Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Pere Canal
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
The records my father brought home, by his favorite artists, who then became my favorite artists, and finally my stage partners. I listened, fascinated, to everything he brought home on vinyl.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
From a very young age, as a teenager. When I listened to records, I wanted to do the same thing, I wanted to be one of them.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I stopped making music many years ago, and my current project is to write songs nonstop, make up for lost time, start composing again, and publish on digital platforms, which are now the most direct and essential medium.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
My sound is based on real instruments; it’s not electronic music, although there may be exceptions.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
In this new phase, I’ve discovered that sound is part of a song’s composition, along with the lyrics and music. Therefore, I attach great importance to it.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Paper and a pen are the first tools I use, as I usually start with the lyrics. Not because I consider them the most important, but because they are the most difficult for me, as I consider myself a musician.
I compose on a keyboard, and acoustic pianos feature prominently in all my compositions. And finally, my DAW, that essential tool where everything comes together and takes shape.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
In my country, Spain, I am very interested in Marc Parrot and Quimi Portet.
As for international artists, I don’t know if David Byrne is independent, but I like everything he does, especially now that he is older. I am fascinated by the musical and choreographic, almost theatrical concept of his shows. Talking Heads was already a bit like that.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
My personal experiences have influenced me, as is to be expected, but my observation of what those who know most do, and my fascination with their work as a source of inspiration, have influenced me much more.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
Above all, I hope that my songs make people think as well as stir their emotions. I love to awaken people’s critical spirit, to make them question their convictions, to push them out of their comfort zone. I believe that this is what protest songs should be like in the 21st century.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
That music is one of the best ways to feel alive.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I would love to sing at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona. I think it’s one of the most beautiful venues in the world.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I think with the artists I mentioned earlier. Marc Parrot is, apart from being a modern singer-songwriter, a sound engineer. I think we have very similar concepts of our work. The same goes for Quimi Portet.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
I’m on almost every platform. If you search for Pere Canal on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, etc., it’s easy to find me.
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
To keep composing, be very productive, and write lots of songs, each one better than the last. I hope to establish myself on digital platforms and make the leap to live performances as soon as I’m ready to do so.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That I am honest, that I do not pursue fame, that I do not seek money. I am an artist who seeks to connect with beauty and convey it. There is nothing else; it is my only interest, to connect with people and make them feel, make them think.
