Punk With A Purpose: An Interview With Colombia’s One Reason To Rise
By Staff | September 24, 2026
One major reason why we can confidently say that punk is alive and well is by the various places it’s currently thriving. We’ve interviewed punk bands from Malaysia, South Africa, Bolivia, and this is our second trip to Colombia, which has a more robust punk scene than you might imagine. To us, One Reason To Rise is the band to watch in Bogotá - not just because they like all our Instagram posts, but for their high energy brand of punk that comes straight from their love for making music.
How did One Reason to Rise originally come together, and what made you want to start the band?
One Reason to Rise is the rebirth of a previous project that was active from 2000 to 2003; however, due to college, work, and life in general… it fell apart. Sometime later, in 2017, one of the original members began reconnecting with the other members of that initial band to invite them to be part of this new project.
Our motivation to start the band has always been the same: we love making music, and we want to share it with anyone who wants to listen.
How would you describe the punk scene in Bogotá, and has it changed over the years?
It’s a very interesting scene where a wide variety of fascinating styles coexist, there are lots of great bands, among them, we can highlight bands such as: Lapm, Código Rojo, El Tiempo Del Ruido, No Limits, Pepe Bocadillo, Forrest Gump, NTN, and Lealtad a La Crü. Bogota’s punk scene has changed over the years and thankfully for the better.
How has the band changed since you released City Lights?
Bands, like people, mature over time and our band is no exception. After each release, we evolve, but more importantly, we learn; we’re constantly working to improve our performance and our song selection; The most significant change following “City Lights” is that the band broadened its horizons to a more global scale, seeking a place within the genre's worldwide scene.
What was the writing and recording process like for 2026's Lost & Found?
It was really interesting; we went through a much more rigorous production process, though it was no less fun and entertaining. Each song has a direct message that aims to strengthen our connection with our listeners. We were very demanding during the album’s creation, always striving for the best possible result.
Can you tell us about a song on Lost & Found that has a particularly personal story behind it?
There’s a song called “RAD DAD” This song was inspired by a conversation the guitarist/singer had with his daughter, in which she shared her feelings about having a punk rocker for a father and how sharing music has created a special bond between them. We believe this song is important because it invites new generations to listen to the genre and encourages them to become part of this movement and to engage with music in general.
The songs on this album invite listeners to reflect on their role in the world and how small decisions can lead us to either solve problems or create them.
Where do the ska, hardcore, and other influences that show up in your music come from?
These influences have been there from the very beginning; we all have very similar influences, so our tastes are very much in line with each other. The songs reflect everything we love, so they speak to where we come from and where we’re headed.
What has it been like seeing a Colombian punk band like yours get attention from punk media outside Colombia?
It’s very rewarding for us to see the effort we’ve put into our work recognized. We’ve always believed that as long as even one person anywhere in the world likes what we do, that’s more than enough for us to keep working toward our dream. By getting attention we hope to motivate people to listen to other bands from Colombia and Latin America and, in turn, encourage other bands around the world to seek out opportunities to share their music.
What’s next for One Reason to Rise, and what would you most like to accomplish with the band?
In the near future, we’ll be releasing an album to celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary; in the long term, our goal is to travel and perform in other parts of the world, and in that way carve out a place in the minds of people who enjoy our style of music.
Anyone you'd like to thank for their support?
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that punk rock is a collaborative effort—we all try to help each other in any way we can, and from the very beginning, there have been people who have helped us a great deal, so we are infinitely grateful to each and every one of them for what they’ve done for us.
In addition, the support we’ve received from certain individuals, labels, and collectives has been invaluable to us; without them, “One Reason to Rise” wouldn’t be the same, so we’d like to give special thanks to:
Jhon Montross - Punk rock radar
Kriss Manning - Sound speed records
Josh – Double Felix Records
Diego “gato” - Punk Rock Mag
Antoine Mollard
Kazuaki Fukushima
Felipe García - PunkHood Records
Dylan - Dying Scene
Rachael Contreras – Rachaelorama
Noji – Skateburnermusic
And you for giving us the chance to be a small part of knifetwister.
Links:
Official Website: https://onereasontorise.wixsite.com/band
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onereasontorise/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneReasontoRise
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/artist/4Ne4XmF0rxksTPx4DyGbTR?autoplay=true
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/co/artist/one-reason-to-rise/1584810869
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxbvnAij7f5ITpZwExC42_g
Bandcamp: https://onereasontorise.bandcamp.com/