SVD Voices: Menend

He’s just released two new singles with a more pop-oriented sound. This is Javier Toledo, also known as Menend: a singer, songwriter and producer from Madrid (Spain) about to make a big splash on the national and international pop and R&B scene. After releasing his albums Antihéroe and Walkman Vol. 1, this time Menend uses a new language to convey his message.

He tells us about the early days of his career in California, his breakthrough as a songwriter, and about his exciting new role as director of his videos and aesthetic.

 

Menend, tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m an artist, producer and composer from Madrid, and I started my career when I moved to California to study. I lived there for six years and managed to land a job in the music industry in Los Angeles. So my musical influences now are very American, and I base my projects on translating these influences into the Spanish language and scene. 

This new step you’ve taken, towards a more pop-oriented sound… How do you feel about it? Do you think it was quite a dramatic change, or did it come naturally?

To be honest, I've always wanted this project to be more ‘pop’ like ever since I started it, but I don't see it as a change in direction. Just like I love R&B, I love pop music too. So I think this new musical era will let me explore a more melodic world so I can showcase all my talents. I’m really happy with how it’s turning out, both musically and visually. 

 

Speaking of the title of your latest song, EQUIPAJE: you came back from Los Angeles and returned to Madrid. What does each city offer you in terms of creativity? As a musical project, what part of Menend was built in California?

In some ways, Menend was born in California and spent most of their artistic childhood there. It’s where I began producing and writing songs, and I experimented with different genres of music from my college room. Yet Madrid made me want to write in Spanish more, and as a city it eventually introduced me to other types of local music, which helped me learn a lot. I'm currently considering mixing Spanish music with my American background to make my own spin on it, so I've got some really cool stuff in the works.

 

Is Spanglish the key to success?

For me, Spanglish is a gift, but it’s also a hindrance when it comes to reaching out to more people. It's something I've always done naturally, and it has helped me clearly establish what makes me different from others with respect to my work. But, unless you’re Selena Gomez, singing in Spanglish won’t make you appeal to Spanish and English speakers, not at all. Despite that, I think Spanglish is becoming more common, it’s a concept that still has a long way to go, yet it has lots of potential.

 

Anyway, EQUIPAJE isn’t about travelling, it’s about love. Do you think your work is getting more and more personal?

My projects have always been very personal, and I think that’s something that can be overlooked at times, especially when producers push you towards producing more dancy and urban pieces, depending on the way you write of course. Perhaps I hide these messages quite well, but I’ve always incorporated parts of my story and personality into my songs. In my song ‘Testimony’ for example, I open up about my experiences in LA and I tell my story from 2018 to 2020. "EQUIPAJE" sends out a message that already exists in my songwriting, but with a new style that encourages the listener to pay more attention to the words, and I think I'm also slowly starting to find my voice as a songwriter. Upcoming songs of mine will continue to shift toward a clearer language to address the feelings behind them.

 

How important is your aesthetic and style in your music career?

For me, what you hear and what you see go hand in hand. Although YouTube doesn't offer much to artists nowadays, it's where the bulk of a single's budget goes, so I think for Menend it’s super important. Video aesthetics, styling, stories, covers and everything about the artist's image radically changes the way you perceive and feel their music. 

 

Tell us about how you compose and produce for other artists, what’s it like to work behind the scenes? 

Ever since I came back to Madrid, working with other artists has been super important in terms of self-development. It’s been a very enriching experience to adapt to the music here, to understand it and to be able to broaden my skills as a producer and composer, but especially getting involved, making friends and promoting my work. Almost all the collaborations on WALKMAN VOL.1 are with artists I have produced and composed for, and in return, those artists have wanted to collaborate with me on my own projects.

 

You studied film and in November you released your first self-directed video. Do you see yourself going down the path of directing?

I’ve been wanting to direct my videos for a long time now, but the process has always been rushed due to time constraints, especially when third parties are involved in the creative process. When I produce and compose, I like to involve others, so they can contribute with an external view on things, to round out the work, and this works when we make videos.  As I've studied film, and I'm quite a film buff, when I produce a song or start a project, I always have my own idea in mind. But in the end, my videos never end up the way I imagined them, so I just think to myself, look, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

This new phase of being a ‘director’ let’s say is really exciting, I love to brainstorm videos, edit them, the whole experience really. I think the aesthetic around the new EP I’m working on is fundamental, and I hope upcoming videos of mine will continue to bear my signature. But in the future, I’d like to keep on collaborating as much as possible to achieve the best results.

 

 

What do you prioritize? What needs to be in place for your creativity and imagination to come to life?

I need to experience things, I need to live experiences to then tell the story. I also need to listen to lots of music and watch lots of movies. In some ways, I need to be proactive and get out of my comfort zone. Inspiration usually comes from watching good movies, or listening to cool tunes, and when I’m lazying about watching Netflix, that doesn’t really happen. It’s the same when I go for a few beers down my local rather than venturing out on an adventure.

Do you have any genres that you'd like to explore?

I think an artist can experiment with any genre, but you have to keep an eye on trends and developments. I love electronic music and acoustic sounds, but if I plan to release music from a different genre, I’d have to plan it out well beforehand so that it’s still consistent and continues to reflect my personality. 

 

 

What’s your dream collab?

I’m not planning to collaborate any time soon. To be honest, I’m quite happy with the ones I’ve done over the last few years. But if you introduced me to the Weeknd right now, then I probably wouldn’t be able to resist… (laughs).

What’s up next for you?

A new era, a new distributor, and just a ton of music that is piling up on my computer waiting to be listened to. I am feeling very focused and motivated, and there are a lot of things coming up in 2023.

 

New single "Quiero Creer Que Soy Buena Persona". 

 In this song I try to explore my own conscience after making a series of bad decisions, and I ask myself if I’m a good person, or if I’ve taken the wrong path in life, and I’m hurting others, or myself. It’s the second preview of my upcoming EP "YANKI".

 

Interview by SVD

Photos: Courtesy of the artist