We recently connected with Emmanuel Morales and have shared our conversation below.

Emmanuel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks I ever took was deciding to take my band, Los Paisanos, seriously instead of treating it like a casual side project. We started in backyard shows with borrowed gear and no real plan, but something in me knew that if I didn’t commit fully, the band would never grow. So I invested my own money, booked real venues, handled all the business myself, and put our name out into the world before we had any guarantee it would work. It was scary putting my identity and culture on display like that, but “high risk, high reward” .We went from backyards to established venues, and it taught me that betting on yourself is the first step to making anything real.

Emmanuel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Emmanuel Morales, the bandleader of Los Paisanos, a psych-cumbia rock band from Vista, CA. I grew up listening to Romanticas, Tropical, Grupera! Blended elements of roots with the surf, metal, and sounds of North County to create something new and culturally grounded. Beyond performing, I handle our creative direction, visuals, and business. From artwork to bookings to managing and steering directions. What sets us apart is our identity. We’re Mexican-American musicians making music that reflects our community and energy. I’m most proud that we’ve grown organically from backyard shows to packed venues, and I want people to know that everything we do comes from passion, culture, and a genuine love for bringing people together through music.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When I first started, I didn’t know anything about technique, gear, tones, or even how to get the sound I was imagining. I wasted a lot of time watching random videos that didn’t actually teach me anything. Once I found my partner Elizabeth, she taught me the basics! She is a self-taught blues player, and passed on her knowledge to me.creators who explained things. I also wish I’d known the value of finding a local musician or mentor early on. Having someone in your community who can answer questions, correct your technique, or show you how to set up your gear saves you months of trial and error. My friends Josue Rodriguez & Kevin Schwartz are one’s I can always come with questions

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

A lot of the resources that shaped my entrepreneurial thinking didn’t come from business books. They actually came from the stories of underdog professional wrestlers. I’ve always been inspired by the men, but mostly women who started training in tiny gyms, sleeping on floors, doing small local shows for almost no money, and eventually fought their way into sold-out arenas. Their biographies, documentaries, and interviews completely changed how I view hard work. Those stories taught me that success is usually built in empty rooms long before anyone’s watching. The grind, the discipline, the self-belief. All of that translated directly into how I run my band and creative projects. Seeing people who had every reason to quit keep pushing until they made it reminded me that chasing a dream is supposed to be difficult, and that the struggle is the part that builds you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://share.google/PY6PQzLMo0z6SLBxw
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@st0n_e_man?si=-um30ST0_09ipXuc
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/XRRw5u4hbgQSp661pT