August has arrived, and there are two types of people during the summer: those who dream of having a Spanish summer and Spaniards who live glued to the air conditioning. Whoever you are, here is a small selection of Spanish artists to help you survive this summer. 

Eva McBel is for people who need their melancholic main character moment. McBel makes folk-pop accompanied by a very particular voice, both broken and delicate at the same time, making it feel more like you’re listening to the soundtrack of your life. Although all her music is very reflective, there are also very fun and danceable bits like ‘Enough with the Drama’, which give her project a lot of sonic cohesion without the monotony. 

The Aragonese artist has been performing on stage since she was 16. She later moved to Madrid and has since made a significant mark on the city’s indie scene. In 2020, she released her first EP, Some Kind Of Portrait, which won the Best Aragonese Album award in 2020. Three years later, her latest work, I’m Glad You Happened, won the Aragonese Music Award for Best Album in 2023. 

Continuing with the recommendations, if you know anything about the Spanish indie scene, it’s impossible not to know Hinds. They have been playing together for over 10 years, but after a band breakup, they now carry on with only Carlotta Cosials and Ana García Perrote, accompanied live by Paul Ruiz and María Lázaro. Their sound, although within the indie-pop genre, is much more garage, mixing English with Spanish and addressing issues that concern them as young women accompanied by the danceable and carefree rhythm of still being young. 

The band’s rise to fame has been a gradual result of their hard work. In 2014, they released their first demos, which received an incredible reception from the media and other musicians. This propelled them to solidify their band, and that same year, thanks to a British label, they were already playing in the UK, opening internationally for important bands like The Libertines and The Vaccines. Last year, they even opened for Coldplay during their Spanish tour dates. If you’ve seen them live, there’s no doubt why they have come so far: their music is good, but their live performances go even further. They take over the stage and bring you into their world, making you have the best night of your life, and if you’re not careful, you might even end up with one of them over your head! 

Another artist mixing English with Spanish is Irene Córcoles. She left a lasting impression on the minds of all viewers when she auditioned for Operación Triunfo (a famous Spanish talent show). As she came with her guitar, which she swore she didn’t know how to play, and her original song ‘5015’, she left no one indifferent. From that moment on, her fanbase began to grow and follow her everywhere. 

Córcoles’ music is as shameless and daring as she is. It feels as if she is literally handing you a part of herself and her personality, urging you to dance with her. She also addresses personal topics and everyday situations that anyone can relate to, highlighting the intrapersonal conflicts that often arise with the passage of the years as one grows up.

Operación Triunfo has been shaping the music scene in Spain for years, and although Irene Córcoles unfortunately didn’t pass her audition, a few years earlier, Amaia Romero was sweeping through hers. Amaia charmed the audience with her sincere personality and political opinions reflecting the realities of women, but what truly propelled her to the top was her talent, built on years of hard work and study. After her victory, she disappeared for a short time to finish her music studies and returned with her project Pero No Pasa Nada, an album that clearly shows who she is, with an independent pop sound heavily influenced by the folklore of northern Spain, well-crafted melodies, and lyrics with ordinary themes.

Amaia’s music makes you dance, cry, think, and get angry. It awakens your empathy and takes you into her world, making it yours as well. But if this artist evokes anything, it is admiration. It is very difficult to fight for who you are and stay true to yourself when you have a country watching and a record deal signed. Amaia was not frightened; Amaia has devoured them all. 

Spanish culture inspires many national and international artists. Rodrigo Cuevas likes to define himself as a folk agitator or a folklore diva, seeking to bring village culture to the mainstream. For those unfamiliar with the Spanish indie scene, I like to describe him as the independent Asturian Rosalía. 

In his musical work, Cuevas defends his own reality, addressing topics such as village life, social relationships in the rural world, sexual identity, and depopulation, accompanying his sound with a very political visual identity that mixes the traditional with the contemporary. Although his entire record is linked to pop songs, the artist redefines them and turns them into a party that we all are part of. 

So, you know what to do: grab a polka dot fan, put on your headphones, and get ready for these artists to open the doors to Spanish music from a perspective far removed from commercial radio hits. I hope our playlist finally allows you to enjoy a truly Spanish summer!