Do not Pull will present his next album ‘Etopia’ (will be released in March) and we will celebrate 25-year career. “We were going through the screens, Shinovi“David tells us about the car that took him and his brother José to present the award at the awards ceremony. Kings League.
In the video for “El día que tú te anthems” they are seen writing a song. Do they compose and play guitar with the same enthusiasm as they did 25 years ago?
David: Yes, with the same excitement and the same fear. Because facing the blank page and having a song come out with the spirit we want to give it is very gratifying and success.
Is it more successful to write a good song or to play in front of 20,000 people?
David: I guess one thing is a consequence of another. But for us, what fills us with pride and satisfaction is Retired, is being able to continue with a fresh and fun mind. But there’s also a fear, especially if we’re going to do such a heavy tour now.
José: We’ve never played in buildings this big. Big city Madrid and Barcelona Olympics and the fact that the tickets sold out in such a short time.
You missed the screen there too.
David: Honestly, we didn’t expect this.
José: We noticed the love of the people.
David: Yes, because when someone like us who spent a long time composing disappears, we always get the feeling that someone has taken our place. Then when we come back we are always surprised by the love we receive.
José: It seems like with every album new kids of the time are added. And this is very nice. We threatened not to leave.
“An album full of rumbas”
The video is full of references to his career: Seat Panda, the pig in “Destrangis,” the astronaut in “Rumba el unknown.” They even saved Chonchi Heredia, who sang backing vocals for them on their first song. Nostalgia?
David: Of course we were nostalgic. Getting Chonchi back was something of a declaration of intent. It will be a very rumba-oriented album, but it will also be rock…
José: We play with many colors. We even got into singing mode.
They replaced the smoky tuxedo with a dress tuxedo.
David: Yeah, there’s a song with a tuxedo, another song that smells like a popular party churro, a farmhouse…
José: Later people will say that this is not a farmhouse.
David: Well, we add some ska to that because ska can handle anything.
Can you do rumba or transgressive rock without the class consciousness of the production line, family bar or park bench?
David: When you do this without class consciousness, you get a soulless churro. Normally, when you do things heartlessly, they usually end badly.
Estopa has always proven the accuracy of its references: La Polla, Sabina, Los Chichos, Albert Pla… Who will prove you right?
David: It is law for anyone who feels affected to say so. We like to respect our references because we wouldn’t be here without them. It’s up to the reference person to cry out loud and confess…
Jose: Energy sources.
David: Some do this, some don’t, it’s up to them.
“We are like waiters 24 hours a day”
Do they feel more loved or more respected?
David: Darling.
José: Respect them, they don’t respect us very much. When they see us on the street they immediately say ‘hey what’s going on’. People treat us like colleagues.
David: Honestly, I’d rather be treated with compassion than respect.
One of the few things I think the majority of the country can agree on is that the Muñoz brothers seem pretty nice. What a great responsibility…
David: Yes, Uncle Ben already said it: With great power comes great responsibility. But sometimes it’s a shitty responsibility because you can’t screw it up.
Jose: Actually, we don’t need to save the world. We are like 24-hour waiters who must have good customer service.
David: Instead of cutting, the photo is there, the photo is there.
There are several videos of him appearing on festival stages, beach bars and stands. It’s like Bill Murray suddenly showing up at a college party or buying a cake from a guy at the bar.
David says: “Don’t tell them, they won’t believe you.” I swear I copied that joke. Bill Murray is a model of exposing yourself to life and emerging victorious no matter what you say, bastard. We’re a little bit Bill Murray.
Jose: Or him Inspector Gadget.
“Sometimes we experience imposter syndrome.”
Why Inspector Gadget?
David: Because it made things a little complicated. He would bend down and put a bullet in his head, he had his nephew and his dog to save him from trouble… Sometimes we cannot explain what happened to us.
You placed the first model because a girlfriend of yours went to the same pool as someone from EMI. Are they talking about this?
José: Yes, it was a historical coincidence.
David: Our career has been a totally amazing whirlwind.
José: Being in the right place at the right time.
But this is not enough. You also need to know how to make songs.
David: But a lot of factors have to come into play. They don’t just become successful with songs. I know motherfuckers who make songs that make us feel like shit, but no one listens to them.
Are you feeling imposter syndrome?
Jose: Sometimes yes, we wonder what we are doing here. We are not guitarists, we are not guitarists, we are not singers, we are not singers…
David: We are composers.
“But how long is life if it is sad and time stands still?” What a beautiful sentence. It was on its first model.
David: Sometimes things are funny, sometimes they’re tragicomic, sometimes they’re downright tragic. And poetry will always be on our minds. We are fans of the great poets of 98.
(both laugh at the same time).
David: We like to compress language, make up stories, play with irony. We listened to La Polla, the king of sarcasm, a lot. We listened a lot to Sabina, the best storyteller. Everything Robe says gives you goosebumps. Your balls dropped on the Chichos… We tried to copy them.
Compared to some of the lyrics heard on Los 40 now, the songs you sing about the joints and slits of your skirt seem like a song for kids.
David: So you see. Sometimes they tell us ‘you can’t sing about the tear in your skirt anymore’. Damn it because you haven’t heard the one about las pepas or despacito… Puritanism isn’t going anywhere so we won’t complain about the lyrics now but well… bad times for lyrics.
“Our children are proud of their parents’ songs”
Is it true that they censored themselves with the song “El del medio de los Chichos”?
David: Of course, because we made that song to sing it ourselves. When it was chosen for the album, someone said to us, ‘Hey, maybe if Jero’s son hears it…’ Even though the original lost because it was harder, we made a necessary comeback. All that was left was the bandage on the wound.
Now that you’re a parent, do you still wear bandages?
David: No, our children are proud of their parents’ songs. They know that not all the songs are true. It’s like thinking Bill Murray was a real ghost hunter.
Sometimes when it comes to Bill Murray, it’s hard to separate person from character.
David: Us too. Acting is painful and requires effort. Being something you are not is a stress. That’s why we show ourselves as we are, without playing any role.
25 years ago fame came almost suddenly. Did they lose their footing?
David: What’s up? We had so much fun. It was fun having people on the street asking for your autograph.
José: At first we were even embarrassed when they asked for our autograph.
David: It’s true that we go anywhere now; We cannot go normally in Barcelona or Madrid, walking or going to the Barça field, we cannot put our fingers in our nose.
José: But we learned to live with it.