Laredo native and alternative jazz and experimental hip hop musician Luis Fernando Fermín has made a name for himself in the New York music industry as “Vermin the Villain.”
Fermín began as a self-taught musician before adapting his iconic mask in late 2019.
He originally picked up guitar in middle school and participated in band throughout middle and high school as a member of the drumline.
He continued to master a handful of instruments including piano, flute, MIDI keyboard, and most recently, trumpet.
“It all really developed during COVID,” he said. “I had a lot of time, and I was just really making music every day.”
He explained that his masked persona allows him to have creative freedom in his music.
“I like being able to remove myself,” he said, adding, “I can express myself in a way that’s without any boundaries.”
Fermín moved to New York to continue his musical pursuits, but visits Laredo often to perform and visit friends, noting that Laredo holds a special spot in his heart.
“Even though I’ve only been [in New York] for a year, I feel like there’s a lot of cool stuff happening in Laredo that isn’t happening in New York,” he said. “I like that, and I’d like to still be a part of that if I can.”
He shared his perspective on his hometown.
“[It’s] not quite the U.S., not quite Mexico — totally it’s own thing,” he said. “I try to embrace that now that I’m a little bit older, and I try not to forget my roots.”
He explained how his roots in Laredo have influenced his work to this day.
“Growing up I always felt half of a lot of things. That ended up showing itself [in] this mask…”
Fermín wears a black and white mask split down the middle when performing as Vermin the Villain.
“I feel like growing up in a border town and growing up with one parent who’s Mexican and one parent who’s Venezuelan, [I was] always kind of half,” he said. “Even now, I spend half my time in New York and half my time other places.”
This split feeling extends to his creative musical process as well.
“I feel like I’m never really one specific genre,” he said. “I’m always interested in the fringe of different genres, trying to make stuff I find interesting from two or more different cultures.”
Most recently Vermin the Villain has released RADIOVISION on vinyl, a genre-bending musical collaboration with “The Still Brothers,” a musical duo based in New York.
He plans to continue working for Lewis Recordings, the London-based indie label that he worked with on RADIOVISION, as well as go on tour to promote the record with a confirmed stop in Laredo.
(Sean Jimenez is an aspiring environmental photojournalist and a junior at Texas A&M International University. He is working towards a major in communications with a focus in media production and a minor in environmental science. He is currently the Director of Photography and Associate Editor of The Bridge, TAMIU’s student run newspaper. He aims to shine light on unrepresented communities through journalism and photography).
