What was your earliest memory in which creativity played a significant role in your life?

My mom tells me this story all the time. When I was a child, I used to sort everything by colour, like gummy bears or ornaments laying around in the flat. That was the moment when she thought that maybe I will get into something creative. Since then, I can remember that I always did something creative. I was painting, writing books about my fantasy life and then I started writing songs; without being able to play any instrument. I don't have memories of ever being bored, because I always had stuff I wanted to do and to try.

 

Have you always been interested in the various forms of creative expression?

Yes, and that can be a little bit exhausting. I always have things going on and always have new things that I'm interested in. I never really know what to go and focus on. Each thing I start leads to other ideas coming up; often in different fields. Then I want to dive into that one. I can get inspired and really easily; which is cool.

 

Where do you feel the most inspired to create?

I cannot say, ‘I want to create something now’. I feel like I always create things out of a reason. Sometimes I see something, and then I want to paint a picture about it. Sometimes I experience something, and then start writing without really wanting to do it. It's just floating. I feel like I cannot really force myself to create. Everything that I create just comes and flows naturally because of things that I experienced or that I've seen. It's a way of processing things that I'm not able to talk about in another way. So yeah, sometimes I cannot control if I'm creative right now or not, because it's always connected to things that are inside of me or that I've seen.

 

You have been a long collaborator of Can Pep Rey. Will you tell us a bit about the projects you have been involved in over the years?

The first thing we collaborated on was a shoot at an old factory setup. We had a really fun day. It was the first time I spent time with them, and that reconnected us in a way. Then they asked me to visit their place in Barcelona and to create something with them. That was really cool because I 100% stand behind their vision and their ideas, the whole aesthetic and the people as well. That  was a real honour for me. They sent me many photos of the Can Pep Rey house in Ibiza and the idea was to create a whole new space. We tried to only use shapes, silhouettes and different forms that were part of the house. It felt really easy, because places are so beautiful. It was puzzling around with shapes that already existed, and that already were a part of their identity in a way.

 

Tell us more about the design process behind creating the Can Pep Rey headquarters in Barcelona?

We collected photos and I collected different lines and drew all the tiny parts of the house. Like mixing and matching the different forms to create different versions; it became a bit mathematical.

I sent them to Lea and Paul and they selected. Then, when we came into the space, we checked where something could possibly be and flow into something else. Then it was just naturally meshing in the corners into the movement of the space. Then we got together with Juan Diego and talked about how we could translate the aesthetic of the house. How we could get the right materials, rawness and pureness into the design. He came up with ideas of how we could construct the space, which was nice to work together. 

 

Have you always been interested in architectural design and creating spaces that translate a brand or vision?

I've been interested in all different kinds of creativity and I'm currently studying retail design. This is basically dealing with how a space can communicate and tell stories of brand identities, artists and companies. It was really cool to work on the store because it was the first real project where I could use all the things I am learning in my studies.

 

At Can Pep Rey we emphasise the quality and longevity of each garment. This may go against the mainstream trend of constantly creating. Do you feel pressure to constantly be producing new work?

I don’t think I really feel the pressure right now because most of the things that I start to do are just created for myself. I feel like if I need to do a certain project, write a certain song it is just for me. So who should be pressuring me? I hope it stays like this when I start publishing and sharing these ideas. I feel like I have a good base, because the base is my inner self. 

 

You are currently working on an album. Tell us more about the inspiration behind this?

We had a pre release concept, but the first song is going to be released on the 18th of October. I used to sit, write and sing and compose without really knowing how to compose. I could play four or five chords on the ukulele or the guitar at the start. I felt like I needed to turn things that I experienced, or thoughts into something I could enjoy listening to. I feel like writing and creating music was a way to transform bad things into something that I can enjoy looking at or hearing. It’s a really cool process, because I think that's a good way to deal with emotions and deal with bad emotions; turning them into something that you like. I had this big collection of songs and snippets and ideas. When the first lockdown started, I thought it was two weeks, and then life would go back to normal. It wasn't that way as we now know. I got together with a friend of mine who was producing, DJing, playing the drums, and almost every instrument. We thought ,okay, let's use the free time to produce music and see where that leads to. That was the start of two years of constantly working, recording and trying to find a sound. The whole thing seemed to work out and now we have five songs to release. 

 

How would you describe your sound in a few words?

Rose was trying to describe it when we were all in Ibiza last month. She said that it's kind of ‘melancholic but still happy’. You listen to it and feel sad in a way, but also happy at the same time. It’s hard to describe it in a few words, when something means so much to you. 

 

What are you listening to right now?

Before the concert I was listening to the EP on repeat. It's cool because I can still listen to it after two years of work, and really enjoy listening to my own music. I think that also means that we did a good job because I still want  to hear it.

I feel like I'm more connected to all those sounds from the past, which is also cool. That's maybe why my brain is coming up with different ideas. I’m always listening to different vibes and then I get a mixture of different influences.

 

Going with the theme of the new collection ‘Ibiza Ski Club’ do you have any fond memories in the snow?

I used to ski when I was a kid, but once I fell out of a ski lift. I was having so much fun that day that I didn't see that we had to get off in 30 metres. I was flying around at one point and I think that was the moment when I decided that skiing might be too dangerous for me.

 

Can we expect a concert in Barcelona in the future? 

I was talking about maybe doing a little rooftop concert at Can Pep Rey. I would love to share what I have worked on with friends from other places. It’s a beautiful way to start such a creative project; to keep sharing it with friends. This whole project has a really warm energy, so I think that it’s really nice to start sharing things because there is so much good energy. I would be happy to come to Barcelona.