It only took one spontaneous Bob Dylan cover for Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote to discover their potential as a musical duo. Two Soundcloud releases later, the Spanish indie rockers now known as Hinds were propelled into a whirlwind career.
After being joined by bassist Ade Martin and drummer Amber Grimbergen, Hinds embarked on their first world tour in 2015. Their relatable lyrics and authentic garage band style brought them new fans and followers at each stop. By the time the group finished their yearlong adventure, they had accumulated enough material to release their first album, 2016’s Leave Me Alone.
Hinds will head to Hi Ho Lounge on Monday, March 14 for their inaugural New Orleans performance. Considering their rapid ascent into the spotlight, it’s safe to expect them to take their first NOLA stage by storm.
I got to catch up with Cosials, one of Hinds’ Madrid-born founders, earlier this week. while she was in New York City. She gave me a peek inside her writing process, her inspirations, and the band’s fast track to fame.
How did you guys get your start?
The band properly started two years ago. But we met each other before. We were very, very close friends before the band.
And you just decided to start playing together?
Well yeah, more or less. We’ve always been music lovers, and it was a long time ago, like in 2011 or so. That was the moment that Ana and me, we had the first moment of taking a guitar and doing a cover of Bob Dylan. It was called “It Ain’t Me, Babe”–that song. And we repeated it again and again and again and again, like a million times. We fell in love with the sensation of playing music and singing and what music makes you feel, and we decided to start a band at that moment. So we started to do covers, and then in the winter of 2014 we started to write our own songs.
What would you consider your big break as a band?
Actually, the moment that we put the two songs we had on the internet. That was an explosion. We sometimes laugh because if you think of instructions to have a band, the first step is to write songs and the second step is to share them, right? Like, show them to the world. So in the second step of instructions to have a band, we totally blow it up! The Enemy was writing about us the day afterward. We didn’t even have promo pictures, it just started super fast from the very beginning.
So the four of you didn’t actually start playing together until 2014?
No, no no no. It started with Ana and me only, we were writing the songs and stuff. And then, after recording the first two songs, we realized that we were going to need more people because in the music we listen to, we prefer of course a complete band. Ade was our best friend, so we asked her. We gave her a bass for her birthday, and we met Amber via Facebook.
It seems like 2015 was really big for you, your first world tour and completing your first album.
Well, it was exactly what you said. We did everything at the same time. We had to write an album while we toured, like the whole thing. So we had to finish writing songs between tours, no sleeping at all. And then all the decisions you have to make before putting out an album, we didn’t know the amount of work that an album gives you. I don’t know, it was tough but it was pretty nice also to work on something this big. I never expected in my life that I was going to make an album. I think now is one of the best parts, having the album out and just enjoying every night. Playing it everywhere and watching people singing the songs, singing this thing you’ve done with all your heart and with all your energy. So, it gives us a lot of satisfaction now.
What’s your writing process like? Where does your inspiration come from?
The inspiration basically comes from life itself. We create the lyrics, Ana and me together, so we really have to share everything that happens to us. And I think you really can notice that in our songs. It’s not personal, like me in my room writing things in this notebook and I really don’t care if somebody’s really going to understand it. It’s more of a sharing thing, like this happened and I think it happened because of this, and I think I’m feeling like this because of that. It’s more trying to understand yourself because you have to explain to a friend what’s going on with you. So I think that makes the lyrics pretty universal because they have that first filter, which is just two friends talking about an issue.
What artists inspired you?
We really do love garage music, we listen a lot to all these new bands that come from here actually, from the US like Mac DeMarco, or together PANGEA, or Shannon and the Clams. And of course the Black Lips, Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, all this garage stuff. We really love that kind of music; we call it the real rock and roll music because it’s very, very primitive and usually not very produced. We feel more identified with that. We’ve always thought that our music is very honest, and we’re not pretending or trying to be anything so I think that’s why we are more connected to that kind of music.
What do you see for the future of the band? What’s your next big goal?
I think we still are in the first goal. I still have my mind on the first album, it’s kind of difficult to think beyond that. But I think it’s actually our mission right now to keep touring this album with all we can give to the people every night. Even though we have started writing the second one, I guess I cannot say it’s a goal right now, but of course having a great second album.
Hinds will perform at the Hi Ho Lounge on Monday, March 14. Tickets are currently on sale.
