On the 14th, The Puro , a project by Noel Hogan (co-founder, guitarist and composer of The Cranberries ) and Brazilian singer Mell Peck , debuted with the EP Law of Return.
The collaboration between the two came about after Noel discovered Mell's covers on YouTube in 2019, thanks to recommendations from several people who suggested the work of the singer, who now lives in Porto Alegre.
“We met and during our conversations the idea of composing together came up. Since then, we haven't stopped, and the ideas keep coming,” she says. The two work remotely with the help of translators, since Mell doesn't speak fluent English.
Now, in this EP, Noel and Mell define The Puro's unique sound with three unreleased songs, available in English and Portuguese. Exclusively for Wikimetal , the duo went through the EP track by track and explained the story behind each one and how the creation process went. Check it out below!
“Law Of Return”
Mell Peck: What led me to write "The Law of Return" was the fact that we live in a world where we are surrounded by energies, both positive and negative. We are prone to living, sometimes near or far from people, who often, without knowing you, or even out of simple envy, wish you harm, offend you. When I see this happening, in these moments of reflection, I end up translating this sadness of knowing that we are surrounded by all of this.
Therefore, I only see one solution: to put everything in God's hands, and as we well know, "we reap what we sow." I strongly believe in the Law of Return.
Noel Hogan: This is the first song I wrote on the piano. I didn't want to use any guitar on the track; I was curious to see if writing that way would make me write differently. Once the first chords started to emerge, the song took shape. Musically, the track was inspired by 70s disco, particularly the string parts. The song ended up becoming something much bigger than I imagined.
The drumming in particular was inspired by the song “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush . I liked how steady and energetic the drumming was in that song, so I asked our drummer for a beat that did something similar.
Shortcuts
Mell Peck: My lyrics are always linked to real-life events and a bit of my imagination, or even my repressed desires. It could be something I just created, or, as I imagine many other people may be experiencing or creating, something from both worlds.
How many times do we want to step outside ourselves and, in this unknown universe, do what we can't do in real life? Shout, allow yourself, be yourself, make mistakes without pressure, cross that line that divides the paradigms of right, wrong, sin or not.
In fact, I see this lyric as a cry that each of us keeps inside, and, due to prejudice, we end up living in a way that is "trapped within ourselves."
Noel Hogan: This is the oldest track I've ever worked on with Mell. It's been around in different forms for a while, and it ended up being one of our heaviest songs. I like the chorus, the heavy, almost staccato way it's played. The track is a mix of punk and grunge.
"Rebirth"
Mell Peck: When I was writing these lyrics, it was as if I were portraying each post-death moment of an experience I had while in a state of "trance."
"Rebirth" means someone who has gone through an experience after death and comes face to face with themselves. And, at some point, it ends, accepting everything, and begins again, seeing a new beginning.