La Oreja de Van Gogh keep promoting their latest album, "Un susurro en la tormenta". The song they chose to do so is the deep "Sirenas". Musically, it brings a delicious alternative taste to classic La Oreja sounds. But lyrically is where it all grows: it tells the story of a mother-daughter conversation regarding an ETA murder portrayed in San Sebastián, the city where the band comes from. The sirens in the song are both the mythological creature but also the sounds from the ambulances that represent the violence of the situation.
They are one of the most promising bands in the Spanish rock scene. Their previous singles wowed us with their mind-blowing power and moving beats. And, just last week, they released their much awaited debut album (which you can listen here). We had the pleasure to talk music with a band who lives and breathes it 24/7. These are our 10 questions for Arde Bogotá:
Sounds European!: Let's begin the interview talking about the origins of the band. How did you meet? When was the band formed? Where does the name, Arde Bogotá, come from, and what does it mean?
Arde Bogotá: Pepe (bass), Dani (guitar) and Jota (drums) met playing in different bands from the Cartagena local scene when we were teenagers. By the end of 2017, we decided to get together to make music, but we missed a voice. It was then when, in one of the old nights, Antonio (voice) and Dani met talking about the status of rock in the country. One said he sang and composed; the other, that he had musicians. A WhatsApp talk in the early hours with a primitive version of "Antiaéreo" convinced us to give it a try, and it was a success. After testing many names, one of the band members traveled to Colombia and, while still feeling the jet lag, he was invited to a party in a very crazy Bogotá night. After telling us about the adventure, someone said "¡Arde Bogotá!" ["Bogotá's on fire!"], and we thought it was powerful and fun.
SE!: We imagine each of you brings different musical influences. What artists did you listen to when you were young? And who inspire you nowadays as a band?
AB: We come from genres such as hip-hop, Spanish and Anglo-Saxon indie, arena rock or even singer-songwriter music. We still listen to those bands we love, such as Héroes del Silencio, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Second, Viva Suecia, Carlos Cano, Camarón, Metallica, and others. When composing the album, we were sure that we wanted to tell a story in a rock key, which is what we can do best. However, we allowed ourselves to experiment and be flexible, listening to artists like Kanye West, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, and others, from whom we got beats and melodic lines more related to hip-hop and mainstream music, which allowed us to experiment a lot.
SE!: You have a very characteristic sound, but we would like you to explain it yourselves. If you had to, how would you describe your music genre?
AB: Arde Bogotá plays rock. No disguises, no surnames. We intend to give it a fresh touch without letting power and dancing aside. We play rock for people who forgot they liked rock.
SE!: You are releasing your first album, "La noche". How was the recording process? What would you like your fans to feel when listening to it? What differences did you notice compared to recording your EP?
AB: The process of creating "La noche" was very choral. Someone brought an idea, and we developed from it. There was a point when we saw we could establish a connection with stories that can happen and have happened to us in nights like before. To such a point that we decided to tell a story and work on a concept, which made the composing process more interesting.
Pre-production was just like with the EP. We were many hours together with our producer, Lalo GV, who knows us and is a friend of ours. We recorded with him at the Neo MusicBox studio in Aranda de Duero. During the two weeks we were recording, we finished composing some songs under the pressure of recording them immediately, but we work quite well under pressure. The EP was all artisanal, but so is the LP. We don't know another way of working.
SE!: We feel the lyrics of your songs are very relatable. What inspires you to write? What topics do you like talking about in your songs?
AB: We like using direct and unyielding language, but that doesn't mean our songs would lack meaning. We believe it's a way of conveying a message that works well and is ear-catching. We eventually talk about topics that we all went through as a generation. We talk about love, future, uncertainty, all kinds of relationships, sex, what makes us angry.
"We play rock for people who forgot they liked rock" (Picture: Peter Walters)
SE!: The scene of Spanish rock is quite competitive, but it seems to be in a down slope compared to other genres. Do you agree with this? What's your experience with making rock music nowadays?
AB: Rock went through the same phase as jazz when the latter was replaced by rock. There are also urban genres that grew, developed and evolved pretty well, and set on the market. We believe this made rock gain a different meaning somehow. And let's not kid ourselves: everybody likes rock, and releasing anger and energy at some point. Making rock music is what we like, and what we enjoy the most on stage. It's easy to bring it to the public because it transmits a lot, and the audience feels it that way. It's something that must be lived live, and you can't beat that experience.
SE!: How is your experience when playing live? What can we expect in a show of yours?
AB: An Arde Bogotá show is rage, passion, dancing, sweat and a lot of energy. We compose and rehearse as if we're playing live, and that is passed down to our songs. In our concerts, we can tell the same stories we offer in "La noche", but in a more striking way. Missing a live show is not an option.
SE!: If you could choose anyone, who would be some Spanish and international artists you would like to collaborate with?
SE!: What are your projects for the near future? What can your fans expect from you for the remainder of 2021?
AB: We're releasing the album we wanted to do, a full album that tells a story in the rhythm of pure rock. We'll defend it and get it on the road with all our energy, wherever we're allowed to, in a series of concerts that will go on through the year.
SE!: We would like to finish this interview with a song of yours. What is your favorite song by Arde Bogotá, and why?
AB: We all have our favorite songs, and some of them are not singles. But the song that started it all, and with which we made a deal with the devil, was "Antiaéreo". Some things just can't be explained.
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Updated on March 14th, 2021, with the official video.
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