Rubio: 2026

This  FUV Live session is also available as a podcast, "FUV Live Sessions." We're elevating WFUV's long history of live sessions and interviews via a podcast that you can find on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.

It isn’t every day that I have the opportunity to do an interview that spans multiple languages, but that’s exactly what happened in this new FUV Live session with Chilean singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Rubio.

Her latest album is called Espero podamos ver un ovni juntxs, loosely translated to English as "I hope we get to see a UFO together." Rubio, real name Francisca Straub, is on the rise in the States, but she is a well-established name in Central and South America with an abundant catalogue of albums and EPs under her belt. 

Espero podamos ver un ovni juntxs, released this past February, is an exploration of Rubio's love of all things otherworldly and non-human, ranging from Earth's flora and fauna to outer space and extraterrestrial life. 

Lyrically, this album is filled with rich imagery, allegory, and anecdotes drawn from personal observations. Musically, it leans into that celebration of things otherworldly. While the record is anchored by driving percussion inspired by Rubio’s Andean roots, reggaeton, and dembow, it is uplifted by her ethereal vocals, twinkling guitar strings, and intergalactic synths. 

The things that sound like synths on her albums are often just Rubio sampling sounds she makes with her mouth. This record, and most of Rubio’s projects, don’t fit neatly into a specific musical genre or category. That doesn’t bother her though. In fact, she leans into it. 

During our conversation she relayed to me how important she thinks it is to teach people about what’s beyond what they can actually see. She wants listeners to see the invisible and pay attention to all the little things around us that might not be obvious.

In this session, Rubio, joined by Nicolás "Lego" Arancibia on drums, played a selection from her 2020 EP, Mango Negro, that's actually two tracks combined: "Techno” and “La Especie." They also performed a pair of songs from Espero podamos ver un ovni juntxs: “Cosmo” and “Voy Creciendo.”

[Recorded: 7/13/26. Engineered by Jim O'Hara and Nadia Garriga. Produced by Gwen Taylor and Heather Jones. Videographers: Olivia Iannaccone, Kellie McGuinness, Gina Slavin, and Dylan Duong. Translations by Lynelba Wehbe and Sonia Weliwitagoda.]