They have become a big little open secret, especially under the protection of the heat and noise of the battle on the stages. The Leonese Catalina Large Small Sprocket They also have a new album, “Reasonable Successes” (Maldito Records, 24), with which they promise to continue fighting.
The music of Catalina Large Small Sprocket It is the perfect example that you can do punk with humor, but without forgetting criticism or demands. In January they launched “Reasonable Successes”, a third album that mixed a review of their hits along with unreleased songs. We contact your singer David Verderon to learn more about the project.
Your group was born in 2019 when you released your first album. A few months later, after the first concerts, you had to stop everything because of the pandemic. How do you remember that time?
We gave our first gig in November 2019 and a couple more later and on March 7, 2020 we played with La Moto de Fernan at the Babylon in León where we had a terrible time. Seven later they locked us up. There we thought it was incredible what was happening, because we were doing so well and the project looked good and, suddenly, it failed. But, instead of breaking down, we sat down and took advantage of the time and started writing another album.
Making what could be a moment of downturn something that would help reinforce and give more strength to the project.
As it is. Seeing how people had breathed with the album “Baile Vermú” we could have thought about trying it again when that was over. But, instead, we started writing, composing and working on the second album. We would see how to attack it when the situation was over, but we continued creating.
We meet now that you are touring and presenting your third album. The truth is that if you listen to the three albums at once, you can see a notable evolution of lyrics and sounds. What is the reason for this change?
I wrote the first album and, musically, I composed 90% of it. I am very limited musically, I know how to play quintar on the guitar and with that I composed some songs. I got together with my colleague Richard, he proposed it to him and we made it super shady, we recorded without rehearsing it or anything. There are things that look out of tune, but we didn’t care, because we said it was super punk, super raw. On the next album, I already went to Richard and told him that he had a melody in his head. Then he created some wild structures, and on those compositions I wrote the lyrics. That album, since it was written in a pandemic, the lyrics were acidic, but at the same time my head asked me to write something else. Then, in this “Reasonable Successes”, the four or five new ones are Richard’s musical compositions with Adrián’s super complex drums.
In addition to this palpable evolution, there is also something that stands out. And that’s how you went from playing only in León to, little by little, being present at many festivals and touring more cities. Something imaginable in the beginning?
We didn’t dream of that. At first we thought that this was something that would only be liked in León and, for that reason, the lyrics are very local when talking about things from here. Then I tried to make them more general. We are lucky to now be with Álvaro, our manager, who is the one who has shown us the paths that lead us to those festivals, to those concerts where we are making those moves. And then the people who come to see us, I’m amazed that they like this so much. The thing is that you go there and they welcome you like at home or better yet, people are killing themselves there and we are delighted.
You are proof that you can make good music, with humor and have lyrics with which to criticize so that people reflect.
I think so, or at least that’s how we conceive it. Sometimes we don’t hide it much because the message is very superficial, but other times there is a message in laughter. It may be more or less, but we try to be critical, be acidic and wrap all that with humor. For example, with “Véndeme el Kía” the one who sticks with the superficial says that it is a laugh song about Rafa Nadal. But we trust the subjectivity of the public, and I know that some laugh but think about what we say.
“We try to criticize, be acidic and wrap all that with humor”
It is very important that those of you who have a microphone take advantage of it to give voice to certain inequalities or circumstances.
Now I’m writing the new album, and my body is asking for acid again. I write what comes to mind, trying not to let them be songs that say everyone has already talked about it. Or if they have done it, then do it another way. I have said it a thousand times, music and lyrics are all invented, but within that, people think that we do something different. And then if you earn criticism and they point you out for saying something, well, we’re too old to care.
The thing is, if you were worried about critical comments, the group would no longer exist, right?
From minute zero. Look, I even get involved with the Panorama Orchestra that comes to my town to drain the coffers. And I walk through the town, and I know that someone will look at me strangely, but I absolutely don’t care because I haven’t told any lies. He who tells the truth does not have to be afraid, and that is our foundation. Have we said something and is it true? Yes, well, no fear, go ahead.
You were talking about generic lyrics before, and on your latest album you have that song dedicated to Rafa Nadal, another to Amancio Ortega or ITV. Who couldn’t identify?
I told you, we try to deal with day-to-day issues. Since I am from a village, many of them are rural issues that I want to believe happen to anyone. But we talk about the MOT, the things that burn you or the time you are wasting. Also from your boss who pays a pittance and he earns a ton, and on top of that you have to answer his phone on the weekend.
One of the most surprising things you have done is the collaboration with Fran Perea in “Pudrirme en la ITV”. How did it come about?
We had met him at a concert of ours in a town in León, and we started writing to each other because he liked the gig. So, when we were proposing this latest work we wanted to include some collaboration. I know that everyone was expecting Lehendakaris Muertos because of the tour we had, but we started thinking about it and we said we were going to do something strange. We thought about Fran, we gave her a try and she said go for it. It’s a plainclothes sun, and I think it turned out very cool, a very dignified and cool ballad. I like it a lot.
This collaboration is proof that you don’t have to be closed-minded when it comes to styles.
I think so. We talk about it a lot, because we have followers of the beginning who say that they don’t like the latter so much and I understand that. The same thing happened to me with other groups, that I listened to them at the beginning and by the third or fourth album it was different from what I liked and I didn’t understand it. But now yes, now I understand that people want to do new things, continue evolving, creating and not stay at one point, even if they are good at it. The same thing happens to us, we are good at “tupa tupa”, but the body asks us for things like now when we want to mix flamenco. Everything with the basis of punk, God knows it is, but wrapping it with many things that I think is possible.
Any dream collaborations?
From the beginning we always proposed collaborations with friends. More than the name, I like that the people who participate in the album are family. If I had to choose one, I wouldn’t know what to tell you. I grew up on ’90s rap, so I’d probably tell you some rapper like Tote King or Kase O. But of course, then I think that they would throw in any line and step on your head, make anything of mine look like trash and like not (Laughs).
Something that characterizes you is that your live performances are spectacular. What differentiates what is heard from what is done in the studio?
I have told everyone, these are things that have nothing to do with each other. You may like the album more or less, but I’m sure you’ll like it live. In the live show we defend those songs, but we no longer give a concert. We are not selling music, we are selling faith. I consider it a spectacle. We have mini monologues, certain speeches that are rehearsed and others that emerge. The public is also super important, because as they are super participatory, sometimes different movements arise. I compare it to the “Predator” movie, which you see for the first time and say it’s an incredible movie. You keep watching it and it’s just as good although it’s not as surprising as the first time. Well, a Catalina Grande Piñon Pequeno concert is the same.
At the beginning you talked about the importance of Richard and Adri in the composition of the albums. Would the group exist without them?
I would be doing monologues, just like that. They are basic, which is why I told you that I have no fucking idea about music, but they are also basic on stage. I improvise a lot, and they are watching me all day long, they are my lifeline. They enjoy it as much as if they were the audience. Between the three of us we make a great team. We are very different characters, and at the same time it seems that we know how to get along, get along. I understand that they say that I am the face, but these guys are the pillars.
You are punks in pure state.
In attitude yes, then in music we can debate it. I believe that, in the end, punk is much more than music, it is the attitude on stage, and I believe we cannot argue with that.
And off stage, are you the same or do you become calmer people?
I am a very calm guy. When the concert ends, I dry myself, change clothes, pull up my pants, and put on my hat so they don’t hurt me too much. I take my things to the car, go home, pet the cats and go down to the bar in my town where there are four of us to have a quiet drink. I’m getting older, I guess I like peace more now and so do my companions. Adrián is the one who likes to party the most, but even so I think we are calm people. We do not sell any lies as I tell you. On stage it is a shadow theater, I play my role… but there is always something of the artist in the work, although there is a lot of imposture.
“Punk is much more than music: it is the attitude on stage; and I think we cannot argue with that”
You have several dates announced for 2024. How do you expect everything to turn out?
We have festivals that make me terribly excited like Castelo Rock in Muros, AbejaRock, Tsunami inside the venue, Vintoro… I know that there are people from León who say that we are not going to play there, but they have to understand us. We are trying to expand the brand. We are doing venues that we went to last year and had a good audience, but now we are doubling that number of people. And that’s because he’s liking what we’re doing. Playing in León is amazing for us and of course we will go soon.
Is there any place to take your religion that you consider would be the culmination of your career?
I would have liked to play at the Resurrection Fest, because I love the festival and Viveiro, where I go every year for two or three days to play the fig. And I would tell you Mad Cool. It would be a very strange thing, but for people to come and be amazed by us would be very cool. I would know how to adapt the show to something like that, not offend everyone and defend it for that audience. If you’re not going to play somewhere you don’t know if people are going to like what you do, it would be taking our religion to the limit.