Tras nearly 25 years on the road and six albums released, El Columpio Asesino announced its dissolution in February 2023. The Navarra-based band decided to close a spotless career, marked by coherence and a constant willingness to experiment in every release. After a farewell tour that began the previous year, the group will play its final show on November 9 in Madrid. Tonight, their Zaragoza fans have the chance to bid them farewell in the most fitting way, jumping once again to the rhythm of their signature track, Toro.
Tedious goodbyes are never easy, and these last shows promise to be even more emotional.
No, really, we’re seeing the fans’ support grow and the mood stay strong (he laughs). The truth is we’re enjoying it a lot and feeling grateful that things are going so well. The Vive Latino concert is expected to be especially moving.
Zaragoza has always been a must-stop on their tours. In fact, last October there was an early farewell at Oasis venue.
Yes, last year they wanted to say goodbye to audiences in the venues, which are their natural habitat, and in 2024 they would shift to festival appearances. There is a strong emotional link with Zaragoza, partly because it is close by. They have played many times at La Casa del Loco, friends and fans have joined them along the journey. Zaragoza will always hold a special place.
How did they know it was time to say goodbye?
Well, it felt more intuitive than anything else. When the squeeze on ideas ends and the flow dries up, when exhaustion piles up, it becomes clear that the honest move is to step back. Having the mental clarity to see it this way proved wise, since everyone agrees that retiring from an artistic career at the right moment is a virtue. There has never been any bad blood among them, and they hold onto that truth.
The pandemic did a lot of damage too…
Indeed. A few weeks after releasing their latest record, a project that took nearly three years to complete due to their meticulous self-imposed standards, lockdown hit. It was a brutal blow that reinforced the sense it was time to end, even though the decision had already been spoken aloud. Creatively, it became harder to keep the spark alive because the songs just stopped flowing, which is especially challenging for a band known for experimentation. Their guiding principle had always been to surpass themselves; when a new idea didn’t resonate, it was discarded. Lowering the bar felt like a betrayal to their identity.
Rock that defies easy labels, blending experimental tones with after-punk, electronics, and synths. It’s never been simple to pin them down.
They have been labeled in many ways because they never shied away from mixing styles. From the first album they introduced the txalaparta, a rhythm that later fed into the folklore-electronics mix; there’s also a love for punk energy. Describing them is hard, because they remain unmistakably unclassifiable (he laughs).
“Toro” stands as their big hit. How did the song come to life?
The seed was the image of a bull charging from the pens, with a paso doble-like pulse. As creation progressed, the song evolved and became unexpectedly beautiful. Its chorus arrives late but lands with a punch. Ultimately, it feels not like a typical hit but like something that belongs to the nocturnal world of escape and self-discovery. Performing it live is always a highlight and never tiresome for the performers.
What do they take away after more than two decades?
Mostly the chance to have met their bandmates and shared thousands of kilometers in pursuit of a shared musical passion. It’s among the most powerful experiences imaginable. And today, the responses from fellow musicians, critics, and fans make them feel they have left a lasting imprint. It gives them goosebumps to hear that.
Will they stay connected to music in the future?
None of them has a project lined up in the near term, nor a plan B, but in some way they expect to remain tied to music. It’s what they have done since they were kids. The clear fact is the group won’t return. The Navarrese, like their peers from nearby regions, are stubbornly resolved to move forward with different paths.