To coincide with the release of Pedro Andrea's latest album, "Fuego y Miel," in 2020, we delve into the artist's long career to hear firsthand about the experiences that have brought him to this "new normal," and how he sees the outlook for the industry.
Musicians... Where do we come from, where are we going, where do we want to go? What do we need to do to get there?
I can't think of a single answer to say where we come from. There are musicians who come from a golden age in which both the respect and attention paid to them were greater than today, and the pay and treatment were fairer. That set of circumstances began to expire at the turn of the millennium. Only musicians who were already active during the '80s experienced it.
For younger musicians that past is as unimaginable as this present was for those who lived through it. The new generation has entered the scene at a time when people even end up paying to play, salaries don't always let them make a living from their work (remember that surviving is not living), and, if they want to be an artist, no record label is going to sign them unless they have millions of followers on social media or have come out of a famous TV show (these are the exact words of people who work at those companies). I'm not saying this as a complaint but as a denunciation. I'm not trying to appeal to compassion but to solidarity.
In any case, if things are 10 times harder than before, you have to choose between giving up or working 10 times harder. Difficult doesn't mean impossible.
How is the health situation affecting the music industry? Does it open new opportunities, only close them, innovate or die, wait?
Although my view of the situation is pessimistic, my attitude toward it is upbeat. Of all those options, I'll always choose to innovate. The part of the music industry hardest hit by this crisis is live concerts.
The problem is that other sectors had been damaged for some time, starting with record sales. This drop in numbers affects songwriters as well as artists, technicians, producers, etc.
Another of the big problems, and for me the biggest, is how undervalued musicians are by the public, governments and the industry.
Ours is a job done out of love
Most other professions are practiced for survival. This leads to a situation in which, while no plumber gave away his work during the lockdown, we did, creating an even firmer impression among people that we musicians don't pay bills, go hungry or feel cold.
I worry that this generosity has made our situation even worse. Most people think music is a last-priority item (the first thing to go).
They believe that because they've never been without it, but neither those who consume it for fun nor those who come to it for its deeper or healing qualities could have fun, go deeper or heal their spirits without it. Giving it away doesn't help make them aware of its value.
Paid concerts and streaming platforms? Live concerts broadcast online. What do you think of them?
I'm fine with any solution that lets musicians make a living from their work. Of course these kinds of formats aren't as authentic or intimate as the classic concert format, but if the situation demands it, we'll have to adapt. The bad news is for the hotels, restaurants, technicians, trucking companies, equipment companies, etc. that used to make their living on the road, but I'm hopeful this will pass.
What side gigs would you recommend to up-and-coming artists to keep their finances manageable while developing their own artistic careers?
I'm sorry I can't put much of a positive spin on my answer, but if I have to choose between a fake rosy picture and a genuine mess, out of respect for the truth, I have to go with the second option.
Teaching is an option that has been offering some opportunities lately. I'll be happy for any musician who turns to it as long as they have a vocation for teaching, but I regret that so many colleagues with more creative aspirations have had to resort to it when it wasn't one of their dreams.
As for writing for artists or publishers, you have to be very well connected in the upper circles for that work to be lucrative. Many performers (I don't grant most of them the term "artist") have started writing songs out of a display of greed and, in few cases, talent. Add to that the problem of record sales, so that unless the song is a single, the singer fills big venues and has a generous tour, it's hard for the song to bring in money.
Studio work is still going, though much less than before. Fortunately, most major recordings still need musicians. There's some hope there.
Given the festive character of the Spanish people, cover bands for local festivals have always been an available resource. As soon as everything gets back to normal that circuit will start up again, though somewhat weakened, because the economic problem will affect town councils and, consequently, the hiring.
A whole life devoted to music. I imagine you've gone through many situations and attitudes regarding what you give to music and what you get back. After all this time, are you still in love with music? Where have your evolution and your personal and artistic maturity taken you?
That's a great question, and as such it makes me think. I've always been in love with music. A vocation is a love story, possibly a truer one than those that usually happen between people. We've all loved someone whom, over time, we stopped loving. That has never happened to me, and never will, with music.
That doesn't mean my communion with it has always been clean and clear. Of course there have been disturbances: I've been angry, fed up, tired, disillusioned... But I've come out of all of it, not with the vigor and innocence of the beginning, but with enough to keep going.
In any case, it's never the music that hurts you, it's only people. Bloodthirsty criticism, broken promises, lies, etc. Although it hasn't always been like that, it's true that I've met a lot of lowlifes in my career, but one thing comforts me: they haven't managed to turn me into one of them.
What projects are you working on right now? Where and when can we hear it, see it, feel it?
Just a few weeks ago I was able to feel that enthusiasm once again. It was thanks to the release of my latest album, "Fuego y miel." On it I've tackled different styles, although on some tracks I've delved into flamenco more deeply than on my previous albums. Recording it was fascinating.
I've used the fretless guitar a lot, and I've worked with great musicians like Antonio Serrano, Alfonso Perez, Oscar Morgado, Javier Quilez, Nuria Elosegui, Josete Ordoñez, Anye Bao, Miquel Ferrer, etc. It was produced by Emilio Esteban, who brought a wisdom and know-how that are always welcome in the studio. It's on all platforms and on my website. On my YouTube channel and my Instagram there are videos showcasing the album. We've also formed a rock band called "Chucho" that I'm really excited about. Anye Bao on drums, Mac on bass and Javier Alcón on vocals. Incredible musicians with such talent, power and authenticity that it's hard for me to measure up.
Many thanks to Pedro Andrea
