Paula Simón is a Spanish singer. Since her birth in the '90s in Esplugues de Llobregat, a city close to Barcelona, she has woven the threads of her life in this dynamic environment. Here, amidst the streets steeped in history and the unwavering energy of Catalan culture, she has found her artistic spirit. She is currently finishing her first LP and, as a self-taught artist, is behind the production and composition process. She dreams of the day when the members of BTS will be able to listen to her melodies because, before being a singer, she is a fan!
First of all, your new album will be released this year. What should we expect from this new project?
It's an album that has been very challenging to create, also because it talks about personal experiences that I wanted to convey in some way. It includes quite "silly" songs because I didn't want it to be all too syrupy and it also features Kingdom Falls, which is my reinterpretation of the Tristan and Isolde romance.
How was the entire creative process?
It's been an emotional rollercoaster with more downs than ups because this album was supposed to be released almost two years ago and here I am having to redo it completely because of different reasons. There were supposed to be other songs but in the end I decided to write new things because many of them didn't feel as personal anymore or I simply composed better things that I believed deserved a place in the album more than those previous ones. I composed at home, talking to other producers and friends who are in this sector and asking for advice. It's an album that I hope people will listen to with affection and pay attention to many details, both instrumentally and vocally, as well as lyrically.
Your music so far is mainly in English, why this choice? If you can spoil it, will your new album also be in this language?
I don't like composing in another language. It embarrasses me a lot and it's very difficult for me. I think the lyrics are too simple or too cheesy. English for me is an easier language in which I can say what I feel without sounding too intense. The whole album will be in English, "unfortunately" hahahaha.
When did you start dedicating yourself to music?
I started taking it seriously at 15, posting covers on YouTube. Firstly singing over songs, then looking for instrumentals, then producing them myself and then I started to focus on making my own music.
What did you study and why?
The last thing I studied was a one-year course in Music Production at Sonopro Barcelona. After many bad experiences in studios, I decided to study and be able to do it on my own. This way, I could make everything sound exactly as it sounded in my head and I wouldn't depend on anyone to record, produce, or mix.
One of the themes that emerged from our interviews is the lack of women in music production and in studios in general. Since you studied this, have you noticed differences in the number of women in this specific sector of the industry?
Yes, in my course, there were only 7 people and, except for me, they were all guys, except for the last trimester when another girl enrolled. I also noticed that in the other courses 95% of the students were males. I think that female producers are incredible and, given the sexism and misogyny in the industry, they end up being even better than famous ones because they have to work three times as hard and stand out in some way. A man in music can be mediocre and have millions of monthly listeners, women cannot be mediocre because they aren't taken seriously. Or you have to endure comments about your music not being that good when, many times, they haven't even bothered to listen to one of your songs for more than 30 seconds. I'm not saying there aren't good men in the industry, it's just annoying to see how opportunities are given depending on your gender.
We saw that you will be doing a presentation tour in 2024. How do you feel about this?
I'm nervous and scared. Currently, I'm a bit uncertain because we're going through a tough economic time at home and, if I don't sell more tickets, I'll have to cancel two of the concerts because I finance everything on my own. However, I hope more people will muster the courage to attend the concerts because they cost only €8 and behind it all there's a lot of work, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to make people have a good time.
Do you think your way of developing your projects has changed over the years compared to your early songs?
Yes. Before, I had a completely different style from now. I guess over time and discovering more musical genres has influenced this. Also, before everything I composed sounded the same, as if I were very limited in composing. Now, having opened my mind to other styles, I think I compose better. Practice makes me compose and produce faster compared to 5 years ago, although I would like to write better lyrics.
What is your favorite part of dedicating yourself to music?
I would like to dedicate myself exclusively to music but it's so difficult... I would like to produce and compose for other people, meet other producers who can inspire me, learn from them, and improve.
Who are your favorite singers? Do you think they have somehow pushed you to dedicate yourself to music and influenced your musical style?
My favorite groups are PVRIS, Paramore, and BTS. They influence my music a lot. PVRIS and Paramore more at the beginning, BTS more in this stage. Thanks to BTS, I also discovered other Korean artists who I'm passionate about and from whom I draw a lot of inspiration in composing, like DEAN, HEIZE, Colde, Epik High... I also really like Western artists like Halsey, Polyphia, and also a French singer named Aupinard, thanks to whom I started composing songs with touches of bossa nova.
How would you describe the Spanish music industry?
I listen to very little Spanish music, actually. I think it's fairly dominated by artists who sing in Spanish and that's why when I send my projects to magazines or playlists they never seem to fit, despite being Spanish. I think there are very good artists who are very overlooked and vice versa. I really like Viva Belgrado, for example. Their live shows are incredible, their lyrics are overwhelming and their sound is very characteristic and personal. I also really like Lola Indigo who has a more commercial and urban style but her shows are also amazing and I really like her sound and how well produced are her songs, with many details.
What are your future projects?
I hope to continue releasing more music and to have a bit more luck and a larger audience interested in what I do, I will continue to work hard to reach these people and be closer to them. I would also like to produce for other people.
Do you have any suggestions for those who want to be singers like you?
Work hard, train if you have the opportunity, improve day by day, and do not take anything for granted. Opportunities don't come by themselves and you have to trust yourself and your project. You must be your first fan and, if you want people to listen to what you
have to say, you must believe in your project, even if no one else does at first.
Can you suggest a song by a Spanish artist to our readers? Obviously, it can be yours!
From my songs Afraid of Heights and from the group I mentioned before, Viva Belgrado, I recommend listening to Cerecita Blues.
Follow Paula here and listen to her here below: