An Inside Look at What Matter’s Most to the Austin-Based Black Pumas

Austin’s Black Pumas’ studio sessions must feel like stepping into an otherworldly musical journey. Orbiting Earth on a fuel of rock and soul, singer and songwriter Eric Burton has become something of a mystic, while producer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Quesada is more like a wizard in a creative frenzy. Happy to have a grounded moment in Austin before they head out on their fall world tour, the musicians share what matters now, what keeps them sane and why returning home before the holidays brings them joy.

The Mystic

On stage and off, Burton commands attention with the beauty in his voice. His phrasing, and perhaps delivery, were shaped by the church. 

“At an early age, I was encouraged to see myself as something of a reflection of the most high, and I think that’s really stuck with me,” explains Burton. “So, I’m always kind of seeking that.” In seeking, he finds spiritual sustenance. He speaks of abundant love and peace, meditation and energetic engagements, even making a recent Uber ride over seem like a blessing.

“It’s been a moment since I sat with someone … and felt compelled to be really open,” he says. Maybe it was the music. 

Burton says he and the driver listened to Johnnie Frierson’s “Miracles” in the car.

“We listened to Pastor T.L. Barrett, ‘Like a Ship Without a Sail,’ and ‘Nobody Knows,’” explains Burton. “We listened to ‘It’ll All Be Over’ by the Supreme Jubilees.” 

These songs crucially bypass preachiness and dogma, which matters to Burton, but so does the link to something deeper. 

“I love that music because it inspires me, because it makes me feel like I’m close to home,” says the artist. 

At home, Burton’s older sister often saw greatness in him, “speaking prophetically,” as Burton describes it. Once he was able to roam, Burton busked down the West Coast and beyond with friends. Landing in Austin and connecting with Adrian Quesada was unplanned, but after the release of their eponymous 2019 debut album and their 2023 sophomore follow-up, “Chronicles of a Diamond,” the albums were nominated for a total of seven Grammy awards. 

For Burton, friendships and natural rapport have solidified as a priority in making collaborative art. Perhaps, the ability of he and Quesada to support one another as they became rock stars made it so. 

Burton’s new musical network includes R.C. Williams, music director for Erykah Badu. He also describes newly opened doors that allow him “to see what it would feel like to potentially co-write for an upcoming artist who might do similar music,” as he shares that he is preparing material. 

The Wizard’s Way

If Burton is a mystic, Quesada is a seasoned musician and production-wizard, casting spells not only in Black Pumas, but also with the Grammy-award winning Grupo Fantasma. Further musical magic is evident in his pas work with Latin groups such as Brownout, Ocote Soul Sounds and Money Chicha. As owner of Electric Deluxe, a recording and production studio, he has also produced heavy-metal band The Sword, and he continues to work alongside artists like Suzanna Choffel and Angelica Garcia. His work as The Echocentrics and on many tracks from Jaguar Sound prove Quesada’s ability to groove solo, but collaboration has served him well and continues to anchor him. 

On tour, Quesada and Burton “are always working on new music together and individually, and even lately, jamming at soundchecks and recording ideas,” shares Quesada.

A band of talented artists surrounds them in Black Pumas, sharing their own creative works-in-progress. They include JaRon Marshall (keys), Stephen Bidwell (drums), Lauren Cervantes (vocals), Angela Miller (vocals), Terin Ector (percussion) and Brendan Bond (bass). For Burton and Quesada, constantly writing music helps them stay sane, and in more ways than one, it’s a group effort. 

Mindful Practice 

For 15 minutes before each show, Black Pumas listen to a guided meditation together. 

“The nightly band meditation has been amazing for us, even if it’s short,” says Quesada. “I feel it’s made us a better group.” 

“I think that when we sit and we meditate in that way it’s really easy to kind of be transported to a place where there is that abundance,” states Burton. “There is an abundance of love and peace for anyone.” No one person created the ritual, he adds. Instead, it seemed to happen organically with all band members signaling interest in the practice. 

Style that Binds

And then, there’s shopping. Burton loves cumbia and buying hard to find records as he tours. 

“I was raised in California where the community is very Latin, so this is part of the soundtrack to my childhood,” says Burton. Samba and flamenco are also favorites. 

As for clothes, Burton now calls Gucci, Chanel, Bottega Veneta and AllSaints his favorite shops. In Austin, he loves ByGeorge. Burton often skips packing clothes when on tour to shop before each show.

“It makes me feel good to look good and to discover history and culture in the shapes and the aesthetic of some of these designs, the way different stores kind of heed back to certain decades,” he says.

Exploring people and places brings the band joy as well. The band leaders adore Spain, and Burton admires the deep reverence he noticed in the Berlin crowds.

“It’s usually the smaller city … that shows us the most love,” says Quesada, standing up for small cities as well. ”The fact that we get to do this around the world is not something I’ll ever take for granted.”

RELATED: Austin’s Premium Fashion Boutique, ByGeorge, Celebrates 45 Years of Luxury and Legacy

Holiday Traditions

If abundant love and joy is a theme, it’s one Burton and Quesada both understand through keeping their family-ties strong.

“My wife, kids and I always make an effort to get out for a walk in nature during the holidays,” says Quesada. “So much time is spent with family gatherings that being outdoors always provides a nice reset.”

Burton likewise counts on celebrating with his family, as he always did growing up.

“Myself and my siblings, my aunts, cousins. We would do everything together,” says Burton. “That’s something that’s really important for us. Because the band is family-oriented, there’s a kindred spirit in all of us to support each other as well so that’s kind of how the band stays sane,” he said.

With founding members so grounded in creative partnerships, there’s sure to be more from the mystic and the wizard that remains to be seen.

Keep up with the latest from Black Pumas at www.blackpumas.com.