Izal is a pop-rock band born in the shelter of Madrid’s streets, which has become one of the great sensations of the Spanish music scene. They have achieved it without the support of major labels and huge advertising campaigns. With only three studio albums in the market, they have become indispensable on the posters of the leading independent festivals in Spain. Copacabana (2015) is their latest album creation. Watch out, indie purists because the mainstream label won’t stop knocking on their door …
Izal takes its name from the name of its leader, vocalist and main songwriter, Mikel Izal. A seasoned musician who used to perform in the demanding circuits of the national singers/songwriters, meets bassist Emanuel Pérez “Gato” during a European Youth Biennial in distant Macedonia and the two form the core of the band. After their return to Madrid, they are joined by guitarist Alberto Pérez, keyboardist Iván Mella and drummer Alejandro Jordá, all musicians with extensive previous experience in other bands and formations.
Their first EP, titled Teletransporte, becomes an unexpected success and serves as a starting point for climbing in popularity. In 2012, they launch their first album, a result of economic self-management. They called it Magia y Efectos Especiales (2012) and within months they win over both the specialized critics and the public. Their second album, titled Agujeros de Gusano, sees the light in October 2013. Izal falls squarely in the main national charts, and they get preselected, in 2014, for the MTV European Music Awards. From here on, the big festivals come one after another (BBK Live, DCODE, Arenal Sound, Sonorama, Low Cost…) and this year, they have already had to hang up, on more than one occasion, the blessed “sold out” sign.
LookOut: You have become the central focus of the great part of the specialized press. You are described with epithets starting from “the great sensation of our pop rock panorama” and up from there … How do you feel about such comments?
Izal: There will always be comments. Positive and negative. We do not give too much importance to what they say about us because we are happy with what we do and it fulfills us. We work and strive just like the first day to continue dedicating ourselves to our passion.
LO: What does fame, taste like, smell like, look like, is it what you imagined it to be when you first started out in the rehearsal room …?
I: We do not believe we are that famous. We are normal people who get together to make music and play it live. Fortunately, our work reaches a wider and wider public, and more and more people embrace it. That’s wonderful, much better than fame … The success of what you offer. We make songs we like and apparently there are people whose taste matches ours.
LO: For those who do not know your music and your published work, how would you describe the sound of Izal? What does Izal offer its fans when playing live?
I: Music is better listened to than defined with words. We would encourage you to listen to the albums and if you then feel like it, to attend a concert. We are clearly a band that has most to offer live. Because we love to play and because all that energy is difficult to translate into a recording.
LO: What is more customary when making decisions within the group, the “get together” method or “command and control” in the style of imperial dark side of the force?
I: It is a democratic method. Nobody has qualms about stepping down at any given time if they are aware that another vision brings something better for the matter, for the group …
LO: Do you have a special ritual before a gig?
I: There is some nonsense here and there … But basically, we get together and try not to forget that we have to enjoy it and give it our all, for the people who have come to see us deserve it and so do we.
LO: Are you active in social networks? What would you do if you saw any of your songs on a computer screen on an illegal downloads page …?
I: Social networking for us have been and are of vital importance. They are our window to the world. We suppose that there are many people who download the albums. To some extent it is normal. We do not condone it but we are not going be more Catholic than the Pope. Now, if you like what you hear and buy the ticket to see us live, great …
LO: Where is the ceiling for Izal? Is there a roadmap of the future of the band?
I: We will keep working and making music because it is what we enjoy the most in this life. The public will decide where to put the ceiling.
