Peru-born, Spain-based newcomers Lima Shakes have honed an engaging old-school rock sound that they describe as “fresh, real and relatable.”
The band’s foundations were established when Alessandro Ambrosini and Alonso Suárez met at the age of six at Leonardo Da Vinci School in Peru’s capital, Lima. They quickly became close friends and started playing cover songs and small gigs when they were in middle school. The pair also went to university together, with Alonso erring more towards the metal scene while Alessandro played in a couple of rock bands, but they always had time to work on projects together.
In 2021, the duo moved to the Spanish capital Madrid, and decided to start a band using Alessandro’s compositions. They went in search of a drummer for a gig, and Alonso met Bruno Stac at an open jam session. He shared their passion for board games and their sense of humour, so he fitted in instantly.
As the band explains: “Cool thing about Lima Shakes is that we are like a little family. We also have Lucía in our team, who help us with a lot of creative aspects, like our cover art, pictures, social media and putting our feet on the ground and is also a big fan. We are lucky to have people surrounding us that push us to work hard, like Leo.”
And on the sound they’ve honed together, they told us: “Expect catchy melodies and an uplifting vibe with a fresh yet familiar rock sound. Our songs are meant to be played live, like in the old days. You can taste the big influence of the 60s and 70s rock/pop bands and there’s a big emphasis on the vocals, the melodies and harmonies. We believe it’s modern rock as modern rock should be.”
Our first taste of this is Lima Shakes’ delightfully catchy debut single One More Time, which was released in November. It opens up with a jaunty little guitar riff that’s joined by drums and feeds into an engaging opening verse. That leads into the catchy pre-chorus lines “‘Cause every time I see you smile, You make me feel so fine, And every time you call me back, I want to be around.” Second time around, it kicks into a more upbeat chorus “Let me hold you in my arms, Let me kiss your lips tonight, Would you love me one more time, Baby open up your heart, Let me be with you tonight, Did you love me one more time,” which gives way to a cool little guitar solo. It drops back into the pre-chorus, but picks up pace in a lively outro with repeats of the chorus lyrics.
On the track, the band said: “It’s the first time we got to finish a professional recording and put it on worldwide streaming services. So it feels like a pretty big deal already and we had so much joy in the making. This song was written in 2017, and we have played it in many formats over the years, so it’s really special for us. So far, we have received many positive comments from the press, audience, friends, and professional musicians.”
Lima Shakes are the first band we’ve interviewed from Peru, making this the 56th country to tick off the GigRadar map. But when I was in Peru, I struggled to find any rock and metal music other than really big concerts, so asked the guys for their thoughts on their home country’s scene.
“In fact, there is a scene in Lima but the level of the infrastructure for rock/metal concerts isn’t as developed as other countries of the region,” they told us. “There are two big stadiums, but there is a lack of medium-sized spaces for events like festivals, arenas or even small quality venues. Apart from the big classic international bands, some smaller groups can’t afford to play in Lima because these locations don’t meet the requirements they need. But in the underground level, the scene does exist, and you can find it for all tastes: indie, classic rock, punk, progressive rock, modern metal, etc…
“Regarding Spain, the rock/metal scene is stronger, starting from the fact that when big, medium and small bands go for a European tour, they most likely arrive in Spain too. Madrid is a very cosmopolitan city.”
The band’s members have also been inspired by a wide range of music. Alessandro has always been a big The Beatles fan, and that influence permeates into the Lima Shakes sound. Bruno comes from a jazz and hard rock background, Alonso is into progressive rock and heavy metal, and Alessandro leans more towards British invasion, Britpop and classic rock. And on what inspires them to write music, they add: “Our way of seeing life, experiences, and sometimes just storytelling of creative topics.”
One More Time is a delightful introduction to Lima Shakes and Peruvian rock music in general. The band plans to be busy in 2025, with the aim of releasing one single per month, which will give them a full album by the end of the month. They’re also planning some gigs in Spain and would love to get some gigs in the UK.
And the band adds: “We love performing live, interacting with the audience, and feeling like we’re part of the crowd at the same time. It’s all about vibing, creating unique moments, and improvising. We give ourselves completely to the audience, pouring out all our energy. We’re also the same on stage as we are in real life — very natural, with our sense of humor and authentic vibe. We believe that’s what makes us special.”
You can follow Lima Shakes on Instagram and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
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