We were on tour in Germany and I needed to buy some balloons for the show (I like to finish with a bit of a party as you may know) but the only ones I could find had ‘It’s a girl’ written on them.. Matty said when he saw them bouncing around on stage the riff and the ‘it’s a girl’ just came to him in a flash of inspiration! When he played it I just loved and the first thing that came into my head were inventions that were actually women led…. But we have probably just assumed they were men….. ‘whose the man that invented the fridge? It’s a girl! Etc….’
The song looks at the way women’s stories can be overlooked or erased from history. Were there particular stories that stayed with you while writing it?
ABSOULTUELY! I think every story really touched my heart and there are SO many that don’t even get a mention…. The one about the ale wives was incredible because I learned that’s how the ‘witch’s costume was created’ by men trying to overthrow the female brewers in a smear campaign.
The incredible Nooria Ahmad too ….. who the Taliban discovered disguised as a man just so that she could feed her family….. I am very saddened that nobody seems to know what happened to her……
There’s a lot of humour and irony alongside some pretty serious ideas in the song. Is that balance important to the way you write?
YES! Well spotted! Is it a coping mechanism? Laugh so as not to cry perhaps? I don’t know…. But it’s the way I live too….. I take fun very seriously.
The Spangles have a reputation for making music with something to say. Has that always been part of the band, or did it develop naturally over time?
Oh Im very happy to hear that! As a songwriter, I am inspired by life….. and so more often than not these are normally issues, concerns, reflections – I suppose if I didn’t have anything to say then I wouldn’t be writing songs!
What do you think music can communicate about an issue that a straightforward conversation sometimes can’t?
Because music is a universal language… it goes beyond words. It can often be very hard to find the right words…. But music allows you to express (and receive) ideas, feelings, philosophies all in one and at the same time. I think it’s one of the great powers of music and art in general. It can reach people in a way that simple conversation never will… and sometimes we can even reach hearts and minds without them even realising!
‘Menú del Día’ takes a completely different route, celebrating Madrid, food and everyday life. What does that side of Madrid mean to you personally?
It’s one of the things I LOVE about Madrid. It’s very quickly becoming a cosmopolitan, tourist hot-spot… but it still has some very traditional tabernas and bars and I feel glad that we have honoured them in this song.
You’ve played hundreds of shows across the UK and Europe. What have you learned about yourself from spending so much time on the road and on stage?
It’s such an adventure and I I am always learning …. You never know what each city, venue, public will bring…. It’s important to be open minded and prepared for anything! Ha ha.
But I would say on a personal level…. I am learning Acceptance. It sounds so obvious… but I have learned that I can only be who I am…. And I’m trying to be her the best way that I can!
The mind can really play havoc along the journey– and so it’s even more important to nourish the body and soul…… I didn’t treat myself very nicely for a very long time.. and that’s really changing now!
Madrid has been such an important part of The Spangles’ story. How does the city find its way into your music, even when you’re writing about something much bigger?
Madrid is where I was born as an artist – I started performing publicly here about 17 years ago… and so I feel a deep love and gratitude for her. If you have ever visited Madrid you will know what I mean when I say that she is so open and friendly, accepting, noisy and full of life…. Forver changing and expanding…… I’d love to think that comes out in my music!
When you listen back to the earlier Spangles releases now, what do you hear that reminds you of where you started?
I think the fun, raw, energy and the chaotic ‘give it a go’ vibe I is still reflected in some of our songs….
With ‘It’s a Girl’ now out, what are you hoping to do next that you haven’t done before?
Make some money? Ha ha… that would be FABULOUS OBVIOUSLY…. But we would really like to get into some big festivals in 2027 and get more attention from the industry here in Spain who have ignored us for so long.
