Joana Jové: "Exposing yourself as a composer is risky"

PalmSelva Nua is a group born in Lleida at the end of 2020, just before the pandemic. Adrià Garcia and Gerard Català were looking for a singer to form a band and met Joana Jové. They quickly realized they shared inspirations and ideas, so the lockdown pushed them to get serious about recording a self-financed album. "It was a somewhat casual start, but very exciting," recalls the group's vocalist. On Saturday, August 16, they will perform in the garden of the Llorenç Villalonga House Museum in Binissalem, as part of the Mallorca Literary Foundation's festival, La Luna en Verso. Musician Pol Mitjans joined the project after Gerard Català left.

What is your connection with genres such as folk or roots music?

— We haven't had time to fully explore or delve into it yet, but we understand it's a world deeply connected to our way of doing things. We don't explicitly use roots music in our project, but we've always enjoyed listening to it and following current works that draw on and rework it. We're very interested in people who bring it into the present, who revive and adapt it with a contemporary perspective. There's a natural affinity with that spirit and aesthetic.

His first album, Momentary (2022), you've had more mileage than you expected, as you've said on occasion. How did you experience it?

— It was a project that came out of nowhere. We launched it without too many expectations and found ourselves being booked in places we'd never have imagined for a debut album. We'd never played live before; everything had been very behind closed doors. The reception was very positive, although we're still working hard. But we're very happy: Momentary has taken us much further than we anticipated.

Do you have a second album in the works?

— We're putting the finishing touches on the preparations so it'll be ready very soon. It's practically finished, and now we're going to focus heavily on the new live show: rehearsing, meeting up, and preparing a different stage experience compared to the first album. Maybe even with a new member on stage.

We have been sharing for several summers now. MomentaryHow are you approaching this season?

— We're looking forward to incorporating some songs from the new album into our live shows, even if they haven't been released yet. It's a somewhat experimental move because the reception is uncertain: we're taking the risk of playing unreleased songs. But we like to try them out live. Our live performance is sincere, very intimate, and quite authentic.

You're a vocalist and composer. What was it like leading the project?

— It was quite a challenge. I'd always written or tried to write songs, but they remained in my most intimate sphere, among friends. Now, writing and seeing my lyrics posted on platforms where anyone can listen to them whenever they want still impacts me. Exposing yourself as a songwriter is always riskier, but when you see that people connect with it and that your message resonates, it's very special.

Where do you write from?

— It depends. Sometimes the lyrics are very contemplative, others express discomfort. I often write from a place of reflection, like thoughts out loud. I tend to convolute things, to not be entirely explicit. They often stem from everyday experiences, and other times from more complex feelings. But they're never songs that bring you down: I like that despite showing weaknesses, they don't weigh you down.

What musical references inspire you? Who do you look to at Selva Nua when creating?

— Above all, we look outward. We've been influenced by many artists, such as Alice Phoebe Lou, Men I Trust, Faye Webster, and Yellow Days. These are projects that have accompanied us and inspire us, although we don't want to make a sound copy.