INTERVIEW: Joana Serrat live in Manchester

Music is a universal language. It doesn’t matter where it comes from as long as it connects with people. Catalonian singer, Joana Serrat is the perfect example. Born in Spain, near Vic, Barcelona, Joana’s music infiltrates the deepest corners of your soul. Her misty-like voice and calming beats draw people in and help them escape to a dream-like world where Joana is free to tell her own story.

On Friday, April 6 2018, Joana took the stage of the Night People venue in Manchester with her friend, Irish-born Matthew McDaid in support of her fourth album, “Dripping Springs”, that was released on September 29 2017. Matthew’s gritty vocals complemented Joana’s airy tone and their voices blended together into a beautiful harmony for songs like “If I needed you” and “Your gold could be mine”. For aproximately two hours the two artists made everyone in the room forget about everything they’re worried about and helped them submerge into a universe where music is the higher power.

However, in an interview I had with Joana last month, when asked what music means to her and whether she thinks music can change the world, she said she’s not optimistic about the future of it: “Music is my life and I believe in the power of Music. When we talk about social changes, revolutions, Music is  part of the change and at the same time is also a representation of the cultural change, the counter-culture. But we need more agents to start a revolution besides Music. I mean, if a society is not ready for what a song is telling, then the song loses its power. The changes that music brought were fantastic. There was a society thirsty for change, ready for chance. Unfortunately, I am not optimistic about what the future holds. Not sure if Music can change the world anymore…”

How did your passion for music start and how did it develop?

We grew up in an artistic home and both my siblings and I had a liberal education also in school. My grandpa is a saxophone player and a professional musician, he taught me the basics of music. My dad used to play all these beautiful records when we were kids and that had a deep impact on me. I could recognize a home and a shelter on that sound. I grew up listening to The Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Roy Orbison, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and many others.

What or who, if any, are the influences that can be found in your music?

My influences are many. I have been listening to bands since I was a kid from Dylan to Slowdive. As a teenager I loved the 90’s sounds, these groups such as Sonic Youth or Yo La Tengo and also P.J. Harvey. Then I went back to origins and dived deeply to folk and roots music again.

 How did your latest album, “Dripping Springs” came about and what are the inspirations behind it?

Dripping Springs comes after a solitary trip crossing the verge. I had to leave that shadowed land that I was trapped into while paying the cost of being coherent.  After that period, I finally found myself on the other side of the river and I felt reborn. Dripping Springs is a new morning as it represents a goodbye to the old, to those things that no longer define us. Dripping Springs represents a new horizon unfolding before us. We can be whoever we want to be and everything is fresh new. This is way the album is a sound landscape where each song is a picture and a living frame itself.

How does your creative process usually work?

There is not one way. I get to the songs through different process. Sometimes it’s a tune in my  head, sometimes the quote I wrote is the start of the song… I try to keep myself busy playing. I love to play everyday and I think that’s the key to writing material.

What is your favourite song you have written so far and why?

Unnamed is the best song I have written so far. It is a song that talks about looking for redemption, the forgiveness. I love the atmosphere and the dynamics of the tune. The sound gets bigger and wider and it draws a big horizon and landscape on the listeners ears. At the end of the song, there is a kind of fade out but it’s not a proper one. At this point there’s more reverb added and Ted and I did that on purpose. We had this idea and to me it represents that the tune is leading the listener to the “sky”. Like if the song elevated. That’s the formal expression of trying to find redemption in this context. Although I am not a believer, I like the metaphor of getting up, to elevate, as if my soul would be reaching another level and finally find peace.

Does it ever happen for you to forget lyrics or mess up during a performance? If yes, how do you handle that?

It doesn’t happen to me that often… Although I’ve seen some big artists dealing with this situation. You keep on singing. Attitude.

If you could have dinner with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I’ve been obsessed with the american band called Les Seevers for a while now. I could not have found much information about them. His amazing singer was Bernard Chianco and they released a few singles for Decca label and for for Chestnut label between 1958 and 1968. It’s a perfect Hank Williams, Roy Orbison and Patsy Cline mix.  For what I’ve been reading in youtube posts, people say Bernard was a wonderful man. I think I’d love to have a dinner with him. I would ask him for his success and his anonymous life, for his great vocal technics , for his Italian origins, family, music… I think I’ll play a cover of one of his songs. Then I would invite Blaze Foley to join us at the desserts. You know, to share a drink or two.

What is your dream collaboration?

Neil Young.

And finally, what do you want to happen next in your future?

Joana’s next performances are set to happen in Spain before coming back to the UK in September of this year for The Long Road Festival 2018.