Currently on tour with Coheed & Cambria and Glassjaw, Silver Snakes are following in the Deftones and Alice in Chains tradition of juxtaposing heavy, crunchy guitars and melodic, emotional singing. On their latest set, Saboteur (Evil Ink Records), singer and guitarist Alex Estrada and his bandmates Mike Trujillo (bass), Jeremiah Bignell (guitars) and Garrett Harney (drums) use Los Angeles’ chaotic landscape to explore their music. “Saboteur reminds me of a dirty city with broken infrastructure and people on the streets. I feel like this is more of a social record,” he said.

Formed in 2011, Silver Snakes infuses inspiration from people into their sound as well: from Latin singer Lola Beltrán to bands such as Ministry. (Estrada is a seventh-generation Hispanic musician; his father, Jose Hernandez, one of the most famous Mariachi leaders in the US and around the world, and founder of Mariachi Sol de Mexico.)

On their third record, Estrada used geography in his music. The result? More beats, samples and synths. Not that they’re following musical trends: “We have always written what we want to write,” Estrada says. “This new album might be a bit more accessible, it is still the darkest music we have ever written.”

Estrada talks to Myspace about his hometown, Silver Snakes' origin, their creative process and, of course, Donald Trump.

Hometown: I was born in East Los Angeles

Homebase: I currently live in the San Gabriel Valley. Alhambra, California to be exact!

Describe Silver Snakes’ music to someone who's never heard you before..

It's like driving through the desert in a really nice car

Why do you call yourselves Silver Snakes? What's the meaning behind the band name?

It was just something I came across in a book over 10 years ago. I didn't think much of it at the time but it just stuck with project as it developed into a real band.

So part of the Silver Snakes lore is the fact that you’re from a Mariachi family. What about the rest of the band? Are they from musical families too?

Most of us grew up in musical households. There are six generations of Mariachi musicians going back on my Dad's side. My mother was a folklorico dancer and her mother was an Opera singer. Garrett and Jeremiah also grew up in musical households, Both took music lessons as children and through their teen years. Mike started out as a drummer in the school band and later moved on to bass in the school jazz band. I can't speak for everyone, but my family’s musical legacy definitely influences my playing in several ways. It's a lot to live up to.

Who else do you count as your biggest musical influences?

I'm influenced rhythmically by several types of music from around the world. Native american, Flamenco, Mariachi and many others. I can't really pin point my influences in a melodic sense. We are at that point as a band where we feel comfortable enough in our own playing to basically influence each other. It's the ideal situation.

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote? What was it about?

I do! Unfortunately it was just music. I didn't start writing lyrics and vocal melodies until my early 20s. I could still play all my early songs on guitar though. Really silly stuff with a few cool riffs here and there.

Who would you love to collaborate with?

Timbaland. I would love to have him work on the electronics / samples for a future release.

Let’s talk about your album. Why is it called Saboteur?

The album is about sabotage. Dealing strictly with negative themes as opposed to the usual themes of hope and change. It was a nice change of pace.

What's your favorite song from the set?

My favorite song in our current set is definitely "Charmer". I don't play guitar on that one so I'm free to stand there with a microphone. I'm much more comfortable singing that way. It allows me more freedom as well.

What's a piece of gear you can't live without?

I'm currently obsessed with my new fender j5 triple deluxe telecaster. It's a gorgeous guitar that feels great on stage.

Tell us an awesome Silver Snakes fan story.

We recently met this guy called "Captain Keywork" who quit his job and bought tickets to every show on our current tour with Coheed and Cambria. That's some dedication if you ask me.

If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

#mexicanproblems

Trump or Drumpf? What are you feeling this election season? 

You mean that guy that was trying to defend his dick size on the debate a few weeks ago? He can call himself whatever he wants. I'm personally feeling the bern but I respect the fact that everyone gets to vote on their own behalf. I feel that Sanders represents the ideals I believe in, In terms of respecting people and environment. Some others believe that a big wall is more important than basic human rights. To each their own.

Are you thinking of using music to express yourself politically?

I try to keep specific ideals out of our music, but you can twist around my lyrics in many ways.

A lot of musicians got their start on Myspace and have awesome stories about the site when they first started out. Do you have one?

Nothing in particular aside from all the networking. I remember posting updates about shows, sending messages to bands I liked and even sending the occasional fan mail to musicians I looked up to.