zea mays: the winter is gone
Fifteen years together as a band (if it’s not that long, it’s not far off). In that amount of time, many bands have had time to start, split up and then get back together for the reunion tour. Considering the moments of tension and general messiness, how have you managed to stay together?
We don’t really think there is a formula for that, I suppose one of the good things we’ve had is that we are friends and we have respected each other’s personal life. At the end of the day, we are like a family, we just take the bad with the good the best we can.
Since you first began, the world of music has gone through many changes: record sales have fallen, the business model has changed... It’s just an impression, but it seems that all of this has affected you less than others. You haven’t stopped playing live, you release records regularly... How have you as a band experienced these changes in music?
Well, basically the same way as anybody else, but we have just got on with it. I suppose it’s because we’re either extremely stubborn or romantic. We’ve been lucky that way, we’ve always been able to get gigs one way or another and that’s something to be grateful for. We’ve seen these changes very close up and seeing what the story really is now we have always tried to plough on ahead with what we are doing the best we can.
You gig a lot here but you’ve toured internationally. How did you go down in Germany and Japan?
Very naturally. There’s no doubt music is an international language. Besides, abroad unusual groups are much admired and singing in Basque gives us that special touch. On many occasions when we have played abroad, after gigs, people have come up to us and embraced us, a sure sign, despite singing in Basque, that we have really connected with these people.
Era, released last October, is your sixth record. What old and new can we find on the record?
Well, it’s more danceable if compared to the others, we’ve included programmed sequences, done by the members of Split77. It’s is closely connected to all the other records we’ve done but with a focus on current emotions. We’ve cut out any possible tiresome sections on songs, we were looking for lively supple songs.
A short while ago, we were at Kafe Antzokia and when the DJ put on one of your songs the punters went ballistic dancing and singing... Have you realised just how much you’ve plugged into a lot of people?
Yeah, when we play “Negua joan da ta” live, an incredible atmosphere is generated. It’s very moving for us, there is a special connection created between us and the audience. On those occasions, we get to feel then what we musicians are always looking for.
*Take a look to the great videoclilp protagonized by Ainhoa Moyua.
We don’t really think there is a formula for that, I suppose one of the good things we’ve had is that we are friends and we have respected each other’s personal life. At the end of the day, we are like a family, we just take the bad with the good the best we can.
Since you first began, the world of music has gone through many changes: record sales have fallen, the business model has changed... It’s just an impression, but it seems that all of this has affected you less than others. You haven’t stopped playing live, you release records regularly... How have you as a band experienced these changes in music?
Well, basically the same way as anybody else, but we have just got on with it. I suppose it’s because we’re either extremely stubborn or romantic. We’ve been lucky that way, we’ve always been able to get gigs one way or another and that’s something to be grateful for. We’ve seen these changes very close up and seeing what the story really is now we have always tried to plough on ahead with what we are doing the best we can.
You gig a lot here but you’ve toured internationally. How did you go down in Germany and Japan?
Very naturally. There’s no doubt music is an international language. Besides, abroad unusual groups are much admired and singing in Basque gives us that special touch. On many occasions when we have played abroad, after gigs, people have come up to us and embraced us, a sure sign, despite singing in Basque, that we have really connected with these people.
Era, released last October, is your sixth record. What old and new can we find on the record?
Well, it’s more danceable if compared to the others, we’ve included programmed sequences, done by the members of Split77. It’s is closely connected to all the other records we’ve done but with a focus on current emotions. We’ve cut out any possible tiresome sections on songs, we were looking for lively supple songs.
A short while ago, we were at Kafe Antzokia and when the DJ put on one of your songs the punters went ballistic dancing and singing... Have you realised just how much you’ve plugged into a lot of people?
Yeah, when we play “Negua joan da ta” live, an incredible atmosphere is generated. It’s very moving for us, there is a special connection created between us and the audience. On those occasions, we get to feel then what we musicians are always looking for.
*Take a look to the great videoclilp protagonized by Ainhoa Moyua.
