The Warning is a Mexican rock band from Monterrey, formed in 2013 by the Villarreal Vélez sisters: Daniela (guitar, lead and backing vocals, piano), Paulina (drums, lead and backing vocals, piano), and Alejandra (bass guitar, piano, backing vocals). They have released three studio albums, two EPs and eight music videos. Their fourth studio album, Keep Me Fed, is scheduled to release on June 28th, 2024.

The Warning
The Warning performing in Burlington, Ontario in 2022 (L–R: Alejandra, Paulina, and Daniela Villarreal Vélez)
The Warning performing in Burlington, Ontario in 2022 (L–R: Alejandra, Paulina, and Daniela Villarreal Vélez)
Background information
OriginMonterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Genres
Years active2013–present
Labels
Members
  • Daniela Villarreal Vélez
  • Paulina Villarreal Vélez
  • Alejandra Villarreal Vélez
Websitewww.thewarningband.com

History edit

Early years edit

The Villarreal Vélez sisters were raised in Monterrey, and all received training on various instruments at an early age. At some point in their childhood, Daniela and Paulina had selected guitar and drums as their primary instruments, respectively. When the youngest of the three, Alejandra, selected bass guitar as her primary instrument at about age 7, the sisters decided to form a rock power trio in 2013.[1][2] They learned to play rock songs, often via the Rock Band video game series, and posted videos of their performances to YouTube.[3]

In 2014, 12-year-old Paulina was profiled in the women's drumming publication Tom Tom Magazine.[4] The band first gained widespread notice later in 2014 when, at ages 9 through 14, their YouTube video in which they performed Metallica's "Enter Sandman" went viral among rock music fans, eventually earning more than 20 million views.[5][6][7] The video received attention from Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, who offered particular praise for Paulina, saying, "The drummer kicks maximum ass!"[8]

As independent artists (2015–2020) edit

Due to notice gained by their "Enter Sandman" video, The Warning decided to seek a record deal and develop their own songs.[9] They raised money through a successful GoFundMe appeal to record the six-song EP Escape the Mind,[10] which was released in 2015.[11] During production of the EP, the band met producer Jake Carmona, who went on to contribute to Escape the Mind and their next three albums.[12][13] In April 2015, the band appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[14] During this period the sisters raised funds, including a donation from DeGeneres and the Target Corporation,[14] to attend a five-week training program at Berklee College of Music in the United States.[15][16]

They also gave two presentations at the TEDx conference at the University of Nevada in 2016 and 2017.[17][18] The band was known for practicing with the Rock Band video game series early in their history; designers returned the favor by including several songs by The Warning in the 2018 edition of the series.[19][20]

The Warning's first full-length album, XXI Century Blood, was released in 2017.[21] During this period they were invited to perform at the Mother of All Rock Festival in Monterrey,[22] and also opened a show for The Killers in that city.[23] Their second album Queen of the Murder Scene was released in November 2018.[24] They announced an extensive upcoming tour throughout North America in late 2019, though it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25]

With Lava Records (2020–present) edit

 
The Warning, opening for Muse in 2023, were the first act to perform at the Milton Keynes Bowl, UK, since 2016.[26]

In August 2020, The Warning signed a five-album deal with Lava Records, and began work on a new album with producer David Bendeth.[27] The song "Choke" was released in May 2021.[28] Later that year, The Warning appeared on the Metallica tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, performing another cover of "Enter Sandman", this time with singer Alessia Cara.[29] The six-song EP Mayday was released in October 2021,[1][30] and The Warning embarked on a tour of North America in early 2022, performing more than 30 dates as headliners plus opening for Foo Fighters, Sammy Hagar and the Circle, and Stone Temple Pilots.[31] They released the single "Money" in March 2022,[32] and the song reached no. 31 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.[33] The full-length album Error, comprising the six tracks from the Mayday EP plus "Money" and seven new songs, was released in June 2022.[34][35] In July 2022, they embarked on a U.S. tour supporting Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless and appearing at festivals like Burlington's Sound of Music Festival, Iceberg Alley, Summerfest, and Upheaval, before resuming their headlining tour in August 2022.[36][37][31] In the Fall 2022, The Warning performed at additional festivals (Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Peninsula Tecate, Rock al Parque), supported a second US tour with Halestorm, a Canada tour with Three Days Grace, a Guns N' Roses tour stop in their home city of Monterrey, Mexico, and performed small-venue concerts in Las Vegas, California, and Lima, Peru.[38] The band supported Muse during several dates on the Will of the People World Tour in both Mexico and Europe.

In September 2023, they opened for Guns N' Roses again on two dates of the We're F'N' Back! Tour.[39]

In early 2024, the band announced on social media that their fourth studio album Keep Me Fed will be released in June 2024.[40][better source needed] In March 2024 three new singles from the upcoming album are released: "S!CK", "Hell You Call a Dream" and "Que Mas Quieres".

Influences and musical style edit

The Warning said they listen to "every type of music there is, from classical music to pop". They named Metallica, Muse, My Chemical Romance, Pink Floyd, Queen, Paul McCartney, Neil Peart, David Gilmore, Placebo, Badflower, Paramore, K-pop and J-rock as musical influences.[41][42] Their female artist inspirations include Hayley Williams, Esperanza Spalding, Sheila E., and Lzzy Hale.[41]

The Warning have been described as a rock and hard rock band.[41][42]

Band members edit

 
The Warning pre-show at the Sound of Music festival in Burlington, Ontario, 2022
  • Daniela "Dany" Villarreal Vélez, 24 (born January 30, 2000)[43] – guitars, lead and backing vocals, piano (2013–present)
  • Paulina "Pau" Villarreal Vélez, 22 (born February 5, 2002)[43] – drums, backing and lead vocals, piano (2013–present)
  • Alejandra "Ale" Villarreal Vélez, 19 (born December 13, 2004)[43] – bass, piano, backing and occasional lead vocals (2013–present)

Discography edit

The Warning discography
Studio albums4
Music videos8
EPs2
Singles12

Studio albums edit

  • XXI Century Blood (2017)
  • Queen of the Murder Scene (2018)
  • Error (2022)
  • Keep Me Fed (2024)

EPs edit

  • Escape the Mind (2015)
  • Mayday (2021)

Singles edit

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
CAN
Rock
[44]
US
Hard
Rock
[45]
US
Hard
Rock
Dig.
[46]
US
Main.
Rock

[47]
"Free Falling" 2015 Escape the Mind
"Narcisista" 2019 Non-album single
"Choke" 2021 Error
"Evolve"
"Enter Sandman"
(with Alessia Cara)
13 11 The Metallica Blacklist
"Martirio" Error
"Disciple"
"Money" 2022 23 31
"Choke"
(featuring Grandson and Zero 9:36)
Non-album single
"More" 2023 25 8 36 Keep Me Fed
"S!CK" 2024 5 20
"Hell You Call a Dream" / "Qué Más Quieres"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Music videos edit

Song Year Director Link
"XXI Century Blood" 2017 Abraham Marcos [1]
"Choke" 2021 Gabo Ramos [2]
"Evolve" Rudy Joffroy [3]
"Martirio" Oliver Castro [4]
"Disciple" Gabo Ramos [5]
"Animosity" Maurice Vargas [6]
"Money" 2022 Ivan Chavez, Rudy Joffroy [7]
"Error" Alexa Cha, CJ Nicadao [8]
"Choke"
(featuring Grandson and Zero 9:36)
Ivan Chavez [9]
"More" 2023 [10]
"S!CK" 2024 [11]

Awards edit

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2019 Independent Music Awards Rock / Hard Rock Queen of the Murder Scene Nominated [48]
2023 Modern Drummer's Readers Poll "Up and Coming" Paulina Villareal Won [49]
2023 Drumeo Awards Rock Drummer of the Year Paulina Villareal Won [50]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Childers, Chad (2022-03-14). "There's a New Band The Warning You Should Get to Know - Here's How". Loudwire. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  2. ^ Villarreal, Daniela; Villarreal, Paulina; Villarreal, Alejandra (March 26, 2019). Press Conference at Gama Music (video). TW - Gig Videos YouTube Channel. Event occurs at 18:20. Retrieved March 31, 2019 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Dowdell, Michael (2019-02-11). "You've Been Warned: How The Warning went from video game players to Rock Band musicians - Guitar Girl Magazine". Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  4. ^ Lumbiarres, Mar Gimeno (2014). "Killer Drummer Paulina Villarreal Vélez". Tom Tom Magazine. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  5. ^ Heigl, Alex (April 20, 2015). "Stop Everything and Watch These Teen Girls Play Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'". People. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  6. ^ Wolfe, Clarke (April 19, 2015). "Teen Girl Band THE WARNING Cover ENTER SANDMAN and Crush It". Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  7. ^ Page, Justin (April 9, 2015). "The Warning, A Rock Band Featuring Three Talented Sisters Between the Ages of Nine and 14". Laughing Squid. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  8. ^ Leonard, Ian (2015-04-20). "Who are the Mexican sisters being tipped to make a big noise on the music scene?". The Mirror. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  9. ^ Kliegman, Julie (April 10, 2015). "These Girls Started A Totally Badass Metal Band And Their Bassist Is Only 10". Music. BuzzFeed News. BuzzFeed, Inc. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  10. ^ Sweeney, Chris (2015-04-16). "'The Warning' Hits GoFundMe Goal, Drops EP in Same Week". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  11. ^ Beaudoin, Kate (April 17, 2015). "Meet the Three Mexican Sisters Whose Viral Videos Just Got Them a Record Deal". Mic. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  12. ^ "Mixing of Mediums: Record Producer Jake Carmona on Music, Video Games, and Horror". scoop.previewsworld.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  13. ^ ERROR - Warning | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2022-07-11
  14. ^ a b Sheeler, C.F. (August 2017). "The Warning - Hard rock girls conquer Ellen, Megadeth, video games". Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  15. ^ Smith, D. Grant (2015-04-23). "Three Sisters Metallica Cover Pays For Their College Tuition". CMUSE. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  16. ^ Keefe-Feldman, Mike (2015-08-14). "School's in for Summer: Metalhead Sisters the Warning Hone Chops at Berklee | Berklee". www.berklee.edu. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  17. ^ "TEDxUniversityofNevada 2016". TEDx University of Nevada. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  18. ^ "TEDxUniversityofNevada 2017". TEDx University of Nevada. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  19. ^ Jones, Rebel (2022-07-25). "All Sister Rock Band Aged 9, 12, & 14, Reach 23M Views With "Enter Sandman" Cover". The Music Man. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  20. ^ "Rock Band Rivals Round-Up". www.harmonixmusic.com. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  21. ^ The Warning - XXI Century Blood Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2022-07-04
  22. ^ "DEF LEPPARD Confirmed For MOTHER OF ALL Rock Festival In Monterrey". Def Leppard News. May 31, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  23. ^ "The Warning opening for The Killers at Arena Monterrey". www.wherevent.com. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  24. ^ RnB (2019-02-27). "The Warning. "Queen Of The Murder Scene" album review". Rock and Blog (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  25. ^ "Coronavirus: A Full List of Metal and Hard Rock Tours and Their Current Status". MetalSucks. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  26. ^ "Muse: Milton Keynes National Bowl hosts first gig in seven years". BBC News. 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  27. ^ Low, Tara (2022-01-27). "The Warning talks new music, working with David Bendeth, and the importance of communication - Guitar Girl Magazine". Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  28. ^ Cheetah, Cherri (2 June 2021). "Review: Rock Band, The Warning Release Their Debut Single with Lava Records, 'CHOKE'". BANDED. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  29. ^ Daly, Joe (September 6, 2021). "The Metallica Blacklist – Review". Metal Hammer. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  30. ^ Diggins, Mark (2021-10-10). "Hard Rock Trio The Warning Release Debut EP ′Mayday′". The Rockpit. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  31. ^ a b "The Warning Rock Band". Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  32. ^ Staff, GGM (March 25, 2022). "The Warning Drops New Single & Video "Money"". Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  33. ^ "Mainstream Rock Songs – Week of June 18, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  34. ^ Peacock, Tim (2022-06-06). "Rock Sister Trio The Warning Announce Debut Album, 'Error'". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  35. ^ Vigil, Dom (2022-06-04). "The Warning: ERROR". Prelude Press. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  36. ^ Devin, Cait (2022-05-16). "The Warning's Dany Villarreal on songwriting with her sisters and the videogame that kickstarted her guitar journey". guitarworld. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  37. ^ Bishop, Matt (2022-03-28). "Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless Announce U.S. Tour with The Warning, Lilith Czar". The Rock Revival. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
  38. ^ "PAST EVENTS". Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  39. ^ "Guns N' Roses Add Dates to 2023 Tour, Announce Special Guests". 2023-05-31.
  40. ^ "The Warning's new album 'Keep Me Fed' come out June 28th". X. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  41. ^ a b c Dowdell, Michael (11 February 2019). "You've Been Warned: How The Warning went from video game players to Rock Band musicians". Guitar Girl. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  42. ^ a b Olivier, Bobby (2022-08-31). "How the Warning, hard rock's hottest new band, morphed from viral covers to hell-raising shreds". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  43. ^ a b c "Profiles". thewarningband.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021.
  44. ^ Peaks on the Canadian Rock chart:
  45. ^ Peak on the Hard Rock chart:
  46. ^ Peaks on the US Hard Rock Digital charts:
  47. ^ Peaks on the Mainstream Rock chart:
  48. ^ "The 17th Independent Music Awards Nominees Announced". Independent Music Awards. April 11, 2019. Retrieved Dec 23, 2019.
  49. ^ "Readers Poll 2023: Paulina "Pau" Villarreal Vélez Wins "Up And Coming"". Moderndrummer. September 26, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  50. ^ "The 2023 Drumeo Awards Show". Drumeo. January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

External links edit