Steven Munar: Without losing faith

"I am a musician, composer, and teacher; a father and a friend to my friends. I believe I have good songs and that I have improved, over the years, as a singer and lyricist. I consider myself musically restless and someone with a very British sense of humor. And, also, something important to me, is that I am a believing person," reflects Steven Munar, one of the key names of that Barcelona pop that, since the 90s, measures itself in conditions of qualitative equality with what is cooked in the United Kingdom or the United States.

A unique, recognizable, applauded language, where diverse influences have succeeded each other, from folk to American rock, passing through the phlegm of Kinks or Beatles in eternal struggle to be the most perfect pop band. And, of course, an omnipresent Leonard Cohen who is playing right now, accompanying the sunset and the Estrella Galicia that the patron sips, with the notes of The partisan.

"It all started around 1986." At that time, the artist still resided in his native Palma de Mallorca. "With my soul friend, Miguel Pérez Kersley, we created the band The Walk, with influences from what we liked then: Echo and the Bunnymen, Chameleons or The Sound." With that project, they gained experience, learned the craft of getting on stage and conquered a few Mallorcan stages.

The year of change came in 1994. "We changed the name and the direction of the band. We had other influences like Frank Zappa, Doors or Captain Beefheart. We became The Tea Servants and, after a few months, we came to live in Barcelona taking advantage of the release of our debut album." That was the starting point of a dense trajectory that took Steven and his band through all the most significant festivals and venues of the music circuit —"FIB, RNE Concerts,…— and to record several albums where the band's transit through diverse sound terrains that unite Talking Heads with Dylan or Buffalo Springfield can be felt. In between, I wanna be JJ Johanson: a 2001 hit that played in all those places where it was worth listening to what was playing.

Epiphany on Platja del Miracle

Suddenly, in 2003, it came to an end. "We recorded the album Travel west, played at Primavera Sound that year and, shortly after, we broke up." After that, the artist embarked on a journey, guitar in hand, "through bars in Catalonia and Mallorca, playing, talking to people, all very hippie!", he laughs. And then, one day, sitting on the sand of Tarragona's Platja del Miracle, a new song flowed. The first of a new repertoire that, in 2005, would lay the foundations of his solo career as Steven Munar & The Miracle Band, with whom he debuted with the album Miracle beach.

"That era was very significant for me. I got married, my daughter was born, I discovered faith and released three albums that are like my folk rock trilogy." After those three albums, the Miracle Band changed. "Miguel and I put a pause on our collaboration and I worked with other musicians like guitarists Juliane Heinemann and Patricia Serrano and bassist Sergio Mesa." The influences expanded again. They oscillated again between European pop and American roots. Between Bowie and the Byrds. More albums came out, Time traveller, Violet Kosky, The fish and the net. Nando Caballero dedicated the documentary Miracle boy to him, which premiered at In-Edit and in 2021, suddenly, everything stopped.

"I was 50 years old and needed a reset. I focused on my family, on faith, I dealt with a personal crisis that distanced me from a show business I hadn't been fully involved in anyway." Little by little, however, the songs began to return to his head, to his soul, coming out into the world. And now, "after two years of work," the artist returns with a new LP: Family (Discos Belamarh), on which Miguel Pérez is back on guitar, "and which I dedicate to those who are always there: friends and that family that goes beyond blood ties." Those who, like him, have never lost faith.

In memory of Mrs. Antonia

"I've lived more years in Barcelona than in Palma now, although, as I get older, the island calls me. I realized this especially last summer, after spending a month and a half there. It had been many years since I had spent so much time in Mallorca and, when I returned, I realized how annoying and omnipresent noise is in Barcelona," explains the parishioner, for whom the city has been the setting for the most important aspects of his life.

"Here I got married, my daughter was born, I lived my musical career and my job as an English teacher." And this is where, at 28 years old, the musician met one of the fundamental people in his life, Mrs. Antonia. "She made me discover faith, all that which is not seen, but which also exists. She was like a grandmother, a life teacher. She passed away in 2019 and I miss her very much."

Sitting on the sand of Tarragona's Platja del Miracle, the first song of a new repertoire that laid the foundations of his solo career flowed

— Will you want another beer, afterwards?

The musician smiles, as the beats of Famous blue raincoat by Cohen resonate.

"And how! And while we're at it, let's see what's on the menu for dinner!" he replies.