Photo by Dani Cantó
Melenas hails from the picturesque Spanish city of Pamplona at the base of the Pyrenees mountains (and no, they don’t support the international event “Running of the Bulls”, on basis of animal cruelty). Although they lament that the band might be “more connected if [they] were in [a bigger city like] Madrid or Barcelona” they have a lot of pride in Pamplona, and they make a strong case for its appeal. Singer/guitarist Oihana Herrera says that “we have a cool bar here [called Nebula Bar] that has a lot of shows from [international] bands that cross the border from France to go to Barcelona or Madrid and they stop here and [play to] 40 people…We met in this bar because we all go to the shows and we were always there together.”
Small town charm pays off big for Melenas. “It’s convenient,” says bassist Leire Zabala.
Drummer Laura Torre explains, “Our place to practice, the owner (whom they also met at Nebula) is the same guy who makes the records and has the studio for recording so it’s very easy. You can practice and then go downstairs and record.”
The songs are a collaborative effort between the four members, all of whom live within two minutes walking distance of each other. Melenas’ tunes originate with Herrera, who then fleshes out the structure with drummer Torre before bringing in Maria del Amor Subiar (keys) and Zabala (bass) to finish out the songs. It’s proved to be a winning combination, taking the band across the globe in just a few years time.
From the beginning, it was their dream to play South By Southwest, not unlike many bands here in the US. To their utter shock and amazement, their application was accepted and they flew over in 2018 having only released their first album a few months prior. When asked why they think SXSW worked out, the band says “From the beginning we have always felt there is more connection [abroad]” says Torre. Zabala continues, “we sing in Spanish and people connect somehow. The music speaks.”
When asked if Spanish garage rockers HINDS’ success has had an impact on Melenas’ popularity, the band is weary to draw direct parallels, but they do acknowledge an impact on bands from Spain in general. At SXSW, they noted that everyone had heard of HINDS. “We like them,” says del Amor Subiar. Torre offers that she thinks HINDS are “pioneers,” that the global scene is now more open to hearing other bands from Spain that sing in Spanish because of them. Herrera adds, “I think for bands in Spain, [HINDS] made a change in that they are a reference to something you can achieve [internationally].”
As this writer is hopelessly monolingual, I was not able to grasp many of the concepts on Melenas’ new album, especially without a crib sheet. But for all you lyric junkies out there, Herrera breaks down the album’s overarching theme for us thusly: Dias Raros translates directly to “Rare Days” but more accurately, “Strange Days.” Strange Days is about the life of the mind — existing in one’s own world within the walls of physical space, and being disconnected from what’s going on in the outside world. “Those days when you are in your bedroom and inside of your mind thinking about wishes or memories… Saying goodbye to someone, or encouraging yourself to make a [tough] decision.”
Días Raros
Melenas’ songs transcend your standard guitar-driven indie fare by sounding carefully constructed but never contrived, showing a tremendous amount of depth overall. This includes excellent contrast between slower and faster tempos from track-to-track. Clutch keyboards abound, with varied tones/patches to add freshness to each new tune. The sound is rounded out by vocals that are right up front in the thrilling “No Puedo Pensar,” or stacked in harmonies (3 Segundos), and at other times more languid in cool down tracks such as “El Tiempo Ha Pasado” and “Vals.”
When talking about the impact of COVID on the band, there’s an obvious sense of regret but also a hint of relief. Rehearsing and playing over the past few years has taken a toll on the band members, so they’re glad to get a forced reprieve during the current moratorium on live concerts to focus on their regular lives back home. “We work at our houses too — we don’t just play. We have our jobs. We’ve been combining [the band and our jobs] and now we don’t have a lot of shows because of the situation” says Herrera and Zabala. Torre says, “That’s the drama, we have released a record that we’ve worked a lot on, with a lot of effort, and now we can’t play. So, that’s a big consequence of COVID and we don’t know when it’s going to be normal and when we’ll be able to tour. That’s a big thing.”
“Strange Days” indeed. Hopefully the “new normal” leaves room for a US tour sometime soon. In the meantime, check out the new album Dias Raros below via bandcamp.