June 5, 2026
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Homer A. Plessy Day was established on June 7, 2005, to honor the trailblazing Civil Rights activist who stood up against segregation in 1892.
Crescent City Sounds Spotlight: Plomo
New Orleans-based band Plomo has been playing together since 2022, and their album “Somos Plomo,” is one of the 150 local albums currently featured on Crescent City Sounds, a free music streaming platform created by the New Orleans Public Library. Their sound has been described as industrial synthwave, with influences from “1940s and ’50s Mexican bolero music and ‘70s-’80s Mexican goth.”
We connected with bandmembers Lidia, Saiya, and Wyatt to learn more about their music, their album, and what being on Crescent City Sounds means to them. Check out our Q&A below.
Q: Tell us about Plomo — what are the members’ names, where are you all from, how/when/where did you start playing together, how would you describe your sound, etc.
Saiya: I grew up in New Jersey and moved to New Orleans in 2012, after spending time here when I was still a teenager. I played bass in metal and punk bands for many years. I was the last member to join the band, adding bass guitar to the songs that were already written and working bass pieces into new songs we wrote together.
Wyatt: I’m from North Texas and lived in New Orleans for most of my 20’s. My artistic background is primarily theater and performing arts, and before the pandemic I had worked with groups that played/toured in music venues and shared the same DIY ethos of the punk scenes in both Dallas and New Orleans. I had spent most of the pandemic learning how to compose and produce music, and in 2022 Lidia, Yamil (Rodriguez), and I started talking about making music together and then we actually did it!
I still do not have any simple way to describe our sound, but when we first started the music was driven by very gritty Moog and Behringer synths and the Elektron drum machines I was using; pretty much a simple four-on-the-flour and Lidia just throws these insanely catchy hooks and emotionally gripping melodies on top. I think when Saiya joined the band is when we formed our quintessential sound, but I still can’t describe what it is; it’s lots of things. I think someone else is supposed to tell us that, right?
Lidia: I grew up in Los Angeles in a pretty big family of incredibly mathy people, but I’d describe myself first as a painter. It wasn’t until October 2021 that I, by fluke, began to play music. At a small get-together after filming a short with Michael Arcos, a friend of Yamil’s, Tara, had come to town with a van full of music equipment. Michael and Yamil (Wyatt was there but left early!) encouraged me to sing that night and a few weeks later we played III Points in Miami!
The band was called Coco Bane and was only ever meant to be a small project. After that, Yamil convinced me to keep going and to get Wyatt in on it this time. Yamil, from the jump, had an idea of leaving the band once we got the hang of it so he could move back to Miami. Which he did after we released our first EP.
Q: How did you hear about Crescent City Sounds and what made you want to submit your album?
Saiya: I actually worked for the New Orleans Public Library from 2013-2016, as a Library Associate. So, I like to stay in touch with what is happening at the Library. When I saw Crescent City Sounds was inviting local artists to join, I thought it would be a great place to platform Plomo’s music.
Q: What was your reaction when you found out you’d been picked to be featured on the platform?
Saiya: Super excited!
Lidia: I can’t wait to tell my family.
Q: How does it feel to be on Crescent City Sounds? What type of impact has it had/do you hope it has for the band?
Saiya: It feels like a way to be connected to other New Orleans based musicians and music, which feels very meaningful. Sometimes bands that fit certain subgenres or connect with music scenes in other cities are less likely to reach a local audience who might not normally listen. So, the ability to be in a locally featured collection is wonderful.
Wyatt: It feels rewarding and fulfilling to have any opportunity for our music to be a part of something that isn’t just throwing it out to the void of streaming platforms and social media promotion. It also feels important to be represented among other New Orleans musicians because the music we all make is intrinsically tied to one another and our experiences living in the same place. The sounds we make as individuals are informed by the sounds (both musically and non-musically) that we all hear in the city every day.
Lidia: I’m always happy to be included. Especially in a city so musically inclined like New Orleans.
Q: What do you think it says about the Library that we created this service, and why do you think a product like Crescent City Sounds is important in New Orleans?
Saiya: I think it shows that the Library is committed to showcasing all the aspects of culture that make our lives full and rich, and that the Library has an interest in supporting local artists to continue to be storytellers of the city.
Wyatt: I agree with what Saiya said. I think a collection that is accessible to the public, reflects a concentration of local works, and isn’t owned/managed by corporate interests is valuable and special. It is just as important as dropping tapes off at your local record shop.
Lidia: Simultaneously surprised and not that the Library would have such an important public resource like this.
Q: Do you use the Library often in your personal lives, or have public libraries in general had an impact on any of your lives in the past?
Saiya: Yes, I am a big reader and I use a lot of the other services such as Libby, Kanopy, and some of the databases occasionally as well. I also try to make it out to library programs when I can!
Wyatt: I use libraries a lot as a place to just be and focus on whatever I need to, and also to rummage around. I’m very nosy and the Library is perfect for that.
Lidia: Honestly, embarrassingly, not so much now. But, since I can remember growing up, I was always at the Library, mostly with my oldest brother, who now works at a branch in L.A. I did recently go to one to learn about checking out wi-fi.
Q: If you do use the New Orleans Public Library, which branch/branches are your favorites?
Saiya: Nora Navra is my current closest Library location, but I visit many of them.
Wyatt: The Milton H. Latter is my favorite place to rummage and be nosy.
Q: Is there anything else you want to add/promote about your band? Where else people can listen to your music?
A: We released an additional EP this spring, so we definitely encourage people to check that out! Plomo is available to stream on major platforms, but the best way to support us is to buy directly from our Bandcamp.
Submissions are open for Crescent City Sounds and will be accepted through Oct. 7. All chosen artists will receive a $250 honorarium to have their albums on the platform, maintain the copyright to their work, and have their albums hosted on Crescent City Sounds for five years.
Prospective artists must primarily perform in New Orleans and submissions cannot have been recorded more than five years ago. Artists can submit a single track, but if selected, should have an album with a minimum of four songs or be at least 20 minutes in length. For detailed guidelines and to stream local music now, visit crescentcitysounds.org.
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