We know that Spain can breathe over the curly haired from bulerías and other pseudo musical monstrosities (please remember the definition of subnopop made by Ojete Calor in their interview that we published in September). Today, the hysterical interview is a good prove of that with the band POLOCK, formed in 2006 in Valencia. After some rough cuts, in 2009 they sign up with Mushroom Pillow and in one year, in 2010, they publish their debut album (and the only one from now).
There’s when begins the hard work of Polock in festivals, towns, dumps more or less conditioned, load the van, unload the van… well, this is artists hard life! But as they know what they want and how they want to do it, they don´t complain. It’s difficult to complain having lots of people singing your songs, isn’t it?
We are very pleased that you can read the hysterical interview to… POLOCK!
Answers: Papu Sebastián. Singer.
Musically we’ve heard that you are often compared with other bands, from Nada Surf to the Strokes. To us particularly, you are very near to our super loved Phoenix… Are you annoyed because of all this comparations?
We are near to publish our second album. We think that’s a good chance to listen to it carefully and decide, simply, if you like it or not, our first album was published more than three years ago. Comparisons are inevitable in the times we are living but it’s always a flattery to be compared with such qualified bands.
You have only one LP published but you do not smell like a new band. The reviews of the album were good at the moment, and we predict you a very large future as band, and we know what we are talking about! Now, let’s look at the crystal ball and tell us: where do you see yourself as a band in 10 years?
I don’t know what to say… Listening to some music somewhere?
How do you compose? Does someone in the band have the weight in composing? Or it is completely team work…
Normally I compose at home in a little home studio where I record the main lines in music and lyrics, so in that way all the weight comes to me. Then, I bring it to the local to make a brainstorming with the band to fix and finish the songs completely bringing each one of us its style. We have been recording and re-recording some songs for one year until we have found the perfect rhythm for the drums. All of us try to go one step behind in the compositions and I think that’s exactly what gives personality to the band.
Singing in English: ¿Pose or what really grow up from you?
Music is music. We decided to make it this way.
Is it possible to have friends in music? Which ones? An unforgettable party you can explain?
During all this time and along all the trips we made, we had the opportunity to meet incredible people from different places; we always try to meet the bands we play with.
The last memorable party was at Low Cost Festival, we finished the entire band at 03 am. at the pool of the festival, I don’t remember much more, people was throwing enormous puffs to the water and jumped over them. We also had a great time in the ERA festival, in Llagostera. The organization uses to invite the bands to spend the weekend in a really incredible house.
You have gone across a good part of Spanish festivals, playing with national and international acclaimed indie bands. All through this road making live shows, have you learned something? Is there any band that for you was as a teacher in live shows? Or something you know that the audience likes specially?
We learn consciously or unconsciously from any live show that we attend things that maybe in the future you can put into practice. For me, for example, was awesome the sound and elegance of Wilco in the Grand Rex Theatre from Paris.
You are finishing the recording of your second album. As you can imagine, the expectation and appetite for listening it are enormous. Ono the other hand, a second album can be quite oppressing just because Getting down from the trees spread a lot of expectations in Polock. How do you face the coming out of this second album?
What really oppress us really is to do the things we have on mind for this record on time, and that It comes out well. The pressure while making an album is ours, we are very over careful and meticulous with every detail, I think it is reflected on the album. This is not going to be our first album, and so, the control we have amongst things is not the same that we have while recording the first. We have learned a lot during these years. We are eager about the coming out and that people could enjoy it.
Your first album was published in places like USA, Canada, Germany or even Japan. For your second album, are you more oriented to Spain or to be consolidated abroad?
This album will be published in all this countries, together with Spain. The idea is making it just like our previous album, playing everywhere it is published.
At whom would you throw a Hello Kitty underpants and why?
We are not very fanatic, but if I have to choose, I may say Gil Scott-Heron.
We finish the interview with our favorite song from “Gettin down from the trees”: Sometimes. Tell us, is it dedicated to any Papu’s or another member of the band one-night stand or it is all pure fiction?
It is something like Star-Trek.
