Underwater Tea Party is a quintet from Madrid formed in 2004 and comprised of Clara Martinez, Mikel Alberdi, Martí Perarnau, Irene Bonilla and Diego Blanco.
Their first album "Suburban Metronome" exhales a sweet Pop and a fresh sound. The video of "The Untold Story About Mary & Nick", which was awarded, is like the song: simply brilliant.

Interview with Marti Perarnau keyboardist of Underwater Tea Party:

S: When and how was Underwater Tea Party born?

M: Underwater Tea Party was born 5 years ago in a tiny bar in Madrid. We had a beer and decided to get ourselves involved in this world of hysteria and pop. 5 people attended the meeting and finally only two of us (Mikel and I) formed the band. We started making songs just the two of us while in the meantime we found Clara, Irene and Diego. It wasn’t easy to find our band mates but finally we made it and started working all together. Some songs from the first album were composed even before the rest joined the band but obviously when they entered the songs changed considerably.

S: Where is the name of the band coming from?

M: We were having a smoke in our practice room and it just came by our minds. We were like "oh, what a great name for a band this could be, I’ll write it down so I won’t forget". Obviously we forgot about it, but then two weeks after I looked in the pocket and found the paper with the name written on it. We loved the name and the story is cool, that’s all you need to have a nice name for your band, hehe.

S: How and when did all begin with music?

M: Don’t know about the rest of the band but I started at 12 when I first heard The Beatles "blue album". I rapidly fell deeply in love with “I am the walrus” and “Strawberry fields forever”.

Then I bought my first guitar and I just couldn’t stop playing it. We’ve all been in other bands before we formed Underwater Tea Party, but most of them minor projects. The thing about music is that we’re really crazy for it, we love all kinds of music and we’re really open to new sounds.

S: What are the positive and negative sides of being a musician in Spain?

M: Being a musician in Spain is harder than being a plumber. We’re happy because we’ve sold many albums, taking into account that the business is very ill and people don’t buy music anymore. But that’s okay as long as people keep coming to the concerts. If we were a band from another country we could do our own living out of it right now, but since we’re in Spain we still have to work on other things. Spain is a sunny and a cool country, but people has more respect for a third division football refree than for us musicians.
 
S: Do you feel anxious before a show?

M: Anxiety is not the word, of course we feel a bit nervous. But the right word should be excitement, we feel really excited before going on the stage. Because that’s what we love to do the most. For me the ideal place in this world is being on a stage. We enjoy playing live, so it’s not anxiety what we feel is something more enjoyable. Probably happiness would be the right word too.

S: What musicians or artists had an influence in your life and in your work?

M: The list could be infinite but I can tell you that three months ago I went to a Wilco concert (it wasn’t the first time, but it was still amazing) and I just can’t stop listening to them. They’re the best live band in the world right now, and they’re amazing musicians. To me they’re the perfect example of how musicians should work. I don’t believe in geniouses, David Bowie and John Lennon are geniouses? I prefer to think that they’re gifted people that have worked really hard. That’s what I love about Wilco, they make amazing tunes but you can see that they work really hard.

S: Do you remember what was the first CD you bought?

M: I think it probably was “Modern life is rubbish” by Blur, I listened to Charmless Man in the radio and wanted that album but I couldn’t find it so I bought the one with the train in the cover.


I remember that I didn’t like them when I bought the album but over the years they really captivated me.

S: Do you think the emotion is different between a song in English, Spanish or in French ?

M: The emotion is absolutely different. We make music, so when we write the lyrics we want them to sound musical. Every language fits a song. We make most of our songs in English because that’s the way we imagine them, but we also love the musicality of French. Certainly the ones we’ve got in French have a different emotion subtle and sensual (which is really nice). For us Spanish sounds very raw and we just don’t see our songs in Spanish. In our country they consider us weirdos for that, but it’s just the way we like to work. For us English is the language of rock and pop. At least how we know it.

S: How could you define the music of Underwater Tea Party?

M: Our music is dreamy, wavy, creamy, analogue, surreal, happy and melancholic. Sometimes we sound like Stereolab and sometimes like Yo la tengo, or maybe we don’t. Sometimes we play guitars and sometimes we play strange keyboards. Sometimes we sing and sometimes we don’t. Pinkfloydish, and Beatleish. I love Bob Dylan too, oh and Supergrass. We make Pop with distorted guitars, and we make Rock with beautiful synthetisers.  But forget about all that: Our music is like a good red wine, you can taste many things in it but you just don’t know what it is, you just know it tastes good and it makes you feel good. Our music is like Red Wine (finally I found it!). 

S: Do you agree with Victor Hugo who said :"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad" ?

M: Well yes, melancholy is finding pleasure in being sad. But not everyone does, I usually don’t feel melancholic, usually I’m very optimistic.

S: When you write a song you follow your heart, your brain or your hand?

M: When we write a song we follow our hearts and when it’s written then we use our brains (but not that much, hehe)

S: What is your favourite song of Underwater Tea Party and why?

M: Wow, don’t what to say. Songs are like your children you don’t love one more than the other. But I can tell you that right now I’ve fallen in love with “Better than the movies” a song included in our upcoming album that is already recorded. I know you haven’t heard the song yet, but you will very soon.

S: As a musician, what’s your feeling about internet?

M: Internet is a great tool for us musicians. Starting with how many bands I’ve discovered through it we could be talking for ours. But for us musicians is really useful to get our music known around the world. A record label is not the only way to get your music out there right now, and that’s a good thing for us. We have a much closer communication with our fans too which is great for us. Internet is a great tool and obviously the future in communication. The good thing is that now we have access to all the music we want just a click away, and that’s good for music. Maybe not for big record labels. Such is life.

S: Can you describe what is a typical Underwater Tea Party's day ?

M: Mmmm. We don’t have a typical day that’s the good thing, our typical day cannot be described because we just don’t know how it is. Maybe when we’re touring our typical day is waking up, have brunch, drive to the next venue, soundcheck, beer and wine, play the show, have a couple of drinks and go to sleep. Very typical right?.

S: What are your hobbies aside music?

M: I take pictures, Clara likes politics, Irene is into movies… we’re very arty. heheh
 
S: Are you venturesome persons?

M: Yes, I love adventure. And with the way we work in this band I’d say we’re definitely venturesome persons.

S: Have you some "Untold stories about Clara, Mikel, Marti, Irene & Diego" for us?

M: Hehehe, lots of them. I’ll tell you one that’s yet untold: Our next album has been mixed in Chicago by John McEntire (from Tortoise, who has produced bands such as Bright Eyes and Stereolab). Another untold story? Irene has to wear glasses but she only has a pair of sunglasses. If she wants to read a book she has to do it with sunglasses.

S: Where would you like to play in the future, is there a place in the world you would love to visit?

M: I’d love to play in Japan, that would be great. Don’t know why but I think people in Japan would like our music. Anyway, I’d love to go everywhere with the band. Do a world tour, but that’s distant future. 

S: The singer Katie Melua holds the world record of the deepest underwater concert (at 303 meters below sea level in a platform in North Sea). Do you plan to beat the record ? 

M: That would be great! I didn’t know someone actually did a real underwater show. I’m not sure if that would work, I don’t think the fishes have any hands to cheer us up. But, well I’m really scared of going really deep into sea, I mean not scared to swim away from the beach, or jump from a boat and swim in open sea. But to scuba dive and go miles and miles underwater that really scares me. I’d love to play on a rooftop in New York that would be cool.

S: Are there any things, which you are afraid of? Do you have any fears?

M: Sure. I’m human if wasn’t afraid of anything then life would be very boring. I’ve got lots of fears I just try no to take them seriously.

S: What do you drink in the morning tea or coffee?

M: Orange Juice.

S: What is the best moment and best place to listen to your music?

M: My bed at night, listening to my old vinyl albums. Or maybe in my car at 2 in the morning driving around the empty city.

S: As my website is dedicated to Manic Street Preachers maybe can you say some words about them, if you know them?

M: I saw them live once, I really liked their show. When I was young I really loved them, now they sound a bit boring to me, but that’s the price you pay when you grow old. But I remember that “Generation Terrorists” as a highlight of my adolescence. They’re from Wales right? Must be a nice country to visit. I remember, Nicky Wire he’s got a cool name for a bass player, heheh. Their show in Madrid was nice, I loved the way they played and they’re only 4 guys on the stage with only one guitar. James dean Bradfield is a good guitar player.

S: I know it’s a difficult question, but if you would have to keep just one album from your CD collection what album would it be?

M: Just one. No way! But I can tell you that today I would get Bob Dylan’s "Highway 61 revisited". But tomorrow it would be a different one.


S: What was the last song you listened to before the interview? And, if you know, which one will be the next?

M: Right now I’m listening to The New Pornographers “The myriad harbour” a great song by the way. Mmm, the next song, I'm going to choose Josh Ritter and his song: “Mind’s eye”.

S: Can you tell me the name of one French song, or singer, or band?

M: Sure. There are many French bands I like, for instance M83, Dominique A, Françoise Breut, Serge Gainsbourg, Experience, Diabologum.

S: And say something in French ?

M: je suis sincèrement désolé. I’m not sorry but that’s the only thing I know how to say in French. Clara is the one that really speaks French.

S: What are your plans for the nearest future ?

M: Release our second album. We’ve just finished it and we’re waiting for a label to get it out. It sounds great and for us it’s way better than the first one.

S: And finally, what’s the most important thing in life for you?

M: Health. When you’re healthy you’ve all the chances in your hands to do what you want to do. But with no health you just can’t do anything else.

MANY thanks to Underwater Tea Party for the interview!

More informations about Underwater Tea Party:

- on their website:
http://www.underwaterteaparty.blogspot.com

- on their Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/underwaterteapartytheband