IMPALA MUSIC PRIZE GOES TO GUADALUPE PLATA FOR BEST EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Brussels/Madrid – 13th March 2014
Spanish band Guadalupe Plata’s self-titled album has won the annual European ‘Mercury-style’ music prize organised by IMPALA for the best independent album in Europe.
A shortlist of 24 European independent releases from 2013 pitched Guadalupe Plata against a variety of artists representing various music genres and including Alborosie, Sigur Ros, Agnes Obel, Junip, Elisa, Iceage, Milky Chance, Birdpen, Woodkid as well as IMPALA’s Outstanding Contribution Award winner Armin van Buuren. The full list of nominees is available here.
This album is the first one that Guadalupe Plata has released through Everlasting Records, the Madrid-based label that has also released material by Emerge, Aaron Thomas, Los Punsetes and 2010 IMPALA Album of the Year Award nominee El Guincho.
Guadalupe Plata succeeds last year’s winner ‘Coexist’ by The xx.
Quotes
Guadalupe Plata’s members commented: “We’re all big music fans and if you are really into music, you look around the records you have at home and most of them tend to have been produced by small, independent labels. So it’s very pleasing that the people who represent those labels are listening to our music and enjoying it. All the work we’ve done outside Spain has been in the Americas. It looks like we’ve got some new countries to visit now, in Europe!”
The band also expressed its thanks in a video:
Everlasting Records founder Mark Kitcatt added: “I first came across Guadalupe Plata at the UFI awards, a couple of years ago They played one song and it was arresting – they are utterly compelling. If you listen to the record it has that sense of space, and of night, and that bounce that run through all great rock’n’roll music. Like somehow, rock’n’roll had been invented by olive pickers in Jaén, Andalucia!”
Read the full interview of Everlasting Records founder Mark Kicatt here
Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA, commented: “The shortlist was full of great albums, and the result was close but Guadalupe Plata is the well deserved winner. When I heard this album I was sure it would be one of the top contenders.”
More about Guadalupe Plata
Guadalupe Plata takes its name from the Virgin patron of their town, Úbeda in Jaén, Andalucía.
The album was recorded in three days at Ryan Anderson’s studio in Austin with the help of Walter Daniels (The Oblivians, The Revelators) on harmonica, and mixed by Mike Mariconda (Devil Dogs, Raunch Hands) in Málaga. The album can be heard on Spotify: Guadalupe Plata
The band plays 100 live gigs a year in venues as unexpected as brothels and working men’s clubs. With a wealth of documentary evidence about their concerts on the web, the band explains their performances in flamenco terms of “duende” or “hechizo”. Some compare them to performances that marked them in their youth by the likes of Captain Beefheart, Canned Heat, The Fall or Pata Negra.
Guadalupe Plata are currently putting together a Northern European tour later in the year. For the time being if you want to see them live, their dates in Spain are available here.
More about Everlasting Records
http://www.everlastingrecords.com
More about IMPALA’s Independent Album of the Year Award
The Spotify playlist of all albums nominated this year is at: IMPALA Album of the Year Award
The “European Independent Album of The Year” award was launched in 2011, together with the annual “Outstanding Contribution to European Music” award, to mark the 10th anniversary of IMPALA.
Sometimes described as the ‘European Mercury Music Prize’, this award showcases the breadth and diversity of independent talent across Europe. The winner is selected on the basis of completely open criteria from a shortlist compiling national and non-national album nominations from territories across Europe put forward for their musical, artistic or other exceptional quality.
Nominated albums were required to have been released on a European independent label between January and December 2013. Previous winners of the Award include Efterklang, Adele and The xx.
About IMPALA
IMPALA was established in April 2000 to represent independent music companies. 99% of Europe’s music companies are SMEs. Known as the “independents”, they are world leaders in terms of innovation and discovering new music and artists – they produce more than 80% of all new releases. SME’s also produce 80% of Europe’s jobs. IMPALA has its own award schemes to help promote cultural diversity and new talent and highlight the artistic contribution of independent music. IMPALA award winning artists include Armin van Buuren, The xx, Caro Emerald, Adele, M83, Mogwai, Vitalic, Soap & Skin, Royksopp and Andrea Bocelli.