secret society non è il nuovo romanzo di dan brown, no
secret society è pepo marquez, cantautore spagnolo, l’affetto per la persona in questione mi spinge a trattenermi per non sbrodolare più del lecito e quindi direi che forse è il caso di parlare di “sad boys dance when noone’s watching” ultimo lavoro e titolo significativo, e per l’aria che si respira traccia dopo traccia e per le parole, pesanti come macigni e riflessive oltre i limiti
e un disco voce e chitarra, direi sofferto ma probabilmente sbaglio, la parola giusta forse è contemplativo,
contemplativo e sincero
non vi aspettate canzonette poco utili alla ultimi kings of convenience ma modelli più validi forse possono essere i primi sophia, o a tratti cat power, nei suoi episodi meno allegorici.
roots forse, ecco, anche se la lingua scelta è l’inglese e non lo spagnolo (tolta una canzone),
non parliamo di un animale da classifica, assolutamente no
ma una volta tanto di un artista
e di un disco
reali

I think Sad boys lives of deeply melancholic moments and more airy ones? Do you feel that way? Where does your songs start from?
Im not the happiest person you can meet. At least, inside. Im not the one who goes crying around telling how sad is his life, though. Its true that I find myself comfortable in melancholy. Its just the way it is. I find better ideas when Im down. I think Im close to the truth when Im down. But I dont take the sadness as an statement. I just sing what I live. Period. Just that.
The songs start as a necessity. Just for myself. I dont think in anything or anyone else. People document their lives as they can. I document mine with mmy songs. Im trying to avoid all unnecessary influences from the outside. I try to be honest with me. Thats were the songs came from. Usually the music comes first. Then, the lyrics. Nowadays it seems like its the other way around: Im driving my motorbike and suddenly a melody appears. So I take my mobile telephone, I call my own number and sing in my answer machine because otherwise I would forget what I have in my head. Once I get home from workk, I listen to my own messages and make a song for that melody. A little bit strange but very positive.

You’ll be part of the benicassim playbill. Maybe is not very simple to present your music in a festival dimension (but youre playing home). Do you feel honestly at a disadvantage playing mostly acoustic music in that situation? are you curious about listening someone in particular?
To be honest, a lot of things have changed since the releasing of my album: I dont play alone anymore and were now three in The Secret Society: Andrés playing drums and Javier on the steel guitar and electric guitar. I dont even take my acoustic guitar on tour. Were very electric kind of thing. Closer to Slint than to anything else. We have new songs in that way. We feel totally confident to play at Benicassim. Although I think its a good experience I dont mystify this fact: its OK to play there with big names but nothing else. Maybe the best thing is that we can go there with our friends for free. Festivals are the big lie in XXI centurys music.
Im always curious about everything. I really want to watch Mojave 3, Dominique A, Morrisey, She Wants Revenge,, Humbert Humbert
I also play in that festival with my sideband, Garzón, where I play drums, so itll be a full experience.

Your current listenings?
Thats a tough one because Im always listening to a lot of new stuff.
Lets see:
. The Black Heart Procession: The Spell, one of my albums of the year. A band that I love. They have an amazing talent.
. Monochrome: Éclat. My favorite German band of all times. Over the top.
. I Love you But Ive Chosen Darkness. I love dark music.
. Rocky Votolato: Makers. Probably my favorite singer songwriter from the US.
. Remate: new album doesnt released yet. One of my soul mates from Spain.
. Dominique A: “L’Horizon”. He’s big. We have played with him in Moscow. Lifetime experience.
I could also say: Film School, Manta Ray, Ani Difranco, As Friends Rust, Fugazi, Planes Mistaken For Stars a lot of bands.

You wrote the cd mostly in English, in Spanish there are just two tracks. How does your Spanish audience feel this language direction?
You know what? I dont know what the Spanish audience and I dont care. I write the music I feel comfortable with. I had no problems for singing in English and if one day I decide to change it into Spanish or French or Italian because I feel like doing it, Ill do it. Just like that. No more explanations to anyone. I believe in the freedom of creativeness. If its OK for me, then its OK.

Fade to black (the central riff of metallica masterpiece) on My relationship with above. Why did you choose this musical variant? Is it a tribute?
I grew up with Metallica. Its probably the band that made me play the guitar. I have like 30 bootlegs tapes from them. Ive seen them live a lot of times. I use to love them a lot. Now Im older, I see them like a nice memory but nothing else. I remember that I felt kind of stupid when I realized that ideologically they were just a bunch of idiots.
To play that bridge from “Fade to Black” in that song it’s a kind of tribute. I thought it was funny. We can’t be serious all the time. I thought people would recognize it and will laugh about it.

Whose artists do you feel more related to?
I dont know. Thats hard to say. I feel closer to the ones I share my time with in Spain: Manta Ray, Remate, Ainara Legardon, Refree, Big City I cant talk about any international names except for Jason Molina from Songs:Ohia/ Magnolia Electric Co. who is kind of a friend and who Ive toured with him. I love to think small. I dont believe in bands that dont believe in their local community. I think its the basic rule to have a healthy underground community: be a normal guy, think small, try to help out the others and do the things you love the most.

If you could add something to your music, and I am talking about lyricsthemes, arrangements, what should it be?
Probably nothing. I think Im quite satisfied with my music right now. I recognize my limits and I try to improve my writing. Aside of that, everything is so changeable. I dont believe in hieratic songs. I think they evolve from the moment you record them to, lets say, the same time next year. I think thats what is truly interesting: to recognize the power of the songs to change themselves. They have their own pulse. And I know it has happened that some day they will die. There will be a day when I want to play them no more. But Ill have new ones and Ill keep on going.

Do you think your next record will be some different from this one? How do you hope it will be?
Well, I know itll be different because there are now two persons that werent there when I recorded Sad Boys Dance. That will make things different. I also know that itll be probably angrier. I have enough songs now for a new records but Im not anxious to record them. They have to breathe a little bit more and find their own way. We play them live already and they have their own place. Its very interesting to see how the new songs are replacing to older ones. Theres a natural evolution.
I have no expectations. I have no ambitions and no expectations. I always give all I have, so I cant ask myself for more. If I fail, Id fail in my own terms. If I succeed, the same: Id do it in my own perspective. Thats the only thing I follow.

One last thing before we quit, greet the people that is reading you now
Well, Im a shy boy. I dont know what to say except for thanks. Except for that music is something bigger than the people that creates it. Dont try to find heroes. Dont give names. Just find songs that really mean it. I only want to make music that matters.
Thanks for all. Its incredible that something from so far away show his interest in what I do.
Hug and kisses.

Thank you.

The Secret Society _ My Relationship With Above (Mp3) (yousendit)