea for a tattoo that represents an identity crisis I went through. Growing up, I felt like I was floating between three cultures—Argentinian, Spanish, and New Yorker—never really belonging to just one. Similarly, my musical influences don’t reflect my cultural background; I’ve drawn inspiration from bands and artists in the UK, California, and the Southern USA. This blend has shaped who I am and the essence of this project. Sans Patrie embodies that space between spaces, representing the home we create for ourselves. The boat logo reflects our constant search for a shore that feels like our own.
I started this project solo and faced a lot of challenges, especially during the pandemic. After releasing my first single, “Setting Sun,” with a friend’s help, I decided to pursue this dream. However, I knew little about recording, demo-making, or releasing music, and many other necessary skills for independent musicians in today’s social media age. So I spent the following year learning as much as I could, ultimately releasing three more singles and an album mostly on my own, bringing in other musicians for parts like drums, bass, and lead guitar. My plan was to use this album to find permanent bandmates, and it worked! Eduardo, who played bass on the recordings, joined as lead guitarist. Nicholas found my ad online and loved the album, and Andrew and I bonded in Williamsburg over the meaning behind the name, discovering later that we shared a passion for the same music.
I’m incredibly proud of how much I’ve learned. When I recorded “Setting Sun,” I came from a punk rock background and lacked confidence in my ability to write and compose rock songs. But I discovered my potential, and now I open every show with that debut song. I went from not knowing how to record a demo to helping compose additional parts, promoting and releasing music, and even producing an entire album, complete with lyric videos, music videos, social media promotion, press and playing our first official show at the legendary Mercury Lounge in NYC.
Fast-forward to today, our latest single “¿Para Qué?” made a big splash and was even mentioned in Rolling Stone Argentina. This was a crowning achievement for me not just for what Rolling Stone represents as a musical institution, but also as a form of acceptance from my own country and culture, one that I am so far away from, but that I always hold deep in my heart.
Sans Patrie represents more to me than just a rock band. It’s who I am and how I connect to everyone I see or meet through the music. We are all Sans Patrie and we carry home with us wherever we go.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Sans Patrie stemmed from an idea I had for a tattoo that symbolized a lifelong identity crisis. I was born in Manhattan to an Argentinian mother and a Spanish father. Though I was born in the USA, my mother worked as a diplomat for Argentina in the United Nations at the time. Therefore, I was technically born on foreign soil and given dual citizenship as well as a Permanent Residency Card. Growing up, I went back and forth between Argentina and NYC a lot while my father completed his medical residency, eventually living in Boston, MA and later settling in Long Island, NY.
Growing up, I faced a cultural identity crisis. In Spain, I was considered Argentinian because of my porteño accent, or even American because of where I was living. In Argentina, I was told I had a more neutral accent and therefore considered Spanish (or New Yorker once again). And in NY, just like most people with Latin American heritage, I was considered just another Latino. This cultural ambiguity made it hard to form friendships, so I clung to my heritages to build an identity. It was why I put off becoming a US citizen for so long (a decision I am now happy I made). Eventually, the realization that I would never be completely, Argentinian, Spanish or American in the eyes of others set in.
Musically, I was influenced by my father’s love for rock music, with early obsessions like The Beatles and Elvis. As I developed my own taste, none of the music I was interested in or exposed to had really anything to do with my cultural background or even the NYC music scene.
As I developed my tastes, I veered into Britpop and Madchester in my teens, with Oasis as a major influence. In college, I fell in love with punk rock (particularly that of California), inspired by bands like Alkaline Trio, Social Distortion, Rancid, Bad Religion, The Ramones, Misfits, Green Day. I learned guitar at 17 and formed my first punk bands at The University of Scranton. After graduating, I explored 50s rockabilly and doo-wop with the likes of Chuck Berry & Johnny Cash. Then I moved on to 80s hard rock and hair metal bands like AC/DC, Guns n Roses, Ratt, Motley Crue, and Van Halen. I especially loved how bands like Volbeat, Social Distortion and Tiger Army would blend punk/metal with rockabilly. And finally, at around the same time I started bartending at an Argentinian bar, I delved into Rock Nacional, with bands like Soda Stereo, Enanitos Verdes, Airbag, and Charly Garcia.
I realized I was a product of 3 cultures and a wide range of rock subgenres. I took a break from playing in bands for a few years and during this time, I made peace with who I was. I was 100% Argentinian, 100% Spanish and 100% New Yorker… but also 100% something else. This realization led to the name Sans Patrie, meaning “without homeland” in French, because I took home with me wherever I went.
During this musical hiatus, I began writing rock songs on my acoustic guitar, blending influences from Britpop, Hard Rock, Rockabilly, and Punk while experimenting with bilingual lyrics – but I never thought they were any good. In 2020, a musician friend of mine asked me for a song to produce for free for his portfolio. I chose one of the newer rock songs instead of one of the punk songs that I was more confident in. The song “Setting Sun” turned out exactly how I envisioned and boosted my confidence in my new musical direction. It became the first single I would release, but I needed a name for the band. I remembered the idea for my tattoo, and thus Sans Patrie was born.
Since forming in February 2020, we’ve recorded an album and found members who resonate with our unique fusion of Rock and the significance of the name. I believe Sans Patrie’s mission resonates with so many people, particularly in NYC. It’s no surprise each band member brings their own rich background. Our guitarist, Eduardo Palacios is a Mexican-born guitarist living in NYC but with a fascination with Chinese culture, music, and language. On drums, Andrew Gorham is from Atlanta, GA is half Spanish, and similarly to me, he always felt caught between both worlds. Finally, Nicholas Moyal, our bassist, was born in California and raised in Hawai’i before traveling and living throughout the continental United States with the main constant being music.
Today, Sans Patrie has been mentioned in Rolling Stone Argentina, takes pride in putting on a fantastic live show and has put out 13 songs with more to come soon.
I want fans to know that we embrace cultural & musical diversity one riff & chorus at a time! Our live shows are our specialty, we sing in both English and Spanish, and we keep rock n roll alive through solos, catchy choruses and pulsating backbeats. Most importantly, we are ALL Sans Patrie and we bring home with us wherever we go.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Something I had to unlearn at the start of this project—and continue to remind myself—is that nothing is off-limits for me. If my friend hadn’t asked to produce one of my songs, I might never have embarked on this journey. I used to think my music wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t suited for rock coming from a punk background, and that I’d never achieve the sound I imagined in my head.
If you had told me three years ago that I’d know how to record my own demos, create drum loops, and choose between preamps to find the perfect tones; help compose solos and craft more elaborate, exciting rock songs; sing in registers I thought were out of reach; manage a band; relearn graphic design; book studios, shows, and other artists; have people I don’t know listen to our music; get featured in Rolling Stone Argentina; or even organize my own events and gigs—I wouldn’t have believed you.
Everything takes time, patience, and support from friends, family, and fellow artists. Remember, everything is available to you.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
As an artist, I want to be able to make a comfortable living off my music, even if it means having another career to supplement with. I don’t aspire to being a celebrity or pop star.
However, I have always had two main goals for Sans Patrie. First, I want to bring rock ‘n’ roll from my mind to the world. I believe rock music deserves to be at the forefront again, especially in NYC, a city with such a rich history in rock and punk that has lost much of its vibrancy.
Secondly, I want SP to be the soundtrack of the lost, the found and the party all in one. In today’s globalized world, I know many people feel they drift between spaces rather than belong to just one. I want Sans Patrie to be a party for everyone at peace in those spaces, with our music connecting them to this newfound home.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/SansPatrie?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=76e26a22-cffc-4449-8d0a-13c07bf860d9
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanspatrieband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SansPatrieSP
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCELk6VBCnkC8BoCHDrSvTTw
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Hfd0xUnzd22xuy3oENGzt?si=jyL1RjnpQ_q34bPo1BL7mw
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@sanspatrieband
Image Credits
Live Photos: Samanta Mena (@smenaz)
Studio Photos: Felipe Mejia (@yasefmejia)