How To Have The Ultimate Night Out In Madrid, By Indie-Rock Duo Hinds
When I first connected with Madrid’s indie-rock duo Hinds, our conversation got off to a slightly chaotic start. The band, on vacation in Porto, Portugal, struggled to join the call, battling their hotel’s patchy Wi-Fi. But after 10 minutes and a couple of device swaps, the screen finally flickered to life, revealing the smiling faces of Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote, sitting cross-legged on their hotel beds. “We’ve just been to a festival here called Paredes de Coura – one of our favourites!” Cosials exclaims, her excitement palpable.
The two were clearly in high spirits, having spent their holiday hanging out with friends, including Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C.. “We’re having a holiday together, and it’s been super fun,” Cosials adds, radiating the laidback, liberated energy that defines their music. This break comes just before the release of their highly anticipated album, Viva Hinds, which dropped on 6 September. The album explores themes of friendship and the bond that has united the duo since they first met in Madrid as teenagers.
The Spanish capital is more than just their home; it’s the backdrop of their story. They began as a duo called ‘Deers’ in 2011 and expanded to a four-piece group in 2014, with the addition of Ade Martín on bass and Amber Grimbergen on drums. This lineup change coincided with their rebranding to Hinds. Fast-forward to July 2023: Martín and Grimbergen have departed, leaving the original Madrid-based duo, who are now back and stronger than ever. “To me, Madrid means friendship,” Perrote shares, encapsulating the spirit that permeates their music and lives. It’s the city where they first met when they were at school, began going out to shows and laid the groundwork for the band that would eventually bring them international acclaim.
“For us, discovering the nightlife coincided with discovering the music scene, which was huge. We didn’t go to the same school, so it felt great to find people who liked the same things. Before meeting each other, we felt a bit out of place,” says Cosials. Perrote adds: “Those nights were long, mostly spent sitting on the street, drinking cans. We couldn’t afford to sit in a bar, so we didn’t.”
The pair, sharing a knowing smile, look back on those early days of Hinds, riding the ‘Owl Bus’ from Cosials’ mother’s place to downtown Madrid, where they would listen to some great bands, meet new people, then hop back on the bus home. When I ask what makes Madrid’s nightlife stand out, they both take a moment to think. “Madrid is great at not rushing a night. We chat a lot before dancing, and we can spend hours just talking and having the best time,” Perrote says. “I also love that groups here grow big. It’s not just two or three people; friends bring friends, and it becomes a large, diverse group. It’s easy to meet new people,” Cosials adds.
The vibrant music scene and buzzing nightlife were the playgrounds where Hinds first found their sound and what they call “their attitude”. Cosials recalls their first gig at her aunt’s restaurant, grinning as she remembers how they shoved tables aside to make space for a makeshift stage. “It was free, but people wanted to hear us,” she says. While on the call, the pair then slip on oversized black sunglasses and reenact their 19-year-old selves, awkwardly trying to channel the coolness of the artists they once admired in Madrid’s clubs. Now, with their own confident style and their fourth studio album out in the world, those early days feel both distant and warmly nostalgic. Here, the duo share their guide to a night out in their home city…
Carlotta Cosials & Ana Perrote’s On Their Ideal Night Out In Madrid
Cosials: We’d start with a movie at the Renoir Cinema at 6pm, then head to a street behind the cinema – Calle Martin de los Heros. On that street are a couple of terraces – now that we can afford to sit down for a beer instead of drinking on the floor, we’d sit, chat about the movie, life, and everything that happened that day. Then the phone starts ringing, and people ask where we are. “Oh, they’re at the other bar.” We’d stay at the terrace for a while, then maybe head to another place.
Perrote: On my ideal night, we’d have dinner. Not for CeCe [her affectionate name for Cosials] though – but for me, we’d go eat somewhere nice.
Cosials: I can do that!
Perrote: We could go to a restaurant called Marcano. It’s very Spanish, very nice. You need a reservation now, though – it’s getting too popular. We should probably stop recommending it.
Cosials: In the same area, we’d go to Tempo II, an Irish bar. It’s a cool spot. The owner’s kind of an asshole, but in a good way. They let us DJ most of the time, which is super cool. We’ve brought some life back into the place. It used to be an old bar where only older people went, but now it’s getting a younger crowd. If we’re going out-out, that’s the pre-game before we go dancing. Then we’re off to La Palma, a small club nearby. Sometimes you can hop between spots, since they’re so close.
Perrote: Our favourite nights [there] are when we DJ!
Cosials: We DJ to dance. That’s the whole point. We always start with Psychic City by YACHT. We heard it at a party in LA, and now it’s our go-to opener. It was the soundtrack of our summer. La Palma has a small stage and books emerging bands. The capacity is 150, so it’s intimate.
Perrote: You’ll often find musicians, even famous ones, just hanging out and drinking in Tempo II as well. Wurlitzer is another club, a bit bigger with a capacity of 300. Our first show as a four-piece was there. If you want respect as a band, you’ve got to play there.
Pia Brynteson is Content Editor at Service95
