“We need the band to stay sane”

When his post-hardcore band decided to put on the brakes to rest a little, Aitor de Haro took the opportunity to pick up his guitar and give free rein to all his sonic concerns. This is how it is born The Galla project with the desire to explore the confines of rock, and thus was born “The Gall” (Long Live Records/Seal Records, 26), which will soon have a physical edition from Radix Records.

I feel that in the latest albums by the Catalans The Wax we already found the shoegaze seed of The Gallsince the Navarcles band was moving from the post-hardcore of its beginnings towards more alternative terrain. Their frontman had started to pick up the guitar to defend live “A Place to Bury Our Sins” (18) and their latest EP to date, “L’Eufòria” (21).

I’m talking about this new adventure with the alma mater of The Galla solo project turned into a quartet after the incorporation of old friends such as Àngel González (drums), Gerard Comellas (guitar) and Roger Rovira (bass). Together they have published a first full-length album of the same name, “The Gall”.

With The Wax you managed to make a name for yourself in the alternative scene of our country by breaking a lot of stones.
There were many memorable moments. Playing at festivals and sharing the stage with international bands is always attractive. The year we released “Don’t Belong” (17) and played in a packed Revolver store was nice. But if I had to highlight significant moments, personally I would stick with the friendships we have made along the way. We have met very special people with whom we still have a connection. Fraternize with Zombies & Diamonds and Habitar la Mar… If with La Hiel we get half as much as with The Wax, I’m satisfied.

“I have never tried to compose trying to sound like something specific. Rather I compose and then I discover that it reminds me of something”

When do the songs for La Hiel’s first EP begin to take shape?
The first compositions emerged before the break with The Wax, but it was not until later that the songs took shape. The possibility arose of getting together with other musicians and starting a new project, but I noticed that everything was going too slow for my liking. Ghosts from the past loomed and I didn’t want to go through the same thing again. Then I decided that those songs that I had composed in large part, I would go and record on my own at Wheel Sound Studio with the help of my brother Àngel (The Wax) on drums and Txosse Ruiz as producer. The result was the EP “Bloom” (25)”.

You needed to record those songs. What does music and having a band mean to you in your daily life?
Music is essential in my daily life. I’m always looking into the latest news or rediscovering music from yesteryear. When it comes to the exercise of composing, it has become something vital, like someone who needs their cigarette or going for a run in the mountains. It is my way of communicating with others, of connecting, of being able to express myself and at the same time it also serves as a shelter and outlet for me. We need the band to stay sane.

I have recovered an interview from 2017 with your other band and you explained to me that your three favorite bands were Refused, Deftones and Nirvana. What would be the three reference bands for La Hiel?
The truth is that I have been obsessed with My Bloody Valentine for a while. The mystique that surrounds the band has captivated me. They are responsible for my search through noise experimentation and wanting to push the established limits. Furthermore, they are the band with the most deafening live performance that I have witnessed to date and that wall of sound that borders on the physical is an experience that I would like to investigate further. Failure too, because I think they are masterful musicians producing catchy hits without the need to rejoice in pop. And Nothing, because they are currently the best representatives of the new shoegaze and have managed to capture the best of each trend and, at the same time, have their own sound.

Your first album is very varied within the coordinates of alternative rock, but my question is if it is something sought after or it emerged that way because you are still looking for your own sound.
I have never tried to compose trying to sound like something specific. Rather I compose and then I discover that it reminds me of something. In the end, each person’s influences come to light. Impossible to get away from it. With the voices, for example, I had a dilemma. Did I change my register completely to distance myself from the more aggressive tone that I did in The Wax and thus leave my comfort zone? In the end I decided to investigate with more melodic registers, but also let out the most aggressive part when the body asked me to. And that, at the end of the day, is the most important thing for me. Be honest with yourself. Don’t be afraid to investigate and experiment. It’s the most fun.

What can we expect from your new songs?
I can tell you that it tries to be more experimental and noisy, to distance itself from the band’s more accessible tone. And also that there is a theme in Catalan, which is something that has always given me a lot of respect. Our motivation is to continue expanding the musical amalgam of the project.