Buenos Aires band Distante formed during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, initially as a way to stay busy and make music while the world stood still. What began as a casual project eventually became a full-fledged band, channeling the energy and positivity of classic Youth Crew hardcore in a handful of EPs, a live record, and a pair of demos.
Their brand-new debut full-length, Tiempos Cruciales, would have been right at home at a label like React! Records during its crucial run. Earlier this week, I spoke with vocalist Pauli Inchausti about the band's beginnings, her introduction to hardcore and straight edge, recording the new album, and the current state of the Buenos Aires scene.
Can you give me some background on the band—how you formed, how the lineup came together, and what initially pushed you to start the project?
It was March or early April 2020, during the full COVID lockdown. Here in Argentina, the government was very strict with those measures. The full lockdown lasted a whole year, and the following year there were still lots of restrictions on hanging out with other people. It was all very weird.
We had been in other bands before, but for one reason or another, all our bands broke up in 2019. The whole hardcore scene in Buenos Aires had been in a downturn since 2018.
So we were trapped in our house, bored as fuck, and decided we should write some hardcore songs, which is what we enjoy most. It was also a way to avoid going completely insane during lockdown. It was either that, sourdough, or some other trend of the era.
We recorded a demo on our phones using GarageBand, with no real amps. I remember singing straight into the phone's built-in mic, then uploading the demo to Bandcamp. At the time, it never crossed our minds that we'd play those songs live. We weren't taking it seriously at all.
What changed that?
In August 2021, we got an invitation to play a show booked by our dear friend Antito (Fix Me Zine). We said yes right away, but we didn't have a drummer or bassist yet.
So we started searching. Of course, Lalande was going to play drums because he'd played with us before. But people in the scene weren't keeping in touch as much, and we didn't really know who was still edge or who would want to play in a Youth Crew-style band in 2021.
Then we ran into Nahuel, who we hadn't been very close with until then, even though he lives near us. And he was still vegan and edge! We're all over 30, so if we were going to start a new band, we wanted to meet all our requirements [laughs].
How did you discover hardcore music? What were some of the first bands you remember falling in love with?
I was attending an art high school when I discovered hardcore music. I was in the later shift, so there were adults in other classrooms. Most of them were punks, hardcore kids, grunge fans, and people interested in all sorts of music, especially underground music.
The first bands I was exposed to were Fun People, El Otro Yo, and Eterna Inocencia, and I loved them.
I met my two best friends around that time, Melisa and Fede (not the same Fede in Distante), and we started going to shows and making new friends. We'd go to all kinds of shows—punk, hardcore, alternative—and I'd always come home with fanzines filled with new ideas that excited me.
I became vegetarian and later vegan. Then I learned about straight edge and wanted to know more about it. I was very into the idea of being a rebel and sober at the same time.
There were addictions in my family when I was growing up, so I didn't have any doubts about it. I went through some rough shit, and I needed to thank life itself for still being alive. From the first minute, I knew straight edge was the best thing for me.
I was 17 when I claimed edge and started listening to local edge bands like El Eterno Enemigo, Reconcile, and Nueva Ética. I can say I fell in love with Wide Awake, Youth of Today, and BOLD.
When you tell people outside hardcore that you're straight edge, how do they usually respond? I ask because, as a Latino American who grew up with Colombian and Ecuadorian parents, mine would look at me like I had two heads if I tried explaining straight edge to them!
I remember when I was still in high school, telling people I didn't drink or smoke pot, which were the most common things to do, and they would congratulate me. Even my family supported my decision. They weren't even surprised because I was always a quiet kind of person, and I would think things through before making a move.
Of course, there was a lot of misinformation back then. Some people believed straight edge was a violent gang for rich dudes. I never paid attention. I don't feel I have to explain how I live my life. I always knew that.
The band started during a particularly strange time. What was the Buenos Aires hardcore scene like when Distante formed?
Well, we started the band accidentally, as a pastime for a married straight edge couple during the COVID lockdown. Even the name is a reference to the pandemic idea of social distancing and the constant reminders to "keep your distance" on signs everywhere. That's why I thought of the name, because being distant was the good thing to do.
The hardcore scene was almost nonexistent. There were very few active bands, and the turnouts were getting smaller and smaller. It was fading out. Then COVID came, and I thought it was going to be the end forever, like there was no way the scene could recover from that. Luckily, I was wrong.
There was a resurgence. Lots of younger people appeared with new ideas and the desire to make things happen. New bands formed, shows started happening all the time, and fanzines came back. It was a renewal of the scene and its spirit.
That continues to this day. The scene has grown a lot, to the point where bands are starting to go in different directions—tougher hardcore on one side, modern amazingcore doing its thing on the other. I think that's OK.
Looking back on Distante's history so far, what have been some of the biggest highlights?
When we booked our first show and found the missing members, the four of us started hanging out and rehearsing together. We were writing new songs, and it was so much fun. We all had a lot of free time and were fully committed to the band. We played every show we were asked to play. We drove to places we'd never been before and met awesome people.
I'd say our first show was a highlight in itself. It was August 2021, and we were playing with face masks to a masked crowd, in a setting that was kind of like a recording studio. We were playing while people watched us through glass. There were cameras and TVs broadcasting the show live all around the venue. Nice venue, by the way! It was maybe the funniest and weirdest show we've ever played.
Another memorable experience was touring Europe with Bajo Control in January 2025. We didn't know them until we landed in Madrid. They're amazing people. We love them. We clicked instantly, and it was the best two weeks of our hardcore lives. Can't wait to do it again!
I was already familiar with Distante, but when I heard Tiempos Cruciales last week, I couldn't stop listening to it. I love the record's energy and punchiness. Tell me about the recording sessions.
Well, we Frankensteined it. Our drummer went to his old friend's studio, Tierra Plana, where they hung out and recorded all the drum tracks. Then we recorded all the guitars, bass, and vocals at home. We don't really have a proper recording studio, not even a home studio, but we needed to do it this way because we live in the suburbs and have three kids.
Also, budget-wise, it made no sense to pay for a studio by the hour just to have some guy watch us miss the same note 30 times in a row. So we recorded comfortably in our bedroom and sent all the tracks for reamping to our dearest Seba Barrionuevo (Estudio FDM), who was also in charge of mixing and mastering.
We wouldn't go with anyone else, not even at gunpoint. We've been recording with him since 2012, across all our bands. He's the best, and he's always open to our ideas and tolerates our limitations.
What topics do you cover on the album?
We tend to write mostly positive lyrics. We make music with the purpose of helping people out. Music was so powerful in our own lives during moments of despair and tough shit, so it's our way of giving something back. We want to be there for new kids going through hard times who aren't finding anything positive around them.
On this new record, our first full-length, we have a couple of uplifting songs, including the opening track and the title track. We also have two songs against AI. One addresses the reality-versus-bullshit side of things, and the other is about wanting to remain human.
There's a song on the album about animal liberation and two songs about violence. One addresses rape culture and sexual abuse in general, while the other is about violence at shows, which we firmly believe is another expression of machismo and patriarchy. We hate it.
What's the plan for Distante over the coming year? How much time can you dedicate to playing shows and touring? I know you play bass in Mariscal X, but are any of the other members playing in other bands?
We would love to tour more. Time is always tough, but our real limitation is money. We live in Argentina, and unemployment is a real problem for a lot of people in our scene. We don't make money from shows or merch that we can save up for touring. We just get back whatever we invested, and that's it.
We feel it would be unethical for us to raise ticket or merch prices just to make some extra cash while the whole country is struggling so much, especially the families of the kids who come to our shows. Hardcore needs to be the opposite of luxury or a fetish. So we do what we can with what we have. We put all our effort and every resource we have into this band.
Right now, we share members with Prejuicio, Ya Recontra Fue Todo, Constancia, and Barkai.
While I have you, what can you tell No Echo readers about the current state of hardcore in and around Buenos Aires? What are some of the other bands, labels, and promoters putting their heart and soul into the community?
Hardcore in Buenos Aires in 2026 is filled with awesome younger kids doing lots of stuff. This city is huge, and there's always been a strong rock and live music culture here. We have all kinds of shows and venues going on all the time.
Hardcore shows happen every weekend. Sometimes there's more than one hardcore show on the same day, and that's OK. Both shows get great turnouts, and it's fun for everyone. It's also a very community-based scene, partly because of our cultural heritage and partly because of our limited resources.
Maybe only one or two bands own a full backline, so we're always sharing drum kits and equipment, sometimes even instruments. There's no place for individuality.
Some bands worth checking out are 1990, Siempre Tratar, La Válvula, Expediente de Lucha, Orgullo X Sangre, Cadenas, Knockout, Stryker, Disputa, Cazador, Control, Tribu Deem, Amenaza Fantasma, Desarme, and Hara Kiri.
As for labels and zines, there's En El Desierto (that's us!), Fix Me, Oath, Lucha de Clases, Nostalgia y Fotos, Exilio Fanzine, Hacer Fanzine, 494, Valor Humano, Concreto, and Safety.
If you had to pick your all-time favorite straight edge hardcore band, who would it be and why?
Youth of Today is our favorite band, and I can speak for the whole band here. It's the band we identify with the most. Someone once said to us, "You are more sincere than cool," and we took it as the most flattering compliment ever.
Youth of Today's lyrics helped us grow as individuals and as a band, too. The idea of doing things your own way and not caring about what others will think or say about you. This is who I am. This is what I believe. Not everyone needs to like it or agree.
Now, personally, my favorite band is Wide Awake. I cried the first time I listened to them, and I didn't even know what the lyrics were about. Just the sound of that bass and the emotion in the voice. I was shook.
Later, I got to read the lyrics and understand what they meant, and I loved them even more. So basic and straightforward. They're my favorite band.
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Distante on social media: Bandcamp | Instagram
Tagged: distante, mariscal x
