In the vast realm of modern folk and alternative rock, Amigo The Devil is an artist who
channels a voice of unsettling beauty and raw truth. Splicing alarming honesty with
personal realizations, his narratives carry weight, wisdom and wit. Nestled within the
corners of Amigo the Devil’s haunting melodies and daring experimentation lies a tale
as profound as the dirges he sings.
With a brilliant mind, full soul and a penchant for the obscure, Amigo the Devil’s
songwriting harkens back to a more brutal state of songwriting. His songs are greatly
influenced by the honesty of Leonard Cohen, the creativity of Tom Waits and the
ruthlessness of Chavela Vargas. Rather than imitate, he identifies with their authentic
disregard of consequences when it comes to songwriting and releasing music. Amigo
the Devil is not polished or clean – he’s all heart, with reckless abandon. His
understanding of emotions is deep and instinctual, choosing to embrace one’s flaws
instead of trying to change them.
“I don’t write songs for a purpose. The beauty lies in how people take them – the magic
happens between the songwriter and the listener in that shared moment,” explains
Kiranos. “Once this new record comes out, it’s not mine anymore. And that’s why we
keep writing records, because then we have something that’s only ours again, even if
just for a little while. Like wounded wildlife, you nurse them back to health and then you
have to let them go.”
In a world filled with fleeting tunes and temporary stars, artists like Amigo the Devil are
the reminders of the power of storytelling – of music’s age-old role in narrating human
emotion. Kiranos seems to be on a lifelong journey, not just of personal discovery, but of
reminding us all of the roots, the rawness and the reality that music can offer.
Despite his growing notoriety, Amigo the Devil remains enigmatic. He isn’t one to bask
in the limelight, choosing once again to let his art speak for itself.