Writer: David Sàez
Photos: Courtesy of the band.
Barcelona quartet Saturna have recently released “The Reset”. A new record that’s been one of the standout releases to pass through this newsroom’s ears. True to their own way of understanding music, they’ve raised the bar on their own discography in terms of quality. And on top of that, Alexandre Sánchez, Rod Tirado, Enric Verdaguer and James Vieco were kind enough to answer a short interview for us.
On “The Reset” you keep the same drive and force as always, very honest and authentic, but we have to say you’ve taken a step forward compared to previous, more direct and raw productions. Is that positive leap in production mainly down to accumulated experience, or are other factors at play too?
It’s a bit of a mix of a lot of factors. Obviously we have a little more experience now, but it’s also true that we wanted to pay much closer attention to the album’s pre-production: working much more meticulously on the songwriting, chasing the sound more, being more selective about the tracks. We also deliberately went for a more modern production and sound than on previous records, and that comes through too.
The soul of the band is hard rock rooted in the seventies, but without falling into anachronism. Would you describe your music that way to someone who hasn’t heard you yet? Would you give them any musical reference points?
That definition is fair enough — you could say we play classic hard rock, but we’re not purists about it, unlike some of today’s “seventies revival” bands, who might shy away from certain arrangements for fear of sounding too modern. With that spirit, you could pretty much take anything as a reference, from Free to Soundgarden — basically any band from the late sixties right up to today.
Every album always has a track that, the moment it’s born, you can tell will be something special. Which one was that for this record?
Gosh, well, I think it’d probably depend on each of us… Sometimes there are songs that, while you’re writing them, you’re sure will be the best thing on the album, and once they’re recorded they don’t quite come together as well as others that didn’t seem to promise as much at first, and which end up carrying far more weight because you managed to land a really solid sound, or a particular performance, or whatever. Maybe one we’d almost all agree on would be “The Never Ending Star” — a very complete track compositionally, and pretty rich in arrangements, one that maybe edges closer to progressive rock than what we’re usually known for.
The band’s beginnings go back to 2010, and you’ve been grinding away and building a name for yourselves ever since. “Atlantis” (2019) never got the promotion it deserved because of the pandemic the following year. Is that why “The Reset” is really a reset — starting over, but this time reclaiming the opportunities denied by force majeure?
Well, we hope so. The truth is the pandemic turned everything upside down, not just musically but in life in general. Along the way, beyond the people we lost, a lot of other things were lost too: bands, venues, promoters, technicians… We hope there’s still at least a minimal amount of infrastructure left to present the record, but more than anything, we’re dying to hear it played live.
And do you have live shows planned for this new year?
Yes, the most immediate one is in Barcelona at Sala Wolf on 20 January, with our friends Montevista Drive, where we’ll present “The Reset” for the first time. The following week we’ll be in Madrid, and after that we’ve got a few more shows lined up in Vitoria, Tenerife, and a couple more bits and pieces.
Are you noticing that the new album is catching attention beyond your own borders, and that you might end up playing some international festival?
Honestly, the album’s getting a really good reception internationally, and there might well be something in the works for this summer — a festival, a small European tour — but it’s all still to be confirmed.
Do you want to set yourselves apart from other bands in some way, or does that not really factor into your plans, since you’re too busy just making music?
Honestly, that’s not something we’ve ever really thought about. What is clear to us, as we said before, is that we try not to self-censor creatively, and the variety you’ll find on the record is proof of that. Maybe a purist stoner fan won’t like it because they’re after a specific kind of riff with a particular distortion, or the other way round, maybe a classic rock fan won’t like it because there’s too much distortion, or whatever. We don’t really think about that — we just try to write good songs for people who listen to music without prejudice to enjoy. The rest — labels, genres, comparisons — we leave that to the listeners and the press.
Is there any special venue or festival where you’d love to play a show?
Well, there are several festivals where we’d love to bring our music: Freak Valley, Roadburn, Azkena Rock, Sonic Blast, Herzberg… and if it fits, Tótum too!
The beautiful cover of “The Reset” is fantastic, and it really shines in the vinyl edition. Do you feel that in recent years there’s been more demand for that format, or hasn’t there really been much of a difference?
We always try to take great care over the artistic side, because we believe it’s part of the whole, and the people who buy it really appreciate that. “The Reset” probably wouldn’t have caught as much attention from so many people if it weren’t for Jondix’s magnificent cover art. A vinyl is like a work of art, and whoever buys one knows that. The vast majority of what we sell at concerts is vinyl, and that’s been true ever since we started a few years back. People buy the digital album too, but the collector types like to touch it, smell it, read it…
Did your family and friends support you when you decided to become musicians instead of pursuing a hobby as enriching as pigeon racing?
I think our families and friends have come to realise we wouldn’t be the same people without music — it’s not a hobby you just decide to spend time on, it’s a vital need you have to fulfil. We could stop making music if we were forced to, but we wouldn’t be the same people any more, and I think we’d end up begging to come back to it! The question always ends up being how to find a balance between family life and the time devoted to your passion.
And is there any artist or band you’d like to share a stage with, or write a song with?
Well, there are a fair few, both from here and abroad… Right now I’d probably say Rival Sons, since I think they put on an incredible live show, or on the national scene, The Soulbreaker Company, for example.
Once again, thank you for your kindness, and we hope to cross paths and enjoy your live show sometime.
Thanks for the interview, and we hope to see you at the shows, because albums are great, but they don’t mean much if you don’t live them, and the best way to live music is live.