Adrián Quesada doesn’t just produce music—he conjures time. From his beginnings in the border town of Laredo, Texas, to the global stages he now commands, Quesada has always lived between cultures, bending genres and transcending boundaries. He walks with the soul of a crate-digging historian and the heart of a future-seeking visionary. Whether it’s psychedelic soul, vintage funk, or romantic boleros, his craft is soaked in reverence for what came before while bravely carving space for what’s next.
His latest offering, Boleros Psicodélicos II, is not a sequel—it’s a continuation of a deeper conversation with the past. Following the lush, love-drenched textures of the first volume, Quesada returns with a modern lens and a new collaborator in co-producer Alex Goose, bringing a fresh sonic dimension that pulses with hip-hop-influenced sampling and updated rhythms. The album opens with “Ojos Secos,” a haunting collaboration with Cuco that feels both timeless and urgent—like an old soul whispering over a drum machine.
Tigre Sounds caught up with Quesada at the one and only Sweat Records in Miami, ahead of his much-anticipated album release. What followed was a soulful conversation on heritage, sound, and the powerful space where the past meets the present.
TIGRE SOUNDS: You’ve had such an incredible journey. Where did it all begin and how did it shape the way you hear and make music?
ADRIÁN QUESADA: I’m from Laredo, Texas—a border town in South Texas. You basically go all the way south until you hit Mexico, and that’s where I’m from. I grew up in this binational, bicultural, bilingual world—half the week I’d be in Mexico visiting my family, and the other half I was back across the border. At the time, it felt normal. It wasn’t until I moved to Austin that I realized how deeply it shaped me—everything I wanted to do in music and art.
As a kid, I was obsessed with MTV—Yo! MTV Raps, 120 Minutes, Headbangers Ball—I was watching everything. I didn’t even realize you could be a musician, like a real working musician, until I got to Austin. That’s when it all clicked: this isn’t just for rock stars. There’s a whole ecosystem of artists, creatives, and working-class musicians making it happen. That’s when I knew this life was possible.
TIGRE SOUNDS: Your solo project, Boleros Psicodélicos, was a beautiful homage to an era and a sound. Now with Boleros Psicodélicos II, what made you want to create a second volume and how did you approach this one?
ADRIÁN QUESADA: When I made the first one, I already had it in my head that I could make 10 volumes. That sound is just my happy place—I find so much inspiration in it. I had way more songs than I could fit on one album, so I knew from the jump that I wanted to keep going.
After some time on tour and doing other projects like Black Pumas, I started working on the second volume wherever I could—hotel rooms, buses. Then I met Alex Goose in L.A., and he changed everything. We clicked instantly. I gave him some tracks to see what he’d do, and he came back with this modern, almost hip-hop twist—sampling and reprocessing the songs I had already recorded. I loved it. We co-produced the rest from there, and it brought this whole new energy to the project.
TIGRE SOUNDS: “Ojos Secos” is such a stunning way to open the album. What was it like working with Cuco on that track?
ADRIÁN QUESADA: Cuco and I go back a bit. We worked together on a tribute to Selena at Lincoln Center years ago—he was one of the vocalists, and I was the music director. We reconnected through Alex Goose, who had just worked with him and suggested we reach out.
Cuco came in, heard the track, and was like, “Let’s do it.” He wrote and recorded everything that same night—in just a few hours. That’s how fast and talented he is. He gravitated toward that track immediately. I’m just in awe of his talent.
TIGRE SOUNDS: The vocalists you bring in—from iLe to Hermanos (Gutierrez), Monsieur Perine and Daymé Arocena—are so diverse, yet all feel perfectly matched to the project. What do you look for in a voice when collaborating?
ADRIÁN QUESADA: It’s less about a formula and more about feel. There has to be a certain passion in the voice—especially with boleros and baladas. Not every great Spanish-language vocalist is right for this type of music.
The voice has to feel timeless. Like, you could drop them into any era, and it would still make sense. That’s the key—timelessness, vocal range, and passion.
TIGRE SOUNDS: How do you balance honoring the past while innovating for today?
ADRIÁN QUESADA: It’s not a conscious equation, it’s more of a flow. I grew up surrounded by duality—languages, countries, cultures. So it makes sense that my music lives between worlds, too.
When I’m creating, I try not to get caught up in the divisions. I just want to make something that feels honest and soulful. The past is always there—it’s in the chords, the arrangements, the textures—but the way we shape it for today, that’s where the magic happens.
TIGRE SOUNDS: What artists or producers are you listening to these days? Who’s inspiring you right now?
ADRIÁN QUESADA: Man, it’s all over the place. But what I really love is when a producer creates a whole world. Like, when you know that anything they touch, you just want to check it out.
Right now, The Alchemist is still blowing my mind. After 20, 25 years, his output is still next-level—he’s having a renaissance. Inflow from the UK too—he’s behind Salt, and anything he does, I want to hear it. I’ve also been jamming a lot of Amantes del Futuro from Mexico. We just played a show together, and I love what they’re doing with cumbia. It’s like electro, it’s rebajada, it sounds like a club track but it still feels traditional.
And of course, Toy Selectah from Monterrey—he’s been a friend and collaborator. He’s one of the OGs of modernizing cumbia, and now Issa from Amantes is really carrying that torch.
In a time when many artists chase trends, Adrián Quesada continues to craft soundscapes that feel both rooted and revolutionary. With Boleros Psicodélicos II, he reminds us that genre is just a suggestion, and that the most powerful music is born in the in-between spaces—between generations, between cultures, and between heart and history. Genreless, fearless, and full of soul, Quesada’s music doesn’t just speak—it remembers, dreams, and transforms.
You can pick up Adrián Quesada’s new album, Boleros Psicodélicos II, at Miami’s beloved Sweat Records starting June 27th—where timeless sound meets timeless viny.
