Return to the present.
Between evolution, calm and the emotion of continuing to find meaning in music, pulp lives a new stage marked by harmony, an album celebrated by its fans and the certainty that the songs continue to find new paths.
After more than four decades of history, pulp He is going through one of the most stable and happy moments of his career. Their album released in 2025 marked a new stage for the British band, one where accumulated experience coexists with creative curiosity and where the past functions more as a reference than as a refuge. In conversation with Calinda Doylethe group talked about the creation of this new material, the balance between personal life and touring, the current state of the music industry and their expected return to Mexico.
Indie Rocks!: I think there are many things we can talk about. First I want to start with the album they released in 2025. For me it was a beautiful album, a really special experience. I was reading some reviews and one word kept coming up: evolution. Many talk about an evolution in Pulp's sound. I would like you to tell us about the process of creating the album and what it was like to take it on tour this last year.
Pulp: Well, we did it in a very different way. We recorded it very quickly. All the previous records, once we started having a budget, took months to make and it could get quite boring listening to the same drums on the same song over and over again.
For this album we decided to do it quickly. Plus, we have five additional musicians who are really, really good, so that helped a lot. The atmosphere during the recording was excellent. Probably the atmosphere inside pulp It's the best it's been in the last four years. There was always some friction within the band, which also contributed to the excitement of it all, but now I would say there is a very nice harmony.
And touring with the album was incredible. I thought that when we said “this is a new song” people would take the opportunity to go get a beer, but that wasn't the case. They stayed, sang and reacted in a way that surprised me. I thought, “Oh my God, they really like it.” It was totally amazing.
GO!: I really like that you mention the vibes within Pulp. They seem relaxed and seem to be having a great time. As an audience we also notice it. I saw them in Mexico in 2023 and they looked happy, fun, enjoying the stage. Beyond that good energy, how has this rebirth of Pulp been?
Q: Last year was very intense. We had just finished the album and then came all the mixing, interviews, photo shoots, traveling and then the tour. We were also learning to play the new songs live. At the same time, my mother suffered a fall and fractured her shoulder, so I had to return home for a while. That was complicated.
We did a lot of television shows and we were only in the United States for a month. It was a heavy year. This year is being calmer. But being on stage with the band feels very natural and very easy.
GO!: Now that you mention your family, first I hope your mom is better. And I just wanted to ask you about that. How do you balance personal life with being on tour for weeks or months at a time?
Q: It's a good question. It's not easy. If you have a routine at home, a tour completely destroys it. I think it's more difficult when you have a partner or children, because when you leave and then come back it's very difficult to regain your balance. Furthermore, for those who stay at home it is not easy either. You are traveling, seeing incredible places and living exciting experiences, while they continue with their daily routine.
I'm not in a stable relationship right now, so it's a little easier. But it's still weird. On tour you don't do normal things. You don't wash dishes, you don't cook, you don't buy food, you don't make the bed. It's a pretty unreal life. And then you come home and have to deal with all that again. So yes, changing from one world to the other can be complicated. You need a few days to get used to it again.
GO!: I think that's very interesting because as an audience we don't usually think about that part. There is also the difficult side of being a musician and constantly living on tour. I wanted to ask you something else about the band. I think it is not an exaggeration to say that Pulp is one of the most important groups in England in the last 30 or 40 years.
Today we live in a strange musical landscape, where it seems that you must be 5% a musician and 95% influencer. How do you observe the current state of the music industry?
Q: The truth is I would say that I am a little disconnected from the current scene. When I was young there were popularity charts. You sold a certain amount of records and you could reach number one. There were very clear objectives. Now I really don't understand how it all works. People don't buy records in the same way anymore and the system has completely changed.
You also have to consider that I am 62 years old. When I was 14, 15, 16 or 20 years old, music was absolutely everything to me. I bought records constantly, listened to the radio, went to concerts and formed a band. My life revolved around music.
Now I am in another stage. I still love music. If I discover something new that I like, I can listen to it non-stop and get just as excited as before. But my life is not so focused on that anymore. I no longer have band posters on my walls or a constant obsession with discovering the next big scene. I even enjoy the silence more than before. I listen to a lot of classical music.
I still deeply love pop, but I honestly don't know if there is a music scene like the one I knew. And if it exists, I probably missed it.
GO!: What advice would you give to someone starting a music career today?
Q: Don't try to guess what people want.
Do what feels right for you. It's impossible to know what the public really wants. You can be inspired by artists you love, listen to a lot of music and learn from it, but you shouldn't try to copy what's working right now.
You have to follow your intuition. And I don't think you need to be a virtuoso musician either. If you have passion, that's what's important.
I even believe that many times those who learn an instrument on their own end up developing more interesting ways of playing it than those who receive traditional training. I like bands that form naturally. I am not interested in armed groups because of an office management looking to manufacture the next phenomenon.
I like that everything starts from the bottom. If you really want to do it, you will find a way. And you don't need to write complicated songs either. Sometimes simplicity is a wonderful thing.
GO!: In closing, for someone who is going to see Pulp in Mexico City, in what state of mind would you recommend attending the concert?
Q: Come prepared to hear new things.
Don't arrive tired. Come with energy. Although I also think that in Mexico the energy of the public is contagious. The Mexican concerts are some of the best we've had. The atmosphere is usually incredible.
Expect lots of excitement, lots of noise, loud songs and also quiet moments. Come have fun and maybe meet new people. Usually the people who come to our concerts are really interesting.
GO!: For someone who, for some strange reason, has never listened to Pulp, what song would you recommend to start with?
Q: The first one that comes to mind is “Common People.”
GO!: I totally agree. It was one of the first songs I heard from the band.
Q: Yes, I think that is a very good starting point.
GO!: And finally: if you had to describe Pulp in just three words, what would they be?
Q: Amusing. Unusual. Visual.
GO!: I love it. And I agree. Thank you very much for your time.
Q: Thanks to you. They were really, really good questions.
GO!: It was a great conversation. I hope to see you soon in Mexico.
Q: Us too.
