REVIEW: With “spiritbug,” Germany-based Spanish artist grima takes an English detour - or is it a new beginning?
WRITTEN BY EITAN OHANA
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If it feels like grima (aka Javier Perez Vera, aka Javi) is communicating something different with his new single “spiritbug,” it’s because he is. In fact, he’s communicating it in an entirely different language altogether. The song marks his first musical foray into the English language.
This decision isn’t one he stumbled upon one day. It’s part of a linguistic legacy that’s been connected to him since he started on his musical journey.
“When I first started to sing, I had to decide in what language to do it. I live in Germany, so I tried German. My parents are Spanish, so I tried to do it in Spanish. I even tried it in English. Back in that time, it only felt natural in Spanish. It wasn’t a strategic decision or anything.”
It represents more than just that, though. The song is a new step in his sound, a jump from his earlier post-punk work to a dreamier shoegaze world. But changing interests isn’t unfamiliar territory for Javi.
“When I was a teenager, I was very much into classic indie. I think my first concert was the Arctic Monkeys when I was 13 or something like that. So I come from there,” Javi says. “A few years later, I got more into the post-punk side, which I didn't really like before. I was like, don't know, it's too dark for me. And then, I don't know, a day came and I just completely got it.”
That post-punk side of him is what features heavily on his 2025 EP instantes (antes de caer) - a project I strongly recommend, by the way. He credits this to the relative simplicity of creating in the genre, something that came in handy during the COVID lockdowns.
"Many people started doing new wave and post-punk stuff because it's so easy to create at home… You don't need a lot of money to do it.”
So - how does he land on “spiritbug?” What directs him to English? Is it the lyrics that build the rest of the song or does he find a place for them to fit inside the melody already created?
“When I was working on “spiritbug,” I had the chords and a small demo, but I just wasn’t happy with my lyric ideas in Spanish. It didn’t click. I liked the guitars and the melodies but the words didn’t fit, so I said maybe I’ll try it in English. I wrote one or two lines, and it immediately made sense. The song demanded English lyrics. It was a lot of fun because it was creatively different but I was also hesitant because it isn’t my first language. I showed it to my friends and was like, ‘How’s my accent?’”
What might surprise is the production differences when mixing the vocals in the different languages. In Spanish, Javi says, there’s a more abrasive “s” sound, so production requires more effects to level it out. English doesn’t have this hurdle. It’s those little details that one might imagine add an element of fun, for lack of a better word, to the job. But there are also other lessons he learned in experimenting with the shoegaze sound he targets in “spiritbug” that can be paid forward.
“If I wrote a Spanish song now, I would mix it similarly to ‘spiritbug,’ the way the vocals are… I’m more into the dream-pop shoegaze vision now.”
Is that because he likes how it hits his ears? Yes, yes it is. But it’s also because of the barriers that the genre can allow him to break.
“What I like about the shoegaze scene is it’s so international. If I were in a country where I don’t speak the language and I see a shoegaze concert from a French band where I don’t understand the language, I would still feel it the same way. All my concerts before “spiritbug” came out in Germany or Europe were in Spanish, and people responded even though they didn’t get the language. You can transmit so much even without knowing the words. This gives you a bit of creative freedom.”
Now that he’s taken a step in this new direction, what comes next? What does the future look like for grima as an artist with more options, whether genre or language, than most others? As of now, not even he knows.
“I think I’m going to mix [the languages]. The way I felt “spiritbug” needed English lyrics, the next song might be the other way around. I like that because I think the scene is appropriate for that. I could even mix two languages in one song. I don’t want to define it right now. It limits yourself. Soundwise, I would like to continue in the “spiritbug” direction, maybe even be a bit more creative, take more modern production elements. Lyric-wise, I really want to try it out. Maybe I’ll even do something in German, I don’t know.”
If still unsure of who and what grima is, consider his influences. Amongst them: DIIV, The Cure, Joy Division, Depresión Sonora, and Fontaines D.C. Perhaps he can introduce you to those bands, or they can give you an idea of what he’s like. A true win-win either way! And if the musical tide continues to rise his way, he’ll soon be a name on that list for the next generation of artists.