Where did you meet each other ?
E: We meet in NY, at Lori's work. Guillermo Scott Herren, Prefuse 73, introduce each other as we were going to play together in Savath and Savalas tour.
Why did you chosed the name Storms ?
E: We liked it
L: Yes Storms seemed like a good descriptive for a lot of things about us. It also happens to be one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs. And when I told our friend Roberto Lange that we were thinking of calling ourselves Storms, he said it was "heavy". So we had to do it.
Who are your major influences ?
E: From 60's - 70's psychedelic, mostly Brazilian but whatever sounds psychedelic. Some British and Catalan folk and some kraut rock....Lately I love this woman, Dory Previn.
L: So many - it's always different at different times. When we started this record I was obsessed with Elis Regina after seeing a video of a live performance of Caxangá from 1977. It was from a Milton Nascimento TV special. She made so much music and a lot of her late 70's stuff is really terrible, but there are some amazing moments within that.
Right now for me it's Arvo Pärt, Kate Bush, Kevin Shields.
"Lay Your Sea Coat Aside" is your first album. Tell us about him.....
E: It was made with love and rush. We only had a month to record it so it was a very intense process. At the end we were exhausted and a little crazy but I couldn't stay in NY for more time so it was an intense record to make!
L: Definitely made with a lot of love and delirium. I love the crazy texture of Eva's voice - so once we started working I knew that I wanted to make the record all about that, to achieve sparkle and texture through space and the most stripped-down musical palette. Unfortunately for her that meant having to stand in my closet for hours every day doing vocals.
She would improvise on top of these short guitar pieces that I'd already been working on, and we'd record tons of vocal layers. So we'd collage and re-compose, collage and re-compose - both the musical bed and the vocals. It was a super organic process that grew out of throwing things up and seeing what worked, then deconstructing and rebuilding from there. Ultimately very accidental and totally collaborative.
And we brought in Ann Stephenson to provide the lyrics, which was really great - she's a poet here in New York and it was the first time I've ever worked in that way. Ultimately she understood the emotional narrative of the music, and she filtered that through images of nature and place and journeys... And the process of incorporating those words was very much the same as the composition process, so it was really exciting the way it all came together.
Lori is from New York and Eva from Barcelona. It was difficult to get each other together for the album recording ?
E: Well, it wasn't that difficult to get there but, in terms of money, it was hard. NY it's very expensive for a Catalan lady like me so we had just one month, as I said, and that was the most difficult part of it.
The rest was very nice. Lori is the best person to share a small apartment in Manhattan, and to make a record with, that's for sure!
L: Yeah it was definitely hardest for Eva because she was away from home and stuck in my apartment for so long with little money. I was at least able to work and be in my own city. But that just added to the intensity of the process- we knew that we had to get everything done within 5 weeks, so there was a lot of pressure. We barely saw anyone else the whole time we were working on this record. Eva kept having dreams about Stockholm Syndrome, if that tells you anything.
What´s the name of the beach from de "Sweet Cup" videoclip ?
L: That is a beach on the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, in Tulum.
That place was an inspiration for you, or just a choise from the director ?
L: It was a choice by the director. Jill Pangallo is a good friend of mine & we were there years ago, so there's definitely a personal connection to the place. She had filmed all of this Super 8 footage and was waiting for a good opportunity to use it. I think it fits perfectly - I tend to be a bit dark in my visualizations of my own music, so hearing the song through that sunny context is quite beautiful.
You will keep the "Storms" project alive with future releases, or was just an experience ?
E: I hope Lori Scacco still loves me after my mother's "absent" experience and comes to Barcelona to make another record!
L: I do still love her and yes we'll do another one for sure, as soon as I can get to Barcelona.
Do you have plans for a tour ?
E: I just had a baby and it seems pretty impossible by now but I hope in the future we'll tour some way, somehow....we'll see.
L: That's really the hardest part about living in two different countries, the issue of touring. It just takes a lot of planning, financially and otherwise. For now I'd rather spend that time and money making another Storms record. After that we'll see what can happen.
What do you know about Portugal ?
E: I went there 10 years ago by myself and it's one of the countries I love the most. I went to Lisboa and Porto and to a little village called Peniche. I missed Sintra and more other places I would love to visit but I promised I would come back..... Probably soon! Also I have very good portuguese friends whom I really love. Ricardo Leite, I love you!
L: I've sadly never been. I know that I love the language - it's one of the most beautiful, and so musical. My parents went to Portugal for their honeymoon in 1964 and saw their first bullfight. So it's a special place for them. I hope to visit one day soon!
Any final words for the Portuguese readers ?
E: Please, don't let the politicians and the FMI fuck your plans for living. RESIST! WE ARE WITH YOU ON THIS
L: Um abraço
