Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Prater.
Hi Anthony, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been a songwriter/musician for 24 years. I spent my younger days performing in various DIY Punk/Hard Rock groups, most notably ska/punk trio ¡NADA MÁS BASURA! While I was a student at SAC, I created/produced/co-hosted a show on KSYM 90.1 FM called PUNK ROCK 101. I stepped away from the program in 2010 to focus on my music. Since leaving, other DJs have kept it going, and the show celebrated 19 years on air this past summer. After ¡NADA MÁS BASURA! stopped performing in 2015, but I took the opportunity to branch off and start a project I had wanted to do for a while. I put together THE NAGGINS and incorporated the traditional and not-so-traditional Irish folk/rock tunes of groups like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, and The Dubliners into our sets. We debuted on St. Patrick’s Day 2016, and we’ve been performing around the state ever since. In 2018, I wanted to get back into writing and performing original music, so I started a group called HOTEL TORGO. We had trouble finding a steady drummer and bassist but finally got a lineup locked in the next year. We played our first show in early 2020; as we gained momentum, the pandemic hit and took us out of the game for a bit. But now we’ve been making up for lost time, getting out and performing as much as possible. In February 2023, I released my first Solo recording. The 5 song EP is called EL CAMARON and is the meeting of my passion for researching history and my passion for music. It was inspired by the case of Clemente Apolinar, who, in 1923, was the last person publicly executed in San Antonio/Bexar County. Through the music, I explore the circumstances surrounding the case, the crime itself, the times it occurred, and how we’re still dealing with its echoes 100 years later. I’ve also been lucky to share my research through educational partnerships with the San Antonio Public Library, San Antonio College, and others.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Life is never a straight, smooth road. Writing and performing music is challenging. Writing and performing music with other people is even more difficult. Day jobs, relationships, family responsibilities, personality clashes, scheduling, and motivation all present their challenges. But like in every part of life, you have to meet the obstacles as they appear, think on your feet, communicate, and navigate through the tough times. Luckily, I have a partner who supports what I do and, as a creative herself, knows and understands the path, and we walk our paths together. The pandemic presented its struggles—the momentum each project needed to build stalled. People moved; people changed careers; venues closed down or scaled back on hosting live music. All of my projects are 100% self-managed, and with all the personnel changes/closures at venues, the working relationships and reputation we had built just disappeared. When I returned to booking gigs, it felt like starting over from scratch; it still does sometimes. It can be discouraging sometimes, but I love playing music, so all I can do is keep moving ahead.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m not one to get stuck in one genre of music. A lot of different things influence me. When I was first starting, my songs were basic autobiographical tunes usually about things that made me angry, like the dead-end jobs I was working, relationship problems, or wrongs in the world I felt needed to be righted: the “three chords and the truth” kind of stuff…stuff I’m still proud of. Years later, I still write about similar themes, but now I’ve learned to appreciate how songs and albums can be used to tell a story. I’m a self-taught musician/songwriter. I don’t read music; I know basic theory, but mainly rely on my ear. I write as simply and as honestly as I can. I’ve always admired artists who can take the most simple musical element: a lyrical idea, chord progression, or a beat and take the listener on a journey—I’m proud of my work on my EP, EL CAMARON. I spent two years researching the criminal case that inspired it. I didn’t go into the research to write an album, but as I got deeper into the research it just kind of happened. I don’t know if I can pinpoint what sets me apart other than just trying to be me. And who else can be me but me?
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from growing up.
Some of my favorite memories growing up are of family get-togethers. My maternal Grandmother was one of five siblings and had a couple of cousins that her parents raised. My great-grandfather ensured they remained close as they grew up, and they all ensured their kids and grandkids did the same. I lived for things like backyard birthday parties, fishing trips, fish fries, a huge pot of menudo and shooting off firecrackers at the ranch on New Year’s Eve, or a BBQ just because. Life seemed to move slightly slower then.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/anthonyprater
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/anthonyprater_music
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthonypratersatx
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AnthonyPraterMusic
- Other: http://anthonyprater.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
Mood Aura Nomad Enedina Iréne Artie Garcia @nicolasology Doug Wright
