la puebla introduce a guitar-led world with «Se abre paso»
Amaia Miranda and Nacho Mur share Se abre paso, the first preview of la puebla's improvised album con dos nombres.
Two guitarists, no fixed arrangement and an open conversation. Amaia Miranda and Nacho Mur introduce their joint project la puebla with «Se abre paso», the first single from the album «con dos nombres», due on 8 November.
Instead of writing finished songs before entering the room, the pair let the performance determine the music. Nylon-string and electric guitars move around each other, exchanging ideas and creating moments of tension, stillness and release. The resulting sound is often cinematic, despite using a remarkably simple instrumental setup.
Why the rehearsal tapes matter
One of the most revealing decisions on «con dos nombres» concerns its sequencing. The record combines five live performances with an entire second side of rehearsal demos from the session that preceded the recording. That is an unusual choice for a debut because it grants the process almost as much importance as the finished pieces.
In music made through improvisation, an early sketch is not necessarily an inferior version waiting to be corrected. It may be a different encounter with the same material, shaped by a moment of concentration, hesitation or mutual surprise. Placing the two approaches side by side lets listeners consider those differences instead of concealing them beneath the idea of a definitive take.
Six December concerts
la puebla will perform on 8 and 9 December in Madrid at Antiguo Estudio Infinity, on 10 December in Bilbao at Tio Pete, on 11 December in Donostia at Elkar, on 12 December in Banyoles at Estudi Panxi Badi and on 13 December in Barcelona at Fabra i Coats. These dates should be especially interesting for a duo whose music is built around listening and responding to each other.
The accompanying video is directed by Serafina Ventura and Fèlix Armengol and expands the track’s cinematic quality without dictating a fixed narrative. With the album due on 8 November, the first single and December concerts together offer two different ways into the duo’s open-ended language.
A conversation without a script
There is no conventional singer to lead the listener through a set narrative. What matters is the shifting relationship between the two instruments. One guitar may introduce an idea while the other bends it in an unexpected direction. The music leaves room for listeners to imagine their own landscapes.
The structure of the album makes that working method especially clear. Five pieces were performed live, while the second side includes recordings from the rehearsal that preceded the session. Putting the early sketches beside the finished performance creates an unusual perspective on the same musical encounter.
The images behind the music
The video for «Se abre paso», directed by Serafina Ventura and Fèlix Armengol, combines footage of the musicians with narrative imagery, expanding the song’s open-ended atmosphere. December concerts are planned in Madrid, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Banyoles and Barcelona.
For a duo whose creative method relies on responding to each other in real time, the stage is likely to be where the project finds its most fluid form. «Se abre paso» is a modest but compelling introduction.