Music is heard on disk and seen on film.
Inner Wavealternative band from Los Angeles, California, is back with a new album that comes accompanied by a movie and a book that contains the behind-the-scenes process of creating a new album titled SEE YOU WHEN I GET BACKa 13-song material. Regarding this launch, we spoke with Pablo Sotelo (vocals/guitar) and Jean Pierre Narvaez (bass/vocals) about the importance of staying true to your intuition in an ever-changing industry.
Indie Rocks! Magazine: Speaking a little about the history of the band, we want to know if there is a specific moment where it all began.
Inner Wave: I think where it all started is when we were 12-year-old kids and we were in our drummer's garage at the time and we recorded ourselves doing silly things in his garden, laughing, skating and things like that. I say this because now we are in our thirties and we have just created a film, so I see a parallel between that moment of being children creating content without wanting to show it and now having more than twenty years of experience making music, understanding our creative direction and reaching this point where we can produce a film with much clearer ideas about what we want to say and show. So, more than any other moment, I would say it all started in our friendship, that's where everything is really born.
GO!: In friendship, there is a lot of creative source from which to start. And speaking of the main topic, how involved were you in the film and its creative processes?
IW: Quite. The film accompanies the album SEE YOU WHEN I GET BACK and it also has that name. It was directed by Pablo along with another friend who was co-director, and between them they wrote the entire story. Pablo He also produced the film with close people we have been working with for a long time. Plus, everyone in the band performed in it, so we were involved from the beginning to the end of the process.
GO!: What differences did you find between producing music and producing a film?
IW: They are very different but also similar processes. The big difference is that in the film there are many disciplines together: the script, the acting, the camera, the narrative, in addition to the music. On the other hand, on an album you are focused on melodies, harmonies, lyrics and production. Making the movie was like lifting heavier weights; after that, making music feels lighter. It took us less than two years to complete, which is fast for a one-hour film, but it was still a huge challenge.
GO!: In this current context where everything is faster and songs with immediate hooks are sought, how do you position yourself when composing?
IW: We don't think about it too much. We know that now many songs seek to engage in the first seconds, but we follow what we feel each song needs. Sometimes there is no immediate hook and that's okay. We grew up in a time where that wasn't as important, so we prioritized intention and creativity. For us, the song itself tells you what it needs, and our job is to listen to it. We prefer to make something honest that may not be an immediate hit, but has a longer life.
GO!: There is also a lot of talk about the return of vinyl and the value of the album as a format. Why do you think it is still important to make records?
IW: Because everything responds to a vision. The industry changes constantly, sometimes singles are privileged and other times albums, but in the end the important thing is what the project needs. In our case, this work was always thought of as something big: an album, a movie, a book. Releasing it as singles for external reasons would have been taking away its meaning. So, more than a strategic decision, it was a creative necessity.
GO!: To close, what message would you like to leave for those who are going to listen to the album and see the film?
IW: Thank you very much for all the support in Mexico. We hope to return on tour soon, perhaps in the summer, and hopefully also present the film in Mexico City. We can't wait to see them. We love them so much, they have amazing food. See you soon. A hug. A kiss.
Dale play to the trailer SEE YOU WHEN I GET BACK here
