Spain is the organisation's focus country for 2022
Jessie Atkinson
15:08 19th November 2021

In its aim to unearth the best European talent and deliver said bands onto festival stages all over the world, ESNS is exceptionally successful. The initiative, which puts on a musical showcase in The Netherlands' Groningen every year, frequently breaks several of your future favourites, making sure they get to play on a stage near you every summer.

In 2021, the focus country is Spain and sixteen Spanish acts are currently on the ESNS billing—with several of them set to play Eurosonic too. But it isn't only 2022 that will be waking us up to the best new music coming out of Spain. There are several times when ESNS has done that. In honour of their 2022 focus country, here are 7 times ESNS unearthed a fantastic Spanish talent.

Hickeys

A four-piece of girls from Madrid, the delightfully-named Hickeys are a live force as well as a thrill in the studio. On their anthemic stand-out track 'Hickey Hickey Bang Bang' they position themselves somewhere between fellow Spaniards Hinds and The Raincoats, while the rest of their output—and particularly recent singles that appear to be leading to a new album—is dark and brooding.

 

Belako

One of the biggest festival successes on the list, Belako have played everywhere. Primavera Sound, BBK Live and FIB Benicassim in Spain as well as Reading/Leeds and in support of Liam Gallagher at Finsbury Park in the UK. They're a live band: Belako play on average 100 gigs every single year, though the gap in travel was replaced by their 2020 project Plastic Drama, a triumphantly original and memorable rock album.

 

The Parrots

Having only recently put out the "winding sonic passage" that is their second album Dos, The Parrots are perhaps the most high-profile of the bands on this list. Consisting of Diego García and Álex de Lucas, The Parrots are quite the indie band: one whose name is recognisable far outside of their home country. With their vaguely Drive new LP, the journey continues. 

 

Bearoid

A Spanish Alfie Templeman of sorts, Bearoid is a bedroom pop artist making sounds on what could well be an old Cassio keyboard but could just as easily be a high-end piece of gear in a high-tech studio. Whatever he uses, the production makes for ludic, delicate sounds that swim in and out of melancholic and energetic. 

 

The Zephyr Bones

We love a good psych band at Gigwise, and The Zephyr Bones are a fantastic example of one. With their beautiful, winding releases, this Barcelona export produce pure mind baths that offer new details to the dedicated listener. 

 

Pavvla

There are sad girl musicians all over the world, including in Spain. Pavvla is one such example: an acoustic faerie, this is someone who is able to make their spilled insides sound beautiful and ethereal. 

 

Hinds

No doubt you've heard of Hinds. Once known as Deers, the Spanish group are perhaps the most well-known group to have come out of the country in decades. Made up of Carlotta Cosials, Ana García Perrote, Ade Martin and Amber Grimbergen, Hinds were first tipped by ESNS in 2015 and have since gone from strength to strength, playing sold-out shows around Europe. In June last year, they shared The Prettiest Curse, another album that improves upon their ever-growing discography.

The ESNS artists in focus from Spain this year are: Biznaga, Carola Oritz, Daniel Sabater, Derby Motoreta's Burrito Kachimba, Dharmacide, Dora, Gabriela Richardson, Kai Nakai, Maika Makovski, Marina Herlop, Marta Knight, Mundo Prestigio, Pódium, Rodeo, Santa Salut and Travis Birds.


Photo: Press