The quartet Laguna Goonsof Andalusian origin and settled in Euskadi, continues to advance steadily towards its consolidation within the Basque and national rock scenes.
They just released their new EP, “Teachers”and with their music they transmit the same self-confidence and the same lack of prejudice as when answering the questions posed in the interview.
-What can you tell us about the cover and the title of the EP, “Teachers”? What story is hidden behind that sorrowful character that appears in the image?
As such, knowing English the best way to get money, to eat, live and party is to be a teacher.
All of us have gone through that work experience and have suffered every time we had to enter the classroom or room to put up with repellent children when you keep dragging the
weekend hangover…
We think it’s the clearest representation of our lives right now. Right now we are answering this coming back from a concert with an epic hangover, and having to work on Monday but hey it’s the life we have chosen hehe.
-When listening to the new songs, groups like Pixies, Parquet Courts, Vulk or Ídolos del Extrarradio come to mind. What kind of music do you like the most, what influences crowd your brains when writing the songs?
We are like sex, sometimes we shoot more for the dirty and sometimes for the beautiful and delicate. We do not close ourselves to anything, as long as we are all cool. Maybe in a few years you can see us doing flamenco or canutero reggae.
But wow, it’s a compliment to be compared to groups as powerful as the ones you mention.
-Alternate the texts in English and Spanish. Is it something natural, do you handle both languages in your day to day? With which of the two do you find yourself more comfortable?
Well yes, David and Wouter are foreigners so it’s totally normal for us to speak Spanglish, the rest of us learned on the street since we were little.
We try to use Spanish because of the scene that exists now, but in English everything sounds much more handsome, we are at a point where we don’t know whether to try to enter the scene or do whatever the hell we want.
-It seems that you give quite a lot of importance to lyrics. Do you have the need to express your feelings and your vital experiences?
The truth is that it is always the last thing hahaha,
Yes, we write on a day-to-day basis and many times, compiling ideas together, cool things come out.
Also many things come out improvising in rehearsals and concerts hahaha. There are many times when spontaneity makes you express what you live and what you feel in a more direct and unique message.
A lot of the gang today repeat the same thing, talk about the same things, quite boring in general. Obviously, there are very beautiful things on the national scene, but generally, well…
-Your compositions are quite rocky in general, and the shadow of postpunk is very long. On some occasion you have commented that you like both skateboarding and surfing as leisure activities. Will these hobbies be reflected in your music one day?
I really don’t think so, we have grown up watching skate videos, where we have met thousands of very handsome groups (Red Zebras for example), who have influenced us like hell. But I think that if you make a song forced into something, it loses all its freshness and ends up being a hit.
The music that sounds in skate and surf videos are not songs that have been made trying to reflect surfing or skateboarding, they are beautiful and that’s it, and we will do the same.
-Speaking of surfing, I think you have been living in Getxo for some time, a great place to establish your operations center. I imagine that you have contacted and strengthened ties with many bands in the area. Which Basque groups do you feel most identified with on a stylistic level?
Chambao.
-You are very young. Many people in their twenties like you identify right now with another type of proposal than the so-called urban music, rock is no longer in fashion among the older generations. Are you interested in these new musical trends?
We believe that it is resurfacing a bit, in Bilbao there is a beautiful scene and very handsome groups.
You have to be aware of what is happening as well.
Some of us are more lazy and others are more aware of those moves.
-Little by little you are burning stages. You have recorded a demo, a single and now an EP. Will we be able to enjoy a long-playing album soon?
Buy our merch so we can record things more wapas please, we are poor
-By the way, the sound of “Teachers” seems impeccable, forceful and powerful. Where did you record it and with whom?
With Jon’s teacher, in El Tigre thanks to Villasound. We are very happy with the result, Jon is a makinon as a producer, he always tries to spin everything and try weird moves. The truth is that he is a boss. Jon, if you’re watching this, thank you, we love you, King. Let’s see if we’re going to have a pintxopote soon, a kiss.
-From May 30, the complete EP can be heard on the main digital platforms. Taking advantage of the resurrection of vinyl, do you plan to capture it in that format or does the physical support not seem important to you?
Damn it would be the ostia, I think that all the groups want to have a vinyl of theirs to rock it out there, and more than that we have a powerful collection of vinyls (almost all of Wouter and David the truth).
But since we’re huge melons we haven’t even considered it, for the next thing we release (which we don’t know if it will be an EP or LP) we’ll release something physical for sure.
-Recordings are essential for a band to make itself known, but concerts are where they really play it. Do you consider yourselves a live band? To what extent is the exhibition relevant and motivating to the public?
Live we are an epic delirium, but it is how we identify ourselves.
And 100% that we are more of a live group than a recording one.
The truth is that it’s cool that people come to sweat with us, who doesn’t like to play with a crowded room?
I think that feedback motivates you and encourages you to make more trouble haha
-After so much existential anxiety, little by little the waters were returning to their course and many venues and rooms managed to revive. Do you have closed dates to present “Teachers” on stage?
June 17 at the Guretxo Fest con volcom entertainment
July 27 at the Plea de Loredo
August 25 (Friday of Aste Nagusia – Bilba0) in the Cafe Theater with Dadabe
7 October – Marbepop
and we played in england for the first time 😉
September 28 – Oxford
1st October – Bristol
and we are looking to see if we close any more there.