Loafing Heroes

The Loafing Heroes are comprised of Bartolo Rain on vocals and guitars; John J. Juice on guitars, bass and vocals; Jaime on clarinets; and Noni on percussion and vocals. The old English word "loafing" evokes drifting or idleness - but a creative, joyful idleness, forever seeking and always on the move, like the flâneur wandering and dreaming through the cityscapes. Just as the name suggests, the Loafers hail from multiple countries and tend to turn up in every corner of the world, though they have used Berlin as a home base since the band's foundation in 2008.

The band returned from their 2009 tour of Spain and Portugal soaked in sunshine, ocean spray and Pacharan, all of which served as creative fuel for their second full-length release, Chula.  The album's title means different things in different languages, and the music is a similarly eclectic mix of fleeting joy and melancholic swing, with hints of folk, blues, indie and tropicalia throughout.