Today we got our hands on the new Lost Tapes 7" Limited Edition EP and we were pleasantly surprised by a)the amazing package that BoxBedroomRebels catered for and b)the superb songs that we heard. Lost Tapes are an indie pop duo from Spain. RJ Sinclair and Pau Roca have been making rad music for the past two years and they caught our 'ear' with their previous releases on Cloudberry Records and Beko Disques. After listening to the new EP we had a little chat with RJ.
Fp2t: So, how did you start the band?
RJ: Well, I’ve known Pau from a long time ago; we used to meet in different summer festivals but we just hung out, you know. And by talking , we saw we got a lot of similar influences and we liked the same bands. We started the band in Madrid where he was living in that moment...2 years ago. I had some ideas for another band. I was in a really dark and bad time then and Pau talked to me and he told me we could record the songs that I had at that moment and we should try to run a new band together. Now he's living in Valencia again, we're just 3 hours away from each other. I live in a small town, south of Barcelona, so I get a train directly to Valencia and in just 3 hours I’m there… We used to record our music where Pau was; we started in Madrid and now we're doing the sessions in Valencia.
Fp2t: So 'Lost Tapes'...Where did you get your name from?
RJ: You know, when you start playing with a band, it's the last thing you do..I mean we were recording our first songs and it's like always you got a show and... " Damn it, we don't have a name...so we have to find something cool". Our first name was horrible, something like ‘The Black Museum Shop’... it was our dark and noisy period. Finally, we decided to change the name before the first show. 'Lost Tapes' is more like us. You know, we're coming from a tape generation, before the CDs. Tapes were the actual internet. We were crazy fans of music, listening to tons and tons of music…Before the internet, people did mixtapes and the name comes from that period… something to say we miss those things. 'Lost Tapes', means something like that…our lost mixtapes...
Fp2t: When you wrote ‘Lost In Youth’ what did you have in mind?
Fp2t: This EP is a bit different from what we're used to from Lost Tapes. There a lot of different sounds. Does this mean that Lost Tapes are not just another indie pop band?
RJ: Yes, we recorded ‘Lost In Youth’ and ‘Slumber Party’ and another song that eventually we didn't finish, but after we talked to the record label, they explained to us that it was a 7" EP 33rpm so we needed more songs.. So they asked for old songs that we had never put out. So maybe that's the reason for the difference between the songs.
Fp2t: ‘Dreaming On The Waves’ gives the EP a more shoegazey touch. ‘Cry & Lie’, the bonus track, too.
RJ: Well, we’ve always been related with the shoegaze and dream pop scene. We say we play music that we like to play, music that we'd love to listen to.
Fp2t: Music to get lost in… So, what are the things you get lost in?
RJ: Innocence
[RJ copies the lyrics of ‘Lost In Youth’]
Fp2t: And if you were to do some kind of 'mixtape' of your favourite things, what would these be?
RJ: You know, you always get great memories from your early years. When you're young you think everything sucks, but now I’d love to be back. And most of these things make you lose your innocence because the past will not be back again and you got special memories about the good things... We grew up in the 90's. Everything was special. Everything was a discovery…Of course now I say I’d want to be back, but of course with the experience that I got now. But this is impossible.
Fp2t: So your music is your means of going back to those days...
RJ: My first shows, my first records, my first music magazines. Music was the most important thing for me. I was like a sponge. My first show was the Rollings band. I was a hardcore kid but I really didn't care about anything. One day it was a Fugazi show, the day after it was Gigolo Aunts. Pop, indie, punk, hardcore, folk, hip hop…whatever was good for me if I thought that the bands were good enough.
Fp2t: Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
RJ: Puff... I don't know…doing records with Kanye West and Beck. [Laughs] I'm a country guy, I don't have too many future ideas. I'm taking everything step by step.
Fp2t: What should Lost Tapes fans expect from you in the near future?
RJ: I hope great songs. That's the most important thing for us, to record great songs.
Fp2t: Do you have any other releases scheduled for this year?
RJ: We're going to start recording our debut album this month. We got most of the songs, I mean demos. We've played these songs on our shows. I think 'She’s Over Guitars' could be a single off the new album. We also have to record a cover of Rose Meldberg for a February Records compilation. And we'll put out an LP compilation of our best singles before our first album including 2 bonus tracks on Shelflife Records, from Portland, OR.
Fp2t: Any shows?
RJ: This year we will be at Primavera Sound and we'll do it with a band, less electronic stuff and drums and bass players. We’re looking forward to the experience!
Be sure to catch them on one of their shows and listen to the smashing first track off the EP here.
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