Andorra’s finest prog metallians Persefone are in Australia for three shows this week… guitarist Carlos Lozano tells Sentinel Daily editor Scott Adams what makes the Iberians tick on tour…
Hello and welcome to Sentinel Daily! Before we get into the more tour-based chat, It’s an amazing seven years since I last saw Persefone live, at the Be Prog My Friend festival in Barcelona – what’s been going on with the band since then, both in the studio and out? “It’s been a really busy and exciting time for us since that performance at Be Prog in Barcelona. After that, we wrote and released Metanoia, and with that album, we started the longest touring period of the band’s existence. We supported bands through Europe, headline LATAM, we toured the US, China, Japan and Europe as headliners as well, and in the middle of all that, we wrote and released Lingua Ignota Part. I, and that’s the latest music we have created. We feel blessed for all the beautiful opportunities we have had as a band and for every experience we are sharing together as human beings”.
Persefone’s finally touching down in Australia for the first time ever—what’s firing you up most about bringing Metanoia and your prog fury to venues like Crowbar in Brisbane or The Croxton in Melbourne after years of global conquests? “It’s difficult even to visualise. It feels surreal and couldn’t feel more excited and grateful than we feel about it. It’s not just how far from home it is, it’s the special and different feel every place has for its own. It’s about the people we will meet there, it’s about playing for them and sharing our excitement and intensity with everyone in there. It’s always about the people, and that’s what is firing us up when thinking on these shows”.
With a discography as layered as yours—from Shin-Ken epics to the spiritual depths of Metanoia—how are you shaping the setlist for these Aussie shows? Should we be expecting any extended jams, rarities, or nods to the stylistic differences between you and your tour counterparts Be’lakor and Orpheus Omega? “The length of the set plays a huge part when deciding the songs we want to play, and the order we want them to appear to the audience. It is true that with our discography, we can shape very different moods and approaches music-wise, but for these specific shows we will try to show to the audience a grasp of almost all the layers that makes Persefone what it is. It will be intense, that’s for sure!”
What are you expecting from the Aussie venues and fans? Have you heard much about us down here? “Through the years and through all the shows and touring, we have come to the conclusion that, no matter where we are, we are connecting with the same people over and over. And it’s beautiful. Music is a really primal way to connect. It’s not about the words, it’s not about the many notes or production, is about catharsis. When we visit all these different countries, we experience all the different cultures, but we feel that, at the end of the day, we are all the same. You can see the same emotion in people’s eyes, the connection feels familiar. Of course, with the particularities of every new place, but still, something familiar. We can’t wait to feel all the Aussies’ particular energy on this one”.
It’s a long way from Andorra to Australia, and then just a short three day run when you get here Do you think jetlag and fatigue are going to be problematic? And how do you normally combat the evils of touring, travel-wise? “Yes! Australia is very far away from home indeed! Jetlag is something that we deal with in very different ways. We just try not to sleep until it is night where we travel to, and then try to get used to the new time zone as soon as possible. It’s definitely a quite interesting feeling, but we are happy to deal with it in order to be able to perform there of course!”
After two decades of twisting metal timelines worldwide, what’s the one tour essential—musical or otherwise —that keeps Persefone’s machine humming on a whirlwind sojourn like this? “definitely Persefone’s members and the crowds. We are super close friends, and one of the main incentives of touring is spending time together doing what we love most, which is playing music. That and the feeling of the crowds when we are performing are the two essentials for me to keep going and trying to get this band active and strong”.
And how has touring changed since you became an ‘international touring act’ Is it easier now or harder? “Touring more has its own challenges. When it comes to logistics and the touring itself, each time it feels easier. We learn from mistakes and try to be more efficient, faster, smarter with every little aspect of it. When it comes to family and job logistics, that’s when touring this much gets trickier, but we try to deal with it in the most honest and understanding way towards both families and jobs, and it’s working well so far”.
The tour ends very soon – is that it for you for this year? And what beckons in 2026 It’s been a while since your last full-length album! “It looks that this one will be the last for this year, but 2026 it’s coming strong already. Some new touring opportunities are rising and we definitely need to put the time on the new album. We just feel we want to create something new!”
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