Rock Cellar Independent Artist Spotlight: Guitarist Federico Navarro Trías

The Independent Artist Spotlight is a new branch of Rock Cellar aimed at presenting under-the-radar musical acts that deserve your immediate attention. As artists and bands are added to the program, Rock Cellar will spotlight some with Q&A-style interviews, allowing the artists themselves to tell their story as they’d want it told. Next up is guitarist Federico Navarro Trías, whose debut album Renacer is available at this link. 

Where are you from?

Federico Navarro Trías: I live in Los Angeles, CA but I was born and raised in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Who inspired you to play guitar?

Federico Navarro Trías: At a very early age I was inspired by the movie Crossroads to pick up the guitar, but then I would have to say it was Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan who influenced me the most. As I grew up I discovered other players that changed the way I played, guys like Joe Satriani, Eric Gales and of course Steve Lukather, who I would say is my main influence.

What made you decide to make it a career?

Federico Navarro Trías: Back when I was having my first guitar lessons, my former guitar teacher told me I had perfect pitch. I had no idea what perfect pitch was back then but later on I would. By then I was already playing in a few bands with older musicians, and the word started to spread very fast around town. That’s when I decided that I wanted to be a full-time musician. I was 13 years old.

What’s your experience so far being in LA?  

Federico Navarro Trías: It’s been great so far. It all started when I recorded Renacer, my first album, back in Uruguay and for some reason Reinhold Bogner, owner of legendary Bogner Amplification, heard about me and we connected in 2017. The company endorsed me and that’s when I decided to move to LA in 2018. Since I’ve moved here, I’ve been doing a lot of stuff as a session musician from recording and playing with artists like Louis York and Jeremy Elliot to sharing rock heavyweights like Eric Dover (Slash’s Snakepit/Jellyfish) and Matt Laug (Alanis Morissette/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), among many others. Also, I toured in 2019 with Josh Gracin (American Idol) and Rachel Lorin.

Even during this lockout time, I’ve accomplished one of my goals: Getting signed by a US record label for my next album to be recorded in 2021.

Your album Renacer, what’s story behind it?   

Federico Navarro Trías: Well, renacer means reborn in Spanish. In 2005 I got cancer and I did around six months of medical treatment. Right when I finished my treatment I said to myself “I have to record my own album,” but it took me almost 10 years to finish writing the songs because of my touring life. I think the album is like my personal journey and it is how I see things after all I went through.

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What would you like to accomplish with your album?

Federico Navarro Trías: I guess that I would like to show my music to as many people as I can. That would be my main goal.

What advice would you give to young inspiring guitarists?

Federico Navarro Trías: Keep practicing, keep studying, don’t follow trends, always be a team player and keep your ego aside.