(Left to right) Marco and Sara Castro make up indie/dream folk duo The Castros. Credit: Courtesy of Sara Castro
For Marco and Sara Castro, music is a fundamental ingredient of marriage.
A local two-piece band, The Castros put an alternative spin on the indie-folk genre. Having experimented with various musical elements, such as distortions and vocal effects, Sara Castro said the pair is looking to release a brand-new album sometime over the next year.
An Ohio native, Sara Castro said her love affair with music began during her teenage years. She originally penned poetry as her go-to creative outlet, but her verses soon developed and evolved into songwriting.
While visiting a friend in Savannah, Georgia, in 2006, Sara Castro said she and Marco Castro were introduced to each other, sparking an immediate musical connection. Marco felt the same.
“I am originally from Costa Rica, and I started going to shows before I learned how to play [guitar],” Marco Castro said. “She taught me how to play when we met.”
By 2009, Marco and Sara Castro had officially started making music together, performing on a semi-regular basis.
“We started playing shows at coffee houses and bars, but it was kind of sporadic,” Marco Castro said. “We would play randomly here and there.”
One of the duo’s first shows even took place in close proximity to Ohio State’s campus, at the 4541 N. High St. Crimson Cup location in Clintonville, he said.
“Even though we were not born in Columbus, we feel a part of the community,” Marco Castro said.
Sara Castro said the twosome’s style of music best fits under the label “indie/dream folk,” as whimsical reverbs are frequently employed on tracks.
“We always say music for the heart, because we hope our music is uplifting and encouraging, even a little challenging in some areas,” Sara Castro said.
The couple said they frequently draw songwriting inspiration from their love story, so it’s no surprise their first encounter eventually bled its way into The Castros’ discography.
“We have a song called ‘Savannah’ about how we met,” Sara Castro said. “It’s like a love song, since we fell in love there.”
Described as “dreamy” and “melodic” in tone, “Savannah” is now one of the couple’s favorite songs to play live, Sara said. They even recorded and released the single in February 2018, sharing it with the world on a wider scale.
Marco Castro said another notable track from The Castros — titled “Tin Cans” and released as part of the band’s September 2014 EP “My Dear” — attempts to convey the emotional difficulties associated with long-distance dating. At one point in Marco and Sara Castro’s relationship, he returned to Costa Rica while she moved to Savannah.
“We dated long distance for one year, taking planes back and forth between Savannah and Columbus to see each other and talking every day on the phone,” Marco Castro said. “We couldn’t wait to be together and no longer have to say goodbye to each other over the phone.”
All throughout the 2010s, The Castros started to consistently book shows and record more original songs. In the past few years, Marco and Sara Castro said they have been able to make music their full-time jobs, which feels immensely gratifying as longtime artists.
One notable turning point for The Castros came in 2014 when they toured across Germany with folk artist Hanna Fearns. Sara Castro said this touring experience lit a fire within her and Marco Castro to wholeheartedly chase their shared dream of being professional musicians.
“For us, that made it feel like we were in a band,” Sara Castro said. “Just doing the thing every day, it’s hard work and it’s tiring but it feels so good to do it because you love doing it.”
Since starting in Columbus, The Castros have lived in and traveled to several states, including Illinois, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Now, they are traveling with their van and mostly residing near Columbus, with plans to put out a self-produced album before 2024 concludes.
This new album is expected to have a different sound than The Castros’ previous work, Sara Castro said. She said the noise-rock band ‘68 has been a new influence for her and Marco Castro, as it possesses a more aggressive and raw sound than the pair is used to.
“We’ve just been experimenting with more pedals and vocal effects,” Sara Castro said.
Marco Castro said the two-piece wants to sustain and grow the fan community it has created via traveling, and hopes the new album can offer listeners joy.
“I always remember how music has helped me for all my life,” Marco Castro said. “When we do music, we want to give back in that sense.”
At the end of the day, Marco Castro said he hopes people leave the couple’s shows feeling a little more optimistic about living their own dreams.
“You feel like you are crazy for having dreams or just existing sometimes,” Marco Castro said. “If people can come to our shows and leave feeling better, that is the energy I want. I want people to come alive and feel they belong.”
More information about The Castros, including details about upcoming performances, can be found on the duo’s Instagram page.
