Mit drei Alben und einigen wenigen Tourneen erspielten sich Spain zwischen 1995 und 2001 eine treue, ihrer speziellen Faszination erlegene Fangemeinde. Sie waren eigen, verfügten über einen berauschenden Klang, der melancholisch-intime Wahrheiten mit intensiv ausgearbeiteten, warmen, umarmenden Sounds verknüpfte: "Slowcore" nannte man so etwas damals, aber es war viel mehr. Uncut schrieb treffend: "Of all the melancholy slowcore bands of the mid-'90s, Spain were one of the more imaginative: a debonair, blues-tinged group from LA led by Josh Haden (son of jazz bassist Charlie Haden) that frequently sounded like Spiritualized crossed with a cool jazz quartet. Haden's calm dissection of his own doubt and guilt is unnerving, like eavesdropping on an intimate conversation.... a woefully underappreciated band." Wie wahr. "Vegas" schreibt: "This is outstanding, emotionally resonant, indie-rock that will appeal to fans of Modest Mouse, yet spoken in Spain’s unique vernacular". Als Spain vor über 10 Jahren auseinanderbrachen, nahm niemand Notiz davon. So unscheinbar hatten sie sich in die Musikgeschichte gespielt, dass sie nicht einmal in Vergessenheit gerieten. Das Slowcore-Genre hat viele zeitlose Bands hervorgebracht. Sie nehmen sich ihre Auszeiten. Ihre Musik jedoch bleibt. „Einige der Songs“, sagt Haden „unterscheiden sich sehr von den frühen Spain-Songs. Sie entfernen sich von Slow Core, Down Tempo. Sie sind weniger in sich gekehrt. Ein Freund warnte mich: Mach das Spain-Konzept nicht kaputt. Doch ich antwortete nur: Vielleicht sind die Songs ein wenig schneller, aber es sind immer noch Spain-Songs“. Wenn Haden von der Veränderung erzählt, mag man ihm kaum glauben. Und auch wenn Spain auf Because Your Love sowie Miracle Man wirklich einmal Tempo aufnehmen, so bleiben sie Spain.

Es wäre vermessen zu behaupten, dass sich etwas ändern wird. Nicht mit diesem Album, nicht in Deinem Leben. Aber bedarf es immer der großen Veränderung? Manchmal reicht die innere Ruhe, manchmal reicht der Seelenfrieden. Lass Deinen Kopf hängen, erhebe Deinen Geist. Das kann Dich befreien. The Soul of Spain versöhnt Dich für den kurzen Moment einer Platte mit Dir. Mehr muss und kann Musik nicht leisten.

(Glitterhouse)

Spain are a Los Angeles-based alternative rock band founded in 1993 by Josh Haden (son of jazz bass legend Charlie Haden). Initially connected to the 1990s “slowcore” movement, the original line-up included Haden on bass and vocals, Ken Boudakian on lead guitar, Merlo Podlewski on rhythm guitar, and Evan Hartzell on drums. After recording a well-received demo and 7” single, and playing frequently at legendary Silver Lake venue Spaceland (née Pan, currently called The Satellite), Spain signed with Restless Records in 1994. The band travelled to San Francisco in early 1995 and spent a month recording their debut album at the now extant Brilliant Studios, with Norm Kerner (American Music Club) at the producing helm.

The debut 1995 album, The Blue Moods Of Spain, garnered the band a devoted cult following and enabled them to tour the U.S., Europe, and Australia. The album was included on many music magazine “best of” lists for the year. In 1996, Spain performed on the landmark French television talk show Nulle Part Ailleurs. During this time they also toured as the opening band for Cocteau Twins during the legendary UK band’s final U.S. tour. In the mid-late 1990s, several songs from Blue Moods were featured in different films and TV shows (Phoenix, In God’s Hands, Winterschläfer, Garage Days, Popular). A huge Blue Moods poster appeared in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. The Red Hot Chili Peppers covered their song “Spiritual” in concert. In addition, “Spiritual” was recorded by Johnny Cash (on his Grammy-winning, Rick Rubin-produced Unchained), and by Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny on their Grammy-winning Beyond The Missouri Sky. In 1997, film director Wim Wenders commissioned Spain to write and perform a song for his film End Of Violence. The result, “Every Time I Try”, is an audience favorite.

In 1999, Spain travelled to the Swedish island of Vaxholm to record their sophomore CD, She Haunts My Dreams. Participating in the recording were the late Swedish jazz pianist Esbjörn Svensson (who contributed keyboard and piano performances along with string arrangements), former Soundtrack of our Lives guitarist Björn Olsson, and sometime R.E.M. and Beck drummer Joey Waronker. With new guitarist/keyboardist Shon “Goldenboy” Sullivan (replacing Ken Boudakian), drummer Will Hughes (Evan Hartzell had parted ways with the band in 1996), acoustic guitarist Podlewski, and new lead guitarist Olsson in tow, Spain toured extensively for the album, headlining large venues across Europe. A song from the album, “Our Love Is Gonna Live Forever”, was featured prominently in an episode of the HBO series Six Feet Under.

In 2000, the band, minus Olsson, stayed in Los Angeles to record their third album, I Believe. Shortly before the album was released, Sullivan left the group to concentrate on his solo work, and Podlewski accepted an invitation to play bass for surfing superstar Jack Johnson’s fledgling acoustic rock band. Rather than immediately put together a new group from scratch, Haden took an extended break from the band, recording a solo CD for Dreamworks Records (later released on his own Diamond Soul Recordings). A Spain best of compilation, Spirituals: The Best Of Spain, was released in 2003.

Haden reformed Spain in 2007 with all-new members and began playing gigs again in their native L.A. Since then they’ve shared the stage with Tindersticks and the Clientele, and have played at two important music festivals - Tanned Tin 2007 in Spain, and Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide 2011 in Los Angeles. A CD/digital single entitled “I’m Still Free” was released in January 2010.