Jimena Amarillo (Valencia, 2001) came to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria this weekend to present her music live at the Alboroto venue. The artist, who produces and composes all her songs independently at home, has released her own podcast on Radio 3 and has already released two albums on the market, ‘How to tell you my love’ and ‘La pena no es confortable’. Second, it embraces different musical genres such as rap, rock and even fado in addition to pop.
How is the tour that brought you to Gran Canaria this Saturday going?
Well, the truth is, we have a lot of concerts in the summer. We think we’re Beyoncé type. Whenever we had a better time, we said it the other day. Whenever we worry about less and people are very happy in the summer, I guess because they don’t work, because they go to festivals, because they are on vacation… Everything is so good.
The name of your last album grief is not comfortable. Why this title?
This was more because it was in the lyrics of a song called. From the bottom to the top and the last thing that came to my mind was like the name of the record. I had no idea. So I was at my house with my ex and I said to him, ‘I don’t know what to wear. And I thought: ‘the first record is called how can i explain my loveSounds like a great name to me. There has to be something that suits him.’ So it has the same length because I like a long title. At that time, Jimena Amarillo’s concept was sad music, music to cry, typical tweets of “I will listen to Jimena Amarillo to cry”… So I said, ‘I don’t want to’. And then I put grief is not comfortableIt’s like “man, don’t cry, please, now”.
What was the biggest challenge in the creative process of this album? You have undertaken your own composition and production…
Master all the technology and cross the tracks. God. The technological moment, the computer moment in the computational plan. Because making songs was fun. In the end I did what I wanted and it happened as I knew it. to be calm. But there were nights when I didn’t sleep thinking I’d explode when I had all the information on the computer.
In an interview a few years ago, you said that you produce everything at home, you make everything at home. But with this last album, you stepped into the studio.
Yes, but actually it’s all homemade. But for example, I wanted to come and record real drums and we went to the studio. But it’s all homemade. Recording myself at home seems like the best thing to do. Also, that’s how my music sounds, and I don’t want it to sound like weird macropop. Working from home is part of my process.
And don’t you bother the neighbors?
They haven’t told me anything yet. I just moved. I pray they don’t tell me anything because I play the music pretty loud.
There are other genres like rap, rock and even fado on your latest album. why someone Maria of Portugal?
Since (or so it seems to me) there is a version of Las Migas in the world’s best record, mature queens, and I always said it, and I said I didn’t see myself singing those songs, I was something else. And I said, ‘Look, okay, I’ll record it, why not? It was a song I loved to sing and I put it in.
You mentioned Las Migas. You really love Silvia Pérez Cruz. What are your biggest references after this line?
Of all kinds. What I say most is that I listen to a lot of music that has nothing to do with mine and it inspires me. I listen to many female rappers, for example, I pay close attention to the words of Kenya Racaile. And of course, you listen to this music, and then listen to me, who writes sad songs, accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Because I listen from Silvia Pérez Cruz to Kenya Racaile, then to Santa Salut, to electronica… I love everything.
Are there other artistic disciplines that inspire you?
No real. Let’s see, I see walking as an art discipline. And because I composed walking, I would tell you to walk.
In another interview, you said you were clear when you wanted to have a record of your own, not to prove anything to anyone, but to tell yourself that you could do it alone. Do you think that you will compose everything yourself and continue in this line that you produce?
No, because I think this year will be my year of saying yes, saying yes to things I always say no to, working with people and doing things with people. But in parallel with this, I continue to learn and produce small things. I’m going to release more singles now, because I’m learning to produce other kinds of things… But I want to work with people, see how they do it, what they teach me, but of course, I already have a record and saying, ‘Okay, I can do this but teach me other things’.
And what collaborations would you like to make?
The next thing I’ll post will be my second collaboration. They’re going to be two beautiful songs that Irenegarry and I produced alone at my house. And they pretty much reflect the change I told you I’m going to make in production now. I think they are very cute. And this will be the next collaboration. It’s time isn’t it? Jimena is collaborating with someone.
You’ve been playing the violin since you were five years old. When and how did you first encounter the process of composing/producing a song?
I just came from Alicante, where it all started. One summer I decided to become a singer-songwriter and took a guitar and recorded my videos with my trendy SLR. Such a three-minute video, I’m singing. I started writing because I fell in love with a Menorcan girl who liked singer-songwriters El Niño de la Hipoteca and Mr. Kilombo and wanted to dazzle her with a song. And there I was nauseous and became pa’rriba.
How do you see the panorama of the music industry in Spain as a producer and composer?
I’m trying to get away from it a little. Let’s see… I moved to Madrid, which is a lie, because I came so close to it. But I don’t know, since I’m not very interested in the musical core, I like having friends who are not music… You are always there indirectly with your work, as if it weren’t. I don’t like it much, but even if I do it too, it’s like talking about people, analogy is too much, wanting to be is too much… I don’t know, I don’t see it. I feel too much with people’s mentality now, that music is now so TikTok, so viral. I’m far from that, I’d rather be on my own, do what I love and try not to compare. Being in Madrid has a price, I’m telling you.
At the concert level, what do you enjoy most about being on stage? Do you have a ritual you do before going out?
Look, my ritual is to shit at least ten times. That’s the only thing. And now I started drinking a tinto de verano, suddenly I went crazy and I’m dating a tinto de verano. I never drink while playing and now that makes me happy. I’m working. And nothing, what I enjoy most on stage is people reacting. I find this very funny because when people respond, I command them to do something. My concerts are very dynamic. I like when people respond because it’s like a concert for two, theirs and mine. They exist in concert, they are part of the show. This is what I love most.