How did a simple Irish cover band between two sound engineers transform into a full album and live performances?
1. Neko et Eurythmia episode 98 is an interview with Pablo, vocalist and co-founder of Finnway, a Spanish Celtic folk-rock band from Madrid.
2. Host Almudena Andrés interviews Pablo; Toni Carmona is identified as Finnway's multi-instrumentalist, producer, and the key creative partner.
3. The episode traces how an informal covers project between two sound engineers became a full original band with a debut album and multiple touring dates.
4. Pablo and Toni Carmona first met at a concert in Briones, La Rioja, when Toni substituted for an absent guitarist in Pablo's previous band.
5. Their shared passion for Celtic punk bands — including Dropkick Murphys, Roomjacks, and Paddy and the Rats — led them to start a covers project purely for fun.
6. Each cover was reworked so extensively that Pablo and Toni realized they were writing original songs, at which point they decided to recruit musicians and build a live band.
7. The band's lineup was assembled organically: violinist Sara joined after a cold outreach, she brought guitarist Samu, Sergio joined from Celtia (combining both bands), and drummer David Viana came through Toni's friendship network.
8. The debut album 'La corte de los marginados' takes its title from two sources: the Court of Miracles in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and the opening scene of Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York,' with its imagery of marginalized immigrants.
9. The album was recorded remotely — each member recorded at home and sent files to Toni Carmona, who produced and mixed it at his 62 Hertz studio.
10. Album artwork was created by Joel Marco, drummer of Daeria, who delivered the band's aesthetic — skeletal figures with barrels, brownish-golden tones — in just two sketches.
11. Finnway's first concert, on November 7, was a support slot for Arsamandi at Soco in Madrid; the band had no time for a full sound check and played without functional in-ear monitors.
12. Playing deaf — hearing only the drums and Sara's acoustic violin — the band feared they had performed badly, but video footage afterward showed a coordinated set with the audience singing along.
13. Their second concert with Landebyr in Lorca featured ideal sound and an audience that had traveled from Valencia, sold merchandise, and bought records — despite 4-degree temperatures.
14. A third concert is scheduled for March 20 in Granada's Tren Hall, supporting La Época, and the band has also teased an upcoming date as headliners.
15. The album's three collaborations are: folk vocalist Dani Nogués of La Época on a single; Krisena Fern, an unknown friend of the band, singing the ballad 'Carta al Más Allá'; and rapper FJ López Roberts on 'No hay rendición.'
16. 'No hay rendición' — a folk-metal and rap hybrid based on a song idea ten years old — became the most-listened track on the album after Pablo and Toni decided to include it without any label constraints limiting them.
17. Pablo explains his choice to sing in Castilian: in his previous band he sang in English and found audiences couldn't sing along, whereas now crowds know every word at concerts only weeks after album release.
18. He notes that English-language composition feels easier rhythmically but Castilian is both more beautiful and more connective for Spanish audiences.
19. The episode suits listeners interested in Celtic folk-rock, independent Spanish bands, DIY recording, and genre-blending debut albums.
20. Listeners seeking English-language music content, established-artist interviews, or technical production discussion will find limited relevance.
