Mold! Returns With New Single "Don't Wake Me Up!"

Since moving to Miami from Peru in 2018, Carlo Barbacci has established Mold! and its energetic noise-rock sound as a staple in Miami's music scene.

What keeps Mold! rolling in the present day — besides the hard work of recording music, playing and promoting shows and tours, and navigating the ever-evolving music scene — is the border-defying friendship of Barbacci and Bronto Montano who also transplanted from Peru just a year before Barbacci. After a brief hiatus, Montano rejoined Mold! and now both Peruvians lead the band (both on vocals, Barbacci on guitar/synth, and Montano on bass) alongside drummer Frankie Lujan.

New Times last spoke with Barbacci in 2021 before the release of Mold!'s debut album, No Silence!, which set the tone for the band's noise-rock sound that Barbacci quickly adopted after the chaos of living in Miami bled into his music.

"Since we last spoke, we've been producing the album that's coming out this year," Barbacci shares.

"And I rejoined the band," Montano adds.

Mold!'s second album, out later this year, will be a self-titled record made up of ten tracks, including three in Spanish. Set to release on Friday, March 24, the first single, "Don't Wake Me Up!," is akin to the band's classic noisy rock, this time with prominent, melodic vocals that give the track more of a pop edge.

"It was a necessity. We're making a new album so we had to shoot for something different instead of doing the exact same formula," Barbacci says.

At Mold!'s live shows, Barbacci and Montano's vocals tend to blend into the loud-as-hell blasting rock (I suggest wearing ear plugs), but "Don't Wake Me Up!" features vocals and lyrics from Barbacci that sound intentionally mixed to be loud and sang along to. Still, the vocals are layered over the familiar intense and fast-paced punk instrumentals that feel like a painful punch to the face followed by the invigorating adrenaline rush.

"The whole album feels like a machine gun," Barbacci declares.

Releasing alongside the single is a music video directed by California photographer David Pelletier who's directed music videos for New York City-based noise outfit A Place to Bury Strangers. Mold! has played shows in Miami and NYC with Dion Lunadon, a former member of APTBS.

The video was filmed at Barbacci's home and backyard in the suburban neighborhood of Doral Isles and features two protagonists, played by Barbara Citraro and Julia Beltran. "The whole video was shot really quick; David was so good," Montano shares.

It's a good time to venture out to a Mold! show since the band claims they won't play too many gigs in Miami in the upcoming months, aiming to tour outside of the Magic City instead. The band will be playing shows in March and April across Florida alongside Palomino Blond and Chlorine Fields.

"Don't Wake Me Up!" is the first single of many to release leading up to the band's album, which has been in the works for almost two years now.

The single, as well as most of the album, involved local musicians and previous Mold! members Julian Beltran on guitar and Luis Ledesma on synth. Ryan Haft, who has worked with Mold! and other notable bands such as Torche, Jacuzzi Boys, Donzii, Jaialai, and Holly Hunt, coproduced the album.

"We invest a lot in this album — not only money but personally, I'm investing emotional stability. I'm risking my life here," Barbacci says.