Music has the power to transcend time and adapt to changes without losing its essence and Elefantes is a clear example of this. With three decades of experience behind them, the Catalan band has managed to remain faithful to its roots while embracing the transformations of the musical landscape. From its first steps in the 90s to its current anniversary tour, the group has stood out for its authenticity and for creating songs that deeply connect with the public.
With a style that defies labels and a passion that can be seen in every detail of his work, Elefantes has left an indelible mark on Spanish music. Over the years, they have accumulated experiences, highly relevant collaborations and unforgettable moments that have strengthened their careers. Now, with the launch of his live album ‘Elefantes y Amigos – Sonorama Concert 2023‘Julio Cascan, one of the members of the band, reflects on their evolution, their achievements and the challenges they pose to continue doing. The group will perform this Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m., at the Caja Cantabria Foundation in Santander
Let’s start with the beginnings, what were they like and what has that path been like?
30 years have passed since the beginning, and Elefantes remains quite faithful to its beginnings. We are a passionate, artisanal band that has always been dedicated to making music from the heart, putting all our care into all the details, from the first to the last. That started back in 1994, when, with the means that existed at that time, we did everything possible and impossible to make music and make ourselves known, and we continue to do so today. The world has changed a lot, but in the end our profession remains the same: continue creating songs as best as possible and make them reach people. Yes, everything that surrounds music has changed a lot. We started when there were no social networks or many of the things we have today, but the fundamentals remain the same. The Internet and social networks have changed the world, and the world of music too.
Now that you talk about social media, how do you assess its impact on the industry?
When we started, the only way to make ourselves known was to play live, which was the way we always liked the most, although the least effective, in reality. Then there were television and radio, which to access you needed to have a record company, which was the one that had the contacts and to which the media really paid attention to spread the music.
Today that has changed. Now social networks have a tremendous impact, democratizing the way to reach the public. Any band or artist can spread their music on their own, without having to rely on large record corporations. This is very interesting, but, in turn, it has led to less and less popular music, the kind that previously reached everyone because we all listened to the same music. Today, many niches have been created, and various artists who reach more minority audiences. In the end, things change, but music still has the same function.
Everyone wonders about Elephants’ style, what would you consider it to be?
It is a collective doubt; We don’t think much about the issue of cataloging ourselves either. We understand that to classify yourself is to lock yourself into a single style. Although I understand that it is necessary to explain it to people, it is not that simple. At Elefantes we make popular music, or at least that is what we try, that has the ability to move the listener and that the greatest number of people can identify with our songs.
Stylistically, we have songs that look more to rock, others to pop and some towards indie, although we don’t really know what it means. In the end, what is known as indie is simply traditional pop-rock. Indie emerged as an alternative movement to mainstream pop in the 90s, but it has lost much of its meaning, since before indie referred to projects managed by the band or artist themselves from scratch. In that sense, we have always been ‘indies’. Everything that left our factory had our personal stamp from beginning to end, styles are a complex issue.
What has it meant to collaborate with artists of Bunbury’s stature?
With Enrique we had already lost our fear in some way. We met him when we went to Zaragoza with the ‘El Hombre Pez’ album. We were playing at a venue there, and one of the few attendees in the audience was him. That same night he came up to talk to us and suggested producing our next album. He got us a record company and took us on tour with him through Spain, Mexico and the United States. We owe him a lot; Their help was what allowed Elefantes to remain alive today.
Is there much difference between playing in Spain and abroad? That being said, which one do you stick with?
Playing inside or outside always the same thing, basically. Playing outside of Spain has an ‘plus’ of excitement for taking your music so far. It is always something beautiful and rewarding. It is very impressive when something that you have created travels so far and there is an audience that comes to see you and sing your songs. But, if I have to choose, I’ll choose Spain. I love playing outside, but at home it’s always something special.
Why the name ‘Elephants’? How does it arise?
The truth is that it does not have a deep meaning, there is no concrete idea behind the name. In those beginnings, names were considered. I wasn’t even around in those days; It was Jordi (drums) and Shuarma (singer) who founded the band, it was just the two of them pulling the project together. Shuarma came up with the name, and at first Jordi told him to look for more options. But, after a few days, he said to him: ‘Do you remember that you said Elephants? Now I like it.’
Over the years, we started getting asked a lot of questions about the name and we had to come up with an answer to give, but it wasn’t the truth. We said that in India the elephant is a sacred animal and that music is also sacred and hence the name. But that wasn’t true. It’s really okay that it doesn’t make clear sense; Not everything always has to have a meaning. Many times, unconsciously, we make decisions that, although we do not look for a deep meaning, have it.
‘That I didn’t know‘ is one of your hits with Antonio Vega, what can you tell me about that song?
That is one of the milestones in Elephants’ career. We had the honor of having him, and it was an exciting experience. Antonio was a person whom we have admired all our lives, because he is a tremendous composer and singer. We were lucky that he met us, liked what we did and wanted to record with us. One day he came to the old Sintonía studios in Madrid and we spent the whole day with him recording a couple of songs. It was an incredible moment, my hair still stands on end when I remember it.
About their latest album, ‘Elefantes – Elephants and Friends – Sonorama Concert 2023‘How did the idea of recording it live at a festival like Sonorama come about?
It is not the first album that we recorded live, we made another one in 2006 with the title ‘Thank you’. This second one was a very stressful process to record because of the preparation and organization involved, but then it was exciting and fun. We have very nice memories of that day, it was one of those days that everything turned out well, although a thousand things could have happened. The recording was perfect. Then, once recorded, we took the tracks to our studio, and that’s when I took charge of mixing it myself and working on it.
Are there any collaborations you dream of doing that you haven’t been able to do yet?
We have had the luxury of being able to collaborate with artists we admire and who are of enormous stature. We have collaborated with the national artists that I could have been most excited about: Iván Ferreiro, Mikel Erentxun, Coque Malla, Lori Meyers, Love of Lesbian, Rozalén, Viva Sweden… In short, we have collaborated with all the national artists we have collaborated with. that we admire. There is a lot of talent in this country.
Looking back, what moment would stand out as the most special in your career?
There are many special moments. For example, I fondly remember playing at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, an incredible space with great tradition. Being able to play in that place is a goal achieved, something comforting. I also have great memories of the first time we played in Mexico City, it was a very emotional night. And the first times we played at Sala Caracol, Enrique (Bunbury) came out to sing with us. There are many endearing moments that have been important days for the band throughout these 30 years.
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