Music Bugle Exclusive – Q & A – Vicious Rooster

By Nicholas Jason Lopez

Vicious Rooster – the musical project of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Juan Abella – recently marked their return with the single “The Moon Is Dancing,” presented at the Cyber Version of the Ruidofest Festival, typically in Chicago yearly.

A followup to 2017’s ‘The Darkest Light,’ the song focuses on deep thoughts, elusive dreams and a galloping anxiety.

Originally from Argentina, Abella discovered his love for rock music at an early age and after a stint in several bands there, he decided to pursue a solo career and moved to the United States.

A combination of classic rock, some grunge and southern rock thrown in for good measure, Vicious Rooster’s sound was inspired by acts like Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes and Alice In Chains.

The Music Bugle had the chance to chat with him about “The Moon Is Dancing” and more.

Music Bugle – How did you decide the name “Vicious Rooster”? 

Vicious Rooster – The name “Vicious Rooster” doesn’t have a backstory, really. I wanted a two-word name for the band and after trying several word combinations that I liked, I decided to go with this one. “Gallo,” which means “rooster” in Spanish, happens to be the last name of my great grandmother. 

Music Bugle – How would you describe Los Angeles to someone who has never been there before? 

Vicious Rooster – The first time I arrived in L.A., I felt I was inside the set of many of the movies I’ve seen before. It is a magical place, full of opportunities, where you get to see the best and worst of the entertainment business, you live unimaginable experiences and you meet people from all over the world.

Music Bugle – What inspired you to put together “The Moon Is Dancing”? 

Vicious Rooster – The “Moon Is Dancing” was inspired by countless nights I just couldn’t fall asleep. Like some people say, I couldn’t shut off my brain. All these thoughts and worries about stuff that I had to do or should be doing kept me awake. I think we all suffered from that at least once. I thought it was a good idea to picture the moon dancing and mesmerizing someone, keeping him/her from sleeping, while the anxiety ran through his/her body.  

Music Bugle – What do you miss the most about performing in front of a live audience? 

Vicious Rooster – What I miss the most about playing live in front of an audience is the magic of the moment, closing your eyes and feeling the music flowing, staring at the audience and connecting with the people. Every venue, every audience and every performance combine differently, making every show one of a kind.

Music Bugle – What has been your biggest struggle lately? 

Vicious Rooster – My biggest struggle has been trying to stay on top of everything during the pandemic. Being an independent musician means working 24/7, especially during release season. That, combined with the need to find new ways to connect with the audience. It has been a constant adjusting since the pandemic started.

Music Bugle – Who are you listening to right now, music-wise? 

Vicious Rooster – I usually listen to old music. I identify different elements in every band I like, so I just get what I need depending on the situation. I can go from The Beatles to Slipknot, from Roxette to Limp Bizkit, from Bread to Soundgarden. It’s like a big music menu where I find darkness, melody, power, brilliant lyrics, etc. and all of these combined fuel my songwriting.

Music Bugle – What was the most memorable show you ever played? 

Vicious Rooster – My most memorable show to the moment has to be Vicious Rooster’s debut at Boardner’s in Hollywood. It was the first time we performed the songs from the album on stage as a six-piece band, in Los Angeles and in front of friends and fellow musicians. The performance wasn’t flawless. We had some technical difficulties too, but we felt great and it was the beginning of something special.

Music Bugle – How have you been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Vicious Rooster – I think it’s hard to be apart from family and friends and not knowing when everything’s going to become normal again. On the other hand, it gave me the opportunity to catch up with a lot of things I kept postponing due to lack of time.

Music Bugle – What’s a quote that motivates you to keep doing what you do? 

Vicious Rooster – Always do the best that you can and your efforts will pay off.

Music Bugle – What’s something you wish happened more in today’s music industry? 

Vicious Rooster – I wished some things were the way they used to be, where there was still some mystery and mysticism around music and musicians and things didn’t need to be as public as they are today.