Delorean Interview: SXSW 2010

Ekhi Lopetegi is the frontman for the Barcelona-based pop group Delorean. As the band heads to SXSW, Lopetegi explains members chose the name not for the "Back to the Future" reference or the coolness of the car, but for the coolness of the sound of the name itself.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Our sound is basically pop tunes based on a electronic/computer based production. Though it's pop, all the beats and breaks are club music inspired. It's very uplifting and lightful, or luminescent. It's bright. That's at least what we wanted to achieve -- something that immediately would make you feel good, like a nice feeling or mood you get instantly, but not the contemplative introspective kind of pop feeling. More enthusiastic, I'd say. "Uplifting" is a good word. Enthusiasm another one I like to describe our goals.

How did your band form?

It was 2001 or 2000. I can't remember. We all came from hard-core punk bands -- the scene in the Basque country. We all knew each other from going to shows and practicing. Then we started something different, more pop. When I moved from San Sebastian to Zarautz, I was 16 and the band was settled, and after that we made records and more records and played live a lot up to today.

What are your musical influences?

It's all the world in terms of music. Like, we don't really care about the kind of music anymore. We just listen to a lot of stuff. But I'd say for the band during the years, club music, techno, trance, house. More recently, bass line, dub step, UK funky, grime, hip-hop, UK garage, freestyle. That's like the linking feature or background we've shared during these years. On top of that, we've been more new wave or more pop depending the period. Lately we're pretty pop influenced. We like Enya, Prefab Sprout, Cocteau Twins, Durutti Column, to name a few.

How did you come up with your band name?

I can't really remember. It was just watching TV or something. I can't remember, really. Igor went "Hey, Delorean's a cool name." We went, "OK." I didn't really know much about it, whether it was an actual car or not. I found out later. Pretty silly and simple. I think it works for us. It's just a name, but I kind of feel it familiar and I like it.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

We once pushed the fire alarm in a club. I'm not proud we did it, and actually I got so mad when it happened because we paid a lot of money for this false alarm thing. The firemen came to put out the fire, ut there wasn't one, and it was raining and hundreds of people we're talking outdoors. It was the second time that night. First wasn't us. Second was who pushed the alarm. It was a bad thing, you know, but when we talk about it, we usually laugh at it. It was kind of too much. We're quiet people usually, though. It was in Norway, the last day of our tour -- a unique show that was well paid, but we screwed the tour up. But it's fun remembering how messy things were sometimes.

What's your biggest vice?

I love eating. I wish we would not feel full afterwards, to be able to keep on doing it. Music? I love reading too. Studying. Well, that's not a vice.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

There's a song by this Spanish famous songwriter Alejandro Sanz. I can't remember the name. The guy's horrible, but there's this track I kind of like very much.

What's in your festival survival kit?

If I'm on tour, I always have sleeping pills. Perfect for flights also!

Hanna Lucas is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.