Concert Crap: Who is Mar Palafox?
Mar Palafox: I am an artist; I’m a musician and filmmaker that’s currently 19 years old and started taking music lessons at the age of two, learning how to play the drums, guitar, bass, vocals, and the art of performing live. I have had the opportunity of performing with notable and Award-winning artists in the Latin American music industry since the age of nine, and have learned a lot from their craft. I am very passionate about rock music, its ideology and its raw energy.
I find great value in the smallest of details, and rock has allowed me to express and liberate myself through something as small as a guitar passage or a drums fill-in. That’s why I’m so immersed in rock music because it’s filled with small moments and leitmotifs that allow for personal artistic expression.
CC: How have you been evolving as a musician and as an individual during the pandemic?
On an artistic/musical level, this pandemic has pushed me to be more creative and resourceful. We don’t have access to a lot of things we did have access to before, and that has pushed me to come up with more creative and interesting solutions with “restricted” resources. You would be surprised to know how many amazing things you can do with the materials you have around you. On a personal level, the pandemic has helped me to slow down and breathe; to focus on myself and my personal relationships, which I would say are more important than any song, album, tour, or career.
This situation has also made me reflect on myself and my goals, both professional and personal. I have had more time to plan ahead and, as I mentioned before, to find more creative ways to achieve those plans and goals. I have also learned that most Zoom meetings could’ve perfectly been short emails.
CC: Your Instagram bio states “Welcome to the Universe, and break the Line of Fate . . .” Can you explain what this means, please?
It is a metaphorical concept. I am fascinated by the atmospheric qualities in music, and every time I write and record a song, I try to paint a landscape; to create an atmosphere with the sounds I’m using. So, the first part of the statement, “Welcome to the Universe” is an invitation for the listener to dive into each song. It is also an invitation for the listener to dive into his/her own personal universe, which is linked to the second part of the statement, “Break the Line of Fate”.
A lot of the time, family, teachers, or even governmental entities try to lay down a path before you, a path they want you to follow. But “breaking the line of fate” is following your own path, breaking that limited line set before you, and being who you are; being free of any stigmas and outside pressured expectations, which is also the theme of the album.
CC: Can you talk about your latest release Mar and why people should care about it
Mar is my debut album and is a little piece of myself. That’s why it is self-titled and has a picture of me on the cover; it is very personal. What’s different and special with this album compared to most modern and current rock records is that it captures the raw, live performances of every instrument, especially with the vocals, which have been barely touched. It is very old-school in that matter, that it captures the raw, pure essence of the artist as if the artist was performing live. That obviously requires a great deal of preparation and rehearsals and huge amounts of concentration. Another interesting aspect of the album is the amount of sonic experimentation that I allowed myself to have, especially on the guitars. You would think that I used lots of synthesizers when in reality, 98% of the time, those weird sounds are me and my cherry-colored Epiphone SG-400 experimenting, combining, and going in different directions.
The possibilities are endless when you have a single guitar and a desire to try new things. Like I mentioned before, the ability to create an atmosphere using sound and painting a landscape with it is something that fascinates me. For example, my song “Battle” had me wondering, “what would a sunset sound like?” And the same applies to every other song, some being not the representation of a natural landscape but me trying to put a feeling or an emotion into sound. Such is the example with “The Aftermath”, which is my interpretation of melancholy, or “Heartbreak Eyes” is my interpretation of nostalgia. You also get feelings of fury and triumph and assurance with songs like “Anarchy”, “Nuclear”, “Requiem”, and “A Myth”. “Algorithm” is special because it is an instrumental track that puts into sound what I feel when I stare into the fire. Call me weird but fire captivates me. Those atmospheres and feelings also connect with the lyrical themes of inner war, triumph, and self-improvement.
I started writing my own music at the age of six or seven, and making an album completely produced and recorded by me had always been one of my biggest goals. As someone who spent a lot of his childhood inside recording studios, watching bands and musicians record, and sound engineers working, being able to do that myself is something that intrigued me. I fully recorded my first demo at fourteen, and by the end of 2017, at age sixteen, I had recorded more than fifty demos and built a home studio which I named “The Atmosphere Laboratory”. With all these tools and songs in store, I decided to finally record my first album. However, instead of using all of the songs I had previously prerecorded, I decided to write new material for the album. The recording sessions began in March 2018 and ended in September 2020. Mar contains twelve original tracks that were fully performed and recorded by me
CC: Who would you say the release is for?
The release is for the younger generations. Young kids like me are trying to find out who they truly are, their unique abilities and gifts, and what they can do with them. The album is me telling them and assuring them to be themselves, and to pursue their own goals and careers, to follow their bliss as they say. Yes, the path is hard but we have to fight for our beliefs and convictions. I have also found out that the older generation seems to enjoy it. I have had many older people reach out to me through social media and tell me that they connect with my work because it makes them feel young again, something I feel incredibly humbled for. It makes them feel rejuvenated, that, or just that I remind them of their favorite artists from the 70s and 80s because of the way I look. The record is reaching a lot of people aside from the youth, and that is very touching.
CC: What is your favorite song from the release?
It’s hard to say, but If I had to pick one I’d go with “Into Space” because it is my mother’s favorite, and that was the very first song I wrote for the album, and it sort of started the whole process. That song also came together so naturally and swiftly, so much so that the final version is almost the same as when I first heard it in my head.
CC: Who would you like to play with on a tour when shows are back into full swing
There are lots of artists I would love to tour with. I admire a lot of bands and musicians, but the ones I would like to play with one day when the live shows are back are Skillet, a band that has inspired me and helped me a lot, Greta Van Fleet, they’re young and full of passion like me, and Bon Jovi. And if the guys in Mötley Crüe would add me to their Stadium Tour, I’d be the first human being to arrive at rehearsals.
CC: Why should people care about Mar Palafox?
I’m very interested in human psychology and struggle, a subject I feel most artists and songwriters don’t talk about or address. Sure, you’ll get your typical romantic struggle or your “inner demons”, but it’s always written in a way to make you feel proud for being hurt and do nothing about it other than to accept the fact that you are down or damaged. I don’t see it that way. I write my songs with you as the hero of your own story and not as the victim.
In songs like “Nuclear”, it doesn’t matter how hard your personal situation is, or how bad you got hurt, there are always tools in that pain to make you turn from victim to hero; to take the reins of your own life and fight for who you are and what you stand for. You also have tracks like “Requiem” and “Into Space” that talk about helping others in their own struggles from the perspective of someone that’s been through it all. I believe Hope is the most important thing we as human beings have, and in a world where most people live as victims, turning to Hope is the solution we all need.
CC: Anything else you would like to say?
I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity, I really am. I see that people, especially in the Rock area, are looking for power-driven, fierce, and pure music that breaks the mold of conventional sounds and styles. They’re looking for something honest, and I feel that as an artist, my mission is to produce art as honest and pure as I can. And, “Into Space”, the very first short film (music video) for the album will be released in mid-July. It is a very dynamic, intense, fierce, and artistic project, and I and my team are hugely excited about it. Once again, thank you very much.
Follow Mar Palafox on all socials and music streaming platforms:
Instagram / Twitter / Tiktok / Website
Spotify / Apple Music / Youtube
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Post and interview by Corey Kleinsasser
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