His new album ‘Big Wave’ has been reviewed thoroughly in the most prestigious specialized media in Spain and the United Kingdom, it appears in the most demanding lists of the best albums of the year, his music has traveled to the point of being interviewed by the Japanese radio program Maximum Caffeine Overdose Radio, and rock stars like Bunbury place him among the best that the national scene has done in recent times. This is the sweet moment that you are living Joana Serratsinger-songwriter based in a small town in Catalonia called Montesquiu, who visits the capital this Thursday as part of the Momentazos cycle at the Canopy by Hilton hotel (9 p.m., tickets from 15 euros).
-It’s always a pleasure to welcome you in Madrid, what will the audience find this time? I imagine that “Big Wave” will ring from beginning to end, right?
It’s a pleasure to come to Madrid, I love it and I always have a good time. The audience will be able to hear ‘Big Wave’ as well as other songs that are part of my repertoire, which I can’t do without because I really enjoy playing them and they are very representative.
-Is there something you like to do in Madrid in your free time, every time you come? What do you like most about the city and what would you like to see changed?
The truth is that every time I come, I don’t have much time to dedicate to exploring the city in advance. But I like to walk, explore its streets, have a beer, go into record stores, clothing stores and bookstores. I don’t know Madrid well enough to ask for changes!
-‘Big Wave’ had fantastic reviews, is that still important to you now that people say ‘music criticism is dead’?
I greatly appreciate the critic’s talent and I am very happy to have such good feedback on the reviews of “Big Wave”. It is always a compliment to see that what you have tried to achieve is perceived and understood as such.
-How was the recording of the album at Echo Lab in Texas?
I had never been there before, it was my first time recording there. It was a very intense and demanding experience but very necessary and from which I learned a lot. Working with Matt Pence, the producer, was a real luxury and a magnificent masterclass. I go to Texas because that’s where I have friends with whom I wanted to make records.
-Normally the first thing that is recorded on albums is the drums, but I think this time it all started with his a cappella voice, right?
We all recorded it live, playing together, classic methodology, you know. What was different was that, during the studio rehearsals, before recording the takes, for some of them, we started to design them from the melody of the voice. Since I wanted to move away from the sound that had been done before, Matt Pence thought it would be ideal to work like that, to give it a new approach.
-I think the recording took place in April 2022, why did it take two years to finally see the light of day?
First because the mixes could not be done until January 2023 due to a schedule incompatibility between Matt Pence and me. And after that, the album had to be released on Loose Music, which is the English label that has published my albums since ‘Cross The Verge’ in 2016, and in March 2023 we agreed to release it in April 2024 but in November 2023 they cancelled your agreement. So, one way or another, I lost nine months.
-What is the reason for this extra touch of ferocity in the album’s sound? Does it have something to do with overcoming a certain imposter syndrome that, from what I’ve read, was plaguing you at that time?
The doubts appeared after the conception of the album. That is to say, when composing the album, the songs, I knew that I wanted an aggressive, fierce work, with noise and a lot of weight. This moment of collapse and blockage surprised me when I was already recording “Big Wave”. It was not really pretty, but I got through it. The sonic need of the album comes from the need to show this contemporary world, brutal, violent, full of noise; In this sense, it corresponds to my personal moment, of free fall into the void, of collapse and feeling of ephemerality. I wanted to make an album that speaks of the need to end the old structures, which must be replaced by a new and just conception of the world.
-Isn’t the crazy speed with which we live in this modern life also a kind of “great wave” in itself?
Absolutely. The noise and the environment can sometimes be overwhelming and the world discouraging. When the system doesn’t work, it’s unfair and corrupt, you feel insignificant, like a grain of sand in the ocean.
-Speaking of speed, are you already thinking or even composing for what’s coming next? Do you think the catharsis of “Big Wave” will influence your next album in any way?
My albums are a reflection of my life. My sound is my experience. I try not to go too long without making songs, and even if I don’t like the songs I make at all, it’s about not straying too far from that routine; I think there are new songs that could be part of a new album, but you never know. Life is in constant motion.
-Your project ‘Riders Of The Canyon’ amazed us all, will it continue?
Thank you so much! I am super grateful to Victor, Matthew, Roger and David for everything I have experienced so far. It was great to be able to share the recordings and the road with all of them. We have a show at the Cerdanyola Blues Festival on October 4th and on the 30th we will be at BIME. There is no excuse not to come. The band sounds like thunder!
