Beyond the Surface: An Interview with pablopablo

Pablo Drexler, better known as pablopablo, doesn’t fit into any one mold. He moves fluidly between styles, crafting intricate compositions that feel both deeply personal and sonically expansive. From writing for C. Tangana and Nathy Peluso to experimenting with the sounds of corridos tumbados, he’s constantly finding new ways to challenge himself. Now, with his latest releases—including a collaboration with superstar regional Mexican ambassador Carín León—he continues to blur the lines between tradition and reinvention.

We caught up with him to talk about the latest song’s journey, the evolving connection between Spain and Latin America, and why festivals, despite their chaos, remain one of his favourite places to perform.

I was just listening to your latest song, which you released a few days ago. I imagine it’s been a big deal—especially the collaboration with Carín León. Thankfully It’s not just a commercial Carín song; I can tell that each of you brought your own essence into it. Could you tell us a bit about the process behind it?

Absolutely! It was an incredible experience bringing together two artists as different as Ralphie and Carín León. I love mixing things that typically wouldn’t be combined, and this collaboration was a dream come true.

The song itself actually originated in the studio about two years ago. We were experimenting with different ideas, and one of them was to try a corrido tumbado because we really admire artists like Natanael Cano and Junior H—we’re huge fans of that sound.

So, we started playing with some chords and throwing out melodies, but nothing concrete came out of it at first. I came up with the chorus and liked it, but didn’t know exactly what to do with it, so it was shelved. Then, about a year later, I revisited the chorus and thought “man this is really beautiful.” I shared it with Ralphie again and that’s when things got interesting. Once we had a clearer vision, he recorded his verse, and we had a rough demo that we felt had a lot of potential.

At the time, I was also working with C. Tangana and Carín León, writing for their projects. During those studio sessions, I had an instant connection with Carín. He’s incredibly talented—not just a superstar but also a phenomenal musician. He sings, plays, writes—his catalogue is endless. I was so impressed.

A few days after our session, I met up with Pucho [C. Tangana] and played him the demo I had done with Ralphie. His reaction was, “Why didn’t you show this to Carin when we were with him?” And I was like, “I didn’t want to interrupt our workflow.” But he insisted, “You should record a proper version and send it to him!”

So, I recorded a quick demo on my phone—just the verse and chorus—and sent it over. Within ten minutes, Carin responded with a voice note of him playing his part. It was the fastest collaboration ever! Three days later, he sent over a fully recorded verse. It was unbelievable.

From there, we spent about a year refining the song. We didn’t want it to be a corrido tumbado in the traditional sense—we wanted to bring our own perspective to the genre rather than just replicate it. So, Ralphie and I went through multiple versions.

Then, two weeks before the final deadline, Juan [Ralphie Choo]—who had been working closely with us—insisted that we start over from scratch. At first, I couldn’t believe it. I had already been through so many versions! But he really pushed for it, and in hindsight, he was absolutely right.

That afternoon, I re-recorded all the guitar parts, and he completely flipped the production, adding new layers. The final version of the song is largely thanks to him—it took on this modern identity while still feeling organic. Even though I’m just playing an acoustic guitar, there’s something truly unique about the production.

Great story! I can tell your songwriting process is fascinating. Given your background—coming from a family deeply rooted in music—do you have a standard process when writing songs, or do they always come together spontaneously, like this one?

It’s always different. The only common thread is that every song starts with chords, a melody, and some words. From there, I take my time figuring out exactly what I want to say and how I want to present it.

I actually enjoy the fact that every song comes to life in a completely different way. No two songs are written the same way—it’s always a unique experience, full of surprises.

Yeah for instance last year you also released a single with Helado Negro, right?

Yes! That’s correct.

That’s amazing! I’m a big fan of Roberto’s work. How did the collaboration with come about? Had you worked together before?

We met at Pitchfork Festival in Paris. I was already a big fan, but we hadn’t met in person before. I was performing right before him, and we connected backstage. A few months later, he reached out and said, “Hey, we should work on something together.”

We coordinated a session in Los Angeles, and we only had one day to make something happen. Since I live between Madrid and London, it wasn’t too complicated, but still, with such limited time, we weren’t sure how it would go. Luckily, everything just flowed perfectly. We finished the song that day, and it felt effortless—like a gift.

And that song—was it part of a bigger project, like an upcoming album?

We haven’t announced anything officially yet, but in the coming weeks we’ll be making everything clearer. For now, I can just say that there’s more music on the way, and soon, you’ll see the full picture.

Got it. Since this interview is being published in the UK, but we focus on Latin American culture, I wanted to ask about your connection to Latin America. Besides your Latin roots, you’ve worked with so many Latin artists—Helado Negro, Carin León, and even that Grammy-winning track you did for Nathy Peluso. How do you see the link between Spain and Latin America, both personally and musically?

Madrid, where I’m based, has become a major cultural hub—a kind of gateway between Spain and Latin America. It’s interesting because even though it’s geographically further east, it’s become a place where a lot of artists meet and collaborate.

For example, Nathy Peluso moves between Madrid and Barcelona, Helado Negro and I met in Paris—it’s funny how these global connections keep happening. I think Spain and Latin America are more connected than ever.

There’s also been a shift since Rosalía and C. Tangana—it feels like the Spanish-speaking music scene has expanded beyond reggaeton. Don’t get me wrong—I love reggaeton! But now, there’s a growing appreciation for Latin music in all its diversity. You see songs in Spanish breaking into global charts beyond just urban music. Even in the U.S., there’s a new fascination with Latin sounds.

It’s an exciting time to be making music in Spanish. Seven years ago, if you had told me that a plena by Bad Bunny would be topping the charts, I wouldn’t have believed it. Something special is happening—Spanish-language music is being recognized on a whole new level.

Would you be interested in exploring reggaeton or something like that, what they call “urban music”? Is that a universe that interests you?

I mean, I would love to do it. I feel that, even though I’d love to, it’s also important to know your own limits, right? Like, knowing whether I could really defend a reggaeton song and deliver the message it needs… I’m not that confident about it. I think my thing is different. Writing a reggaeton song is hard. I don’t know if I’d be able to do it, but I’d love to try. I enjoy experimenting with everything, so I wouldn’t rule it out. But right now, my focus is elsewhere.

Regarding live performances and the upcoming shows, I’m not entirely sure but I saw somewhere that you studied something related with that in London. Does live performance play a key role in your artistic proposal right now?

Well in London, I actually studied composition. But yes, for me, the live show is super important. I really like making it feel alive, like a space where you can make mistakes, and those mistakes bring something new to the music. I think it’s very important that live music breathes, that you can feel you’re actually playing and interacting with the audience. That’s a key aspect for me. So yeah, I’d say live performance and doing it well are really important to me.

Got it. The reason I asked is because I saw you have a festival tour coming up. I’ve noticed that some people go to festivals to see a specific artist, but they end up disappointed because they realize that festivals are more about diversity, more like a showcase. Do you still find value in festivals?

I think festivals, in my experience, are increasingly giving space to a wider variety of artists. I feel like more and more, people are open to listening to something different. I used to be really afraid of festivals because when you listen to my music, you don’t immediately think, “Oh, this is festival music, right?” So I was scared, wondering how I’d be able to play at a festival, how to make it work. And my biggest surprise has been that people are actually eager to listen and discover something new. Some of my most beautiful concert experiences have been at festivals—really spectacular moments—because, in the end, people are excited to hear something fresh.

I think you have to trust the audience. And at a festival, even if you just have a small group of people listening and supporting you, that’s enough to make it a really special show. It’s not always about having a massive crowd or a headliner moment. If you’re in a small corner of the festival, the programming plays a big role too—it’s important to be on the right stage, maybe in a more intimate setting.

I’m really excited about Estéreo Picnic particularly. I think it’s a beautiful festival and very well curated.

I totally agree. Curation is really valuable—it’s not just about putting together a lineup of big artists, but also organizing things well, setting the right moments. Also, I know you have a little tour coming up in Europe and the UK. You have that show with Ed Maverick, right?

Yeah, apart from the festival leg of the tour in Latin America, I have several European summer festivals lined up in Spain and other places. I’m really excited about them.

And the London show— is it just you and Ed Maverick?

Yes. That one is an Ed Maverick show, and I’m part of it.

Lastly, we always like to ask artists to name a couple of musicians or producers they’re listening to—people who might not be mainstream but are currently influencing their vision. Any names that come to mind?

Sure, I’ll name two people from Spain. One is TRISTÁN!, an artist who’s about to release a very interesting album. He’s part of the rusia-idk collective. And then there’s Bikoko, an artist from Barcelona with a really unique proposal. I think her next project is going to be amazing. Those are two names that come to mind from the national scene—definitely worth keeping an eye on.

That’s great! Best of luck with the tour and the Carin León track—I’m sure it’s already generating buzz. It’s a great song!

Likewise! A pleasure—thank you!

As pablopablo gears up for festival season and a string of collaborative shows, one thing is clear—he’s an artist who thrives in movement. Whether navigating unexpected collaborations or rethinking how his music translates live, he approaches every step of his career with the same curiosity that defines his songwriting. With more music on the way and new creative paths unfolding, this is only the beginning of a journey that refuses to be predictable.

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