Today we’d like to introduce you to Diego “Bull” Avello.
Hi Diego, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m from Cangas del Narcea, a small mountain town in Asturias, northern Spain. No rock scene there!. I fell in love with American rock & roll through cassettes, vinyls and TV, Elvis, Chuck Berry, ZZ Top, and that became my direction.
At the age of 18 I moved to the capital of Asturias, Oviedo and later I moved to Madrid in 2002 where I officially formed Bull y Los Búfalos.
We self-produced, toured all over Spain, and released our first albums independently.
I always wanted America, not as a tourist, as a working musician. To earn my artist work visa I first had to build a bigger resume in Mexico, playing massive biker festivals for 25,000 people, which finally got me to Austin, Texas.
Austin was everything. We recorded Animal, Handmade (Live Album), Fury EP, several singles and music videos and then got songs on FX’s Mayans M.C., won Best Rock Band in Texas, and played NAMM as a Gibson artist in Los Angeles, California.
In Texas a filming production company, Penny Rock Productions and L.A. Lloyd a local rock radio host, got interested in my story journey and together we filmed a documentary about it, I Took the Road Less Traveled, which is now in the Film Festival circuit and has won 5 awards till now.
In 2024 I moved to Nashville. That’s where we are now. I got signed with TLG|ROCK / Virgin Music Group and just released Ghost, our new single and video filmed at the original cemetery from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in Spain, as the first single from our upcoming album Full Tank of Courage.
It’s a long road from a small town in Spain to Nashville, but that’s the journey. That’s why we call it Stubborn Rock, never give up and keep fighting for what you dream,
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it was not smooth at all.
Culturally, you arrive and you have to start from zero. The codes are different, the business, the language on stage and off stage. You are the new guy with an accent and you have to earn respect every night.
Language was a real struggle. Learning to write and sing in English when it is not your native language is tough. It is not just vocabulary, it is making it feel honest. That took years of work.
The visa process was brutal. A lot of paperwork, lawyers, money, and many no’s before you get a yes. You need to build a huge resume to even qualify.
And then the pandemic hit. Like many musicians I lost all my income and my place. For a while in Austin I was basically homeless, with my gear in storage, full time camping, sleeping and living in a tent. But I kept writing and we came out with new music.
You get hit, you keep going.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I lead Bull y Los Bufalos. We play what we call Stubborn Rock, it is American rock and roll with a Spanish edge.
We write honest rock songs and deliver a real live show. No tracks, no fake. Thick guitars, loud drums, and a story. People know us for our live energy and for never giving up. That stubborn attitude is our brand.
I am most proud that we built this from nothing, independently. From self produced albums in Spain to winning Best Rock Band in Texas, to getting songs on TV, to becoming a Gibson artist, to now being signed with TLG ROCK Virgin Music Group. Every step was earned.
What sets us apart is the journey. Not many bands come from a tiny town in Spain to Austin and now Nashville, writing and singing in a second language, sleeping in a tent and still making records. That life is in the music. You can hear it.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson is to never quit and to stay true to who you are.
This industry will tell you to change your sound, your look, your name, your accent. If you listen to everybody, you become nobody. I learned to trust my gut. If the song feels honest, keep it.
I also learned you cannot do it alone. Family and friends who believed in me when there was nothing kept me going.
Another lesson is to not stay too long in your comfort zone. I left my hometown, then Madrid, then Mexico, then Austin, now Nashville. Every time I was safe but stuck, I moved. That is where you grow.
If you love what you do and you work hard every day, you can accomplish everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bullylosbufalos.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bullylosbufalos_official/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bullylosbufalosnew
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diego-bull-avello/
- Twitter: https://x.com/bullylosbufalos
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bullbufalo1975
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bull-y-los-bufalos
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3jm4u0J6RnG95JimAeU39t?si=68dvloe7RiKSeAySEjXXBg
