When Nalda Became Punk

Spanish indie pop outfit When Nalda Became Punk traces its roots to 2006, when vocalist and guitarist Elena Sestelo first launched the project as a solo venture. Issuing the demo "Tiny Noises Make Tiny Music" under the name Nalda, she combined C-86-inspired indie pop songwriting with fuzzy guitars, synths, and drum machines before stepping away from recording until 2010. At that point she cut a second demo titled "Time to Meet Your Family," adopted the full band name, and brought guitarist Roberto Cibeira into the fold. The pair cut the 2011 Pebble Records single "When Nalda Became Punk"/"D.I.Y." and then prepared for live appearances, among them Madrid Popfest, while developing material for their first album. Fellow countrymen Eva Guilala and Ivan Juniper of the Elefant act Linda Guilala assisted with the sessions for A Farewell to Youth, which Ian Catt—known for his Field Mice and Saint Etienne productions—mixed; Shelflife Records issued the album in early 2013. Keyboardist Antonio Llarena soon joined, and the group performed at several concerts including the 2013 Indietracks Festival. Following another recording hiatus, the trio resurfaced in 2014 on Elefant with the four-song single Indiepop or Whatever! After bassist Bruno Murmura came aboard, the band tracked the Those Words Broke Our Hearts EP, which Elefant released in early 2017.