Dance-rock, indie pop and electronica are all ways to describe the catchy sounds of Seattle-based trio, Barcelona. The group has been recording music for nine years, and is known for their melodic, dance-rock sound, although the overall sound has evolved to a more synthesizer-heavy, dream-pop, which can be heard in their latest EP series, ‘The Melodrama.” (Listen here)
TLD contributor Flora Theden caught up with lead singer and guitarist, Brian Fennell, to talk about their upcoming show at Mercury Lounge – the last East Coast date of the band’s national tour promoting the new EP series.
Is this your first show at Mercury Lounge?
Yes it is. We love playing in NYC. We’ve had the chance to play some great rooms. The first time we played in the city was at Arlene’s Grocery back in 2007 or something. There is always so much going on at any given point in NYC, and to be one of those little things is a strange excitement.
What song are you most excited to play?
I always enjoy playing “Fall in Love.” People seem to like it as well, so that’s nice.
What’s the writing process like for your songs?
I do most of the writing, but we work together when it comes to creating the overall imagery for the music (literally and figuratively). Seattle is the perfect city to be from, inspiration wise. I love being home to write.
What are you listening to right now?
Our tastes are a bit ADD. We have been enjoying Flume, Chet Faker, Jungle, Glass Animals. The new Alt-J is fantastic as well. The newish track from The Weeknd called “Often” is catchy as hell. And also Anaconda (Nicki Minaj).
How has your sound evolved since releasing your first record?
Our sound seems to morph every time we release a record. I think many bands/artists tend to be shaped by whatever they are inspired by at the time when they write, whether that’s music, film, relationships, whatever. We are no different. Our lives and tastes change and we continue to grow.
Our first record is what most people know of us, so that “rainy Seattle” sound is what mostly gets ascribed to us. Our second record was recorded mostly live and very raw, with not many similarities to the first, which I think threw a lot of people off.
That experience was good for us in many ways because we were able to let go of what we thought people might think if we “changed the sound” in the future. So we changed the sound again. Now we sound like a much different band from when we started. Some people are turned off by that.
Saturday, October 4th // $15 // 10:30pm // 217 East Houston Street
Purchase Tickets Here.
