Mikel Erentxun: “Elton John is responsible for the existence of this album”

Question: Does a composer see the world through his relationship with it?

C. After all, one writes from one’s own experiences. And in the world that surrounds you – your family, your environment, hobbies…– of course the songs appear. I’ve already been writing my songs for four albums back to back, which makes me very happy, and when I go back and listen to the old albums, I’m transported back to the time when I wrote them. Every album has its validity, and above all the lyrics – at least mine, are very personal and autobiographical – always reflect the world as I perceived and experienced it when I wrote those songs.

Q. Since then PKWY Electric He had previously signed his entire repertoire when he shared ownership with Jesús María Cormán.

R. My entire solo career revolves around Cormán until detail of fear. On the next album, 24 hits, when he told me he needed a break, I thought: “What do I do now?” I think he wrote three or four songs for that album, and I wrote three or four more… I called Diego Vasallo, José Ignacio Lapido, Rafa Berrio… It was a transition album on a lyrical level. And in the next step, hearts, I was totally involved. Double disc top!

For S. September He laid out the 28th.

A.I wanted September It was a trio. Both Víctor Cabezuelo and Dani Ruiz [vocalistas respectivamente de Rufus T. Firefly y de Reme, ambos colaboran en la producción del disco] They liked the idea; The three of us are huge fans of George Harrison and I brought that to the table. All Things Must Pass. In theory it’s nice to make a triple album, but in the end it becomes too complicated when you’re short on money and time and we have to make a double album; We realized we didn’t have the time or money to make 30 songs (we had 28 designs).

Q. Writing the songs September overlapping with Friends are calling?

A. Adventure Friends are calling It was a great adventure. It was supposed to be one concert, but due to COVID-19 – or thanks to it – it became the most important tour I’ve done outside of Duncan Dhu: more than 100 concerts, 40 of them in the United States… Ondas Award winner, industry, professional It was a very strong international tour that was appreciated by my colleagues… It brought me a lot of good things. And because it was an ongoing adventure over time – it was going to be a concert and it’s been three years – it coincided with all the songs. September.

S. in Friends are calling There is Víctor and Anni B Sweet September. In this sense, did one project influence the other?

R. Friends are calling It has brought me closer to the people I admire, especially people from generations much later than mine who I don’t think even know who I am. When I started calling people I didn’t know personally to see if they wanted to participate in the project. Friends are callingEveryone, like Viva Sweden or Anni B Sweet, told me it was an honor and a wonderful thing. I always thought those generations would have a lame image of me and Duncan Dhu but I realized there was a significant amount of respect and admiration there. It was a very nice feeling. Next Friends are calling I developed very good relationships with most of the people involved in the album, including Anni B Sweet. September.

Q. Anni B Sweet was going to record a song and she ended up recording… eight?

A. Yes. Recording the album in Donosti I thought a girl’s voice would be very useful and we called Anni B Sweet because she also usually tours with Víctor and Julia Martín-Maestro [Rufus T. Firefly]. We were all like a family. We got him a hotel for one night and he ended up staying four or five nights. It was so nice to have him there. We were recording and he was in the studio with his headphones and a little keyboard rehearsing some of the stuff he was supposed to do with Los Estanques. But he was on record and spoke his mind. I remember I was singing and suddenly instead of Víctor answering me, Anni said: “I really like how you changed that tone of voice.” He inevitably sang a lot more than he would have. I remember we were recording south of Vejer and took over the Andalusian style of singing. She is a girl with a talent.

Going back to Q. George Harrison’s references, I see this: It’s just love nodded day tripper. flowers and coffee It has a very similar beginning to this my beautiful sir And The days we don’t live reminds me of this is love.

R. The days we don’t live Sounds like a very Harrison thing to me, yes. Get this timelapse theme reference riffBut although the concept of the song is the same, neither the chords nor the melody are the same. I have never hidden my influence, quite the opposite; It seems ridiculous to me when it’s so obvious. Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Bob Dylan are three great totems at different periods of my life. Curiously, I will say Beatles in this album, but after the Beatles, there is George Harrison, only John Lennon and then Paul McCartney from Wings. Actually I see the Beatles as the Beatles butterfly on flower.

Question: But the album was born thanks to Elton John…

A. Yes That’s why the album was born around the piano. Elton John was a guy I really disliked and I was never impressed with him musically. I felt a certain rejection of his work, but because I didn’t know that, I only knew about the eighties. During the pandemic, I discovered Elton John’s seventies discography and fell in love. I bought a piano and that’s where the seed of this album started. Elton John is responsible for his existence September.

Question: Were the lyrics of some songs changed because they referred to the epidemic?

A. Yes. When I started the project Friends are callingAn album with no new songs, I was already writing songs. But the epidemic subsided. There are three or four lyrics I wrote back then; The days we don’t live. The songs had already been determined, and one day Víctor called me and said: “Hey, I don’t want to go somewhere I’m not called to, but I won’t use the word ‘confinement’ again. I changed three or four words, but I didn’t change the meaning because the song continues to talk about the days we were stuck in. Inside The days we don’t liveI also talk about the concerts I did on Instagram at quarter past eight. The song tells about what we did during the quarantine days and one of them was my concerts on Instagram.

Q. So why did you think it was the end of the world? train to mars?

A. It’s the end of the world because I’ve run out of references and the weather has gone crazy so it’s supposed to rain but it doesn’t… It’s the end of the world with a certain irony and a certain humor. This song is intriguing because it perhaps has the most different lyrics. I like the lyrics a little more abstract and train to mars It seemed like a minor song in my demo, in terms of lyrics and music. out of 28 people, train to mars It wasn’t among my favorites. I model alone and then with Dani and Víctor. We shared the songs and Víctor sent me a version of the song. train to mars It was very similar to the one now, but it had nothing to do with what I recorded. The song came out and became a song after Victor’s version. Single. I found it fascinating how far he had taken it musically.

Q. More T. Rex and Marc Bolan now?

A. Mine looked more like a T. Rex. It was a cross Crocodile Rock Elton John’s was more classical… And the album on the album has more of a Black Keys vibe, with more “dirty” drums. And most importantly: I played it with major chords and he replaced it with minor chords.

Q. Are the songs related? When we were yesterday And I think of you (When the urgent thing is to live)?

R. I think of you (When the urgent thing is to live) A song I wrote for Pau Donés when he died. Another one of the songs I wrote during the pandemic. For this reason When the urgent thing is to live in the title because its motto was the urgency of living. All the songs are related to each other. In this case it will be subconscious, I deliberately do not see a clear relationship, for example between In the light of the street lamps And flowers and coffeeBecause I was talking about the same thing half an hour ago. In flowers and coffee I woke up and went in In the light of the street lamps This is what happens after you wake up. In both, I’m talking about street lights.

Q. On the other hand, barking on chestwhich is very dark.

It is C. Diego Vasallo’s favorite. still like me advisor. barking on chest this is a sadness and very rarely have I recorded one. The only blues I can think of end of loveDuncan Dhu’s first song. After that I think I never recorded another song. sadness until barking on chest, with that dark production in Diego style, which is now super punk, it’s dark… It’s okay to like it. I like it too. The darkest song of the album; The lyrics describe a very harsh, bad night, and I think the music does it justice.

Q. I read that you said that if you and Diego got together it would be to do new Duncan Dhu songs.

A. Yes, Duncan Dhu’s door has never been closed, especially when our relationship is this good and we have such a good taste in our mouths since our last meeting, which has been going on for ten years. But honestly it’s hard right now because I’m so focused on my album and Diego is so focused on his album that we don’t get to see Duncan Dhu’s moment. It is true that we are on the verge of our 40th year, it can be a great opportunity to do something, but it is difficult. Even if you never know.

Q. I finish with a quote from David Bowie: “An artist must always remain true to the dictates of his heart.” What does yours dictate to you now?

A. As a result detail of fear and directly Three nights at Victoria Eugenia I move around with wonderful freedom to do what I want. I don’t have the pressure to sell records or get played on 40 Principals like I did before. Honesty has been bomb-proof since the release of these two albums; I do what I want and I enjoy it very much. I’m proud of what I’ve done since then. Even though the albums are repositioned in terms of time, I think each album is better than the last. I think about this from my heart.