by Shaina Machlus
There’s something really magical about a musician’s first band. The introduction and execution of language through sound. Risk and experimentation. Rapid growth, mountains, hills, and sometimes desserts navigated with instrumentation.
For all members of the Barcelona group Kelly Kapowsky, it is their very first musical endeavor. An all lady, five piece indie pop band hailing from sunny España. The result is irresistible strawberry-sugar-pie indie-pop. Cat Power meets The Shags for a beach holiday. Well thought out simplicity with infallible, airy vocals.
Kelly Kapowsky, began with Núria Palacín and Eva Carasol watching a Warpaint video and being inspired to give music a go themselves. Núria occupied her partner’s drumset, Eva found a keyboard, and Kelly Kapowsky was born. Núria and Eva envisioned an all-lady line up and through some powerful thinking and a bit of destiny, the rest of the team filtered in one by one. Maite Weinhold, a coworker of a friend, was happily handed a bass guitar, Laia Gil had learned folk guitar from her father, and via a friend of a friend of a friend Made Torres breezed in with vocals.
When talking about the formation, each member glowingly gushes about their immediate love affair with one another. Serious girl-crush embodied in a band.
For the last two years the women learned to play music through their collective songwriting. Kelly Kapowsky’s foundation is centered around playing with all women; a level of comfort which might otherwise not be achieved. Listening to the music and watching their performances, there is an intertwining comradeship that is unmistakable. Their progress is more collaborative than individual; an investment in one another every bit as important as their own success.
Within Kelly Kapowsky, there is a separate universe each member calls home. For Laia, Maite, and Made, all normally self-proclaimed shy, bold expression is simple. Music allows Eva to feel every single part of her body all at once. And for Núria, playing drums unlocks an entirely different part of her personality; primal, powerful, and confident. For all of Kelly Kapowsky playing music is about transmitting emotion that can only be heard through their songs.
You can hear Kelly Kapowsky here: kellykapowsky.bandcamp.com
Don’t miss their cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Running up the Hill’ and their original ‘Runaway’.
Start listening to them now, so you can say you knew them before they were huge.
Núria‘s guide to starting drums:
Rudiments, rudiments, rudiments. Buy a practice pad and practice every single day.
Start playing with other musicians as soon as possible and find people who give you confidence and encouragement.
Never stop trying. Period.
Different is a good thing. Play the beats you hear in your head, don’t worry about sounding like everyone else.
Dream kit: Ludwig anything
Favorite drum in her kit: Any and all toms
Can’t play without: Vic Firth sticks
Three words that describe her drumming: Impatient, quiet, instinctual.
Inspired by: Stella Mozgawa, Zach Hill, Deantoni Parks
Drumming makes Nuria feel: Alive, immersed, crazy