Two years after releasing their debut, Jimena Amarillo come back with “Sorrow is not comfortable” (Mushroom Pillow, 23) after managing to establish himself on the national scene. We talked to her about all the maelstrom of things that have happened to her in all this time.
Jimena, we are just a few weeks away from the release of your second album, “La pena no es confortable”, how are you feeling right now?
Now I want it to come out now, I’m not nervous or anything, I really want it to come out now. The next single that comes out I think totally represents the record, the album is that song. It’s a record that almost all of me produced and I’m very sure of it, I’m not getting the funk at any time, maybe I’ll shit tomorrow, but I don’t think so.
On your first album you dared to push pop to the limit, but on this one you’ve already lost all inhibitions, including rap, rock and even fado. How has the composition process of this crazy album been?
Here it has gone, yes total (laughs). I never think about concepts when I do things, I was simply at a time when I started producing every day and cool things came out, I had a pull. The only thing that is clear to me when doing something is that I want everything to be very different from everything else, that’s why there are some songs that you say “girl, maybe the rock wants a round album”, but they come out naturally for me. And suddenly, I did twelve songs.
“I don’t like people who put out five songs before the album, then they put out the whole album and only two are new, it makes me sick”
One of the most surprising songs of the work is “Because you would know”, which seems to be the continuation of “Playing the Sims”.
Yeah! It’s totally continuation.
And on top of that, it’s a song in which you enter rock for the first time, when did you dare to take that leap?
Well, I don’t know, I wanted to do rock, because it’s super predictable that someone will go to rock, and I also wanted to make it very obvious, with the basic rock chords. But in the end, putting my lyrics and my voice into it, I knew it wasn’t going to be so basic, it takes you somewhere else. So I said “well, we’re going to rock” and I saw myself in a studio recording rock drums, I lost my fear of recording them and to the fullest, that’s how it went.
On this album you have encouraged yourself to carry almost all the creative weight. Not only in terms of the songs, almost all of which have been composed, produced and performed by you, but also with all the art on the album. What has it been like to do it all yourself?
Yes, wow all the songs produced except two, although I have also composed those two. I had never brought out everything I knew, and I saw myself depending on a lot of people when I could do it and I was like “aunt, if you can do everything, why the hell don’t you do it and stop bullshitting and depend on whether this or that happens to you? It is that in the end I am the one who knows exactly what I want, and if I could do everything, then I did. What gave me an anxiety that freaks out? Well, too, but in the end it’s a product that has all come out of me and I find it very crazy. It is the typical album that an artist releases because everything has come out of it, and from what comes something sweats me. It was clear to me that I wanted to have a record that was all mine, not to prove anything to anyone, but to tell myself that I can do it alone and now let’s go for something else.
And between one album and another you have released several singles, as well as the EP “Mientras ando” (Mushroom Pillow, 22) together with Belizemanu. However, none of those songs has entered the album…
Yes, I don’t stop releasing music, it’s just that I’m a heavy whore. I like that everything is new, that a whole block of novelties comes out. I don’t like people who put out five songs before the album, then put out the whole album and only two are new, it makes me sick. I want that suddenly Boom! A whole new block.
Apart from raising issues, many other things have also happened to you. From being part of Spotify’s Radar program, to starring in Correos campaigns, but one of the most interesting is that you are the youngest artist to have her own podcast on Radio 3, when did the opportunity come to you?
Totally crazy! Besides that I found out last week, I didn’t know that she was the youngest artist to have a show on Radio3. The truth is that I am grateful that people know who I am, because one day my manager called me, a crazy person like me, and said “Hi Jimena, do you want to have a podcast on Radio3?”, literally it was like that and I told her ” Lol, of course, to the fullest ”. I was aware the other day of what it means that Radio3 has counted on me for this… I mean, I have a podcast on Radio3, hello? People from all over Spain are listening to me speak, it’s just that it’s very loud.
“If I could do as Adele did so that it could be heard in the order that I did it, I would”
The first time we spoke you told me that if you had to keep a record to listen to in the car it would be “Circa Volumen II” by Eddi Circa. And curiously your only collaboration so far is with her.
How did you stay when I took it out, huh?
¡Loco! (laughs)
It was the first time I dared to pass something to someone. I’m not one for collaborations, I’m super me, it’s hard for me to make music with people, because I don’t usually like people, I’m like that, we’re going to do it. And I opened him on Instagram and with all my pussy I sent him a demo and told him that I had done that and if he liked it. So I came to Madrid, we met and everything was super human, the song came out and I freaked out. Besides, now we’re friends and everything.
You also told me that you did your songs precisely the way you’re doing this interview, walking down the street. Is it still like this or have you professionalized the process more?
Well, that’s how I kept doing it! I have not professionalized anything, the truth, how lazy. I keep doing it like this, I record a riff at home, I go out and everything comes out. In fact, there have been crazy songs on the album, that I’ve said I’m going to do this and that and I don’t care about everything. It comes out on its own, in fact, I never think about what I’m going to say, there’s a theme, “Tarde de sosiego”, which is me reflecting on an absurd life. Anyway, I’m crazy, but I keep doing it like this.
Although you have included an interlude on your new album, something more conventional than what you are used to…
Of course I have gone as a professional (laughs). I have said “come on, modernize yourself” and I have put in an interlude and everything, how crazy.
Does this interlude feel like the record splits in two?
The truth is that no, I see everything in blocks, everything is one. The order is well thought out, because there are sensations that vary a lot… there is a rap song, another rock song, a ballad and they had to be separated so that when you hear it suddenly a guitar comes on, then a slow one, then a rap and so, so that it upsets you a little. If I could do as Adele did so that she could be heard in the order in which I have done it, I would.
And soon you will start a new tour, what can you tell us about it?
Is strong. At the moment we mostly have festivals, in fact, right now I’m shitting myself because my cell phone is vibrating because the FIB has tagged me. Hello? We are crazy? And nothing, we’re suddenly going to festivals, next week we’re also playing in Huelva… and the truth is that I’m freaking out.
Are you going to change the show?
Yes, for the new record I’m going to change everything. Suddenly I’m going to be modernized.
And do you already have future projects in mind or are you currently focusing as much as possible on the album?
I am now dry. I was so empty making the record that I said I never wanted to make music again in my life. Now I’m making music without lyrics, because I got so dry from saying so many things that I’m doing now like electronic music, imagine, I’m a crazy bitch. I want someone to call me and tell me to add music to a video or animation, that’s what I’d like to do now. Singing isn’t coming out for me, I’m exhausted, but in two weeks I’ll pick it up again and make three records for you, it’s just that I’m a pain in the ass.
