Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Paco Jordà y el hombre elefante
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My earliest musical memory is from a photo of me, just over a year old, playing my uncle’s guitar. However, my parents told me that when I was a baby, I would only fall asleep listening to a group called Los Relámpagos, who did instrumental pop versions of classical music pieces.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I think it was around twelve years old when I learned to play guitar, playing Beatles songs. I wanted to make songs that wonderfu!!.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
After years playing in various groups such as Amnesia, La Última Noche, and La Fundación, I began my solo career with several very different projects: Paco Jordá (singer-songwriter, pop), Paco Jordá Trio (piano, bass, and drum trio), Paco Jordá & The Big Brown (indie pop-rock in English), Paco Jordá & The Secret Grey Keys (music for solo piano), Paco Jordá & The Run (ambient music), and finally Paco Jordá y el Hombre Elefante, in which I perform indie pop-rock in Spanish surrounded by some of the best musicians in Alicante.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I think we make indie pop and rock inspired by the 90s and 2000s, with a strong emphasis on guitars and lyrics that are often quite politically charged and controversial, but with optimism and a desire to improve the world.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I used to compose always starting with a melody accompanied by a guitar, to which I would then add lyrics, but over time I learned to compose and arrange a song from anything: a rhythm, lyrics, a piano accompaniment, a melody… In this way, I think the results are much more varied.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Although our music is quite guitar-driven, the essential instrument in my compositional process is the piano, which is the instrument I studied professionally. Then, when it comes to recording, the software I’ve always used is Cubase. I wouldn’t know what to do without it.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
A song I’ve been obsessed with lately, to the point that it appears in my dreams, is “In Front of Me Now” by Nada Surf. I think it’s the perfect pop song.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
I believe that the lyrics of most of my songs are based on my experiences, my feelings, my fears, my dreams, my hopes… which I don’t think are very different from those of others, that’s why I think my songs deal with universal themes.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope that although many of my songs address the problems of the modern world, listeners will leave with the feeling that everything can be changed and improved if we don’t give up and if we don’t let ourselves be turned into stones that don’t feel or dream, only consume.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Music will always be with me in the good times, but it will save me in the bad times. It’s my escape and my refuge. It will always help me keep going.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Of course I would love to perform at the Benicasim festival and be able to attend it at least once as an artist instead of as an audience member.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I think I’d love to collaborate with Michael Stipe because R.E.M. has always been one of my favorite bands. I love their music, their lyrics, their attitude… It would be a dream come true.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music?
You can follow my music on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@pacojorda), on my website, although it’s not updated (https://www.pacojorda.org/), on any of my Spotify profiles (for example, https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/artist/26CqgPa1Rvxf15Shb3dvgn?si=y_i8Aq1XSLGWyQGeumBzMg), or on any digital platform, as my music is uploaded to all of them.
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
I’d like to reach more people, to find the audience that I think could truly enjoy the music from my various projects. To build a solid base of loyal fans.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That they can find a travel companion on life’s long journey who will especially encourage them in bad times and help them bring out the best version of themselves.
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