Ten years on and now signed to Sony Music, Els Amics de les Arts spoke to Metropolitan about working with the Scottish producer Tony Doogan, new material and their upcoming shows this month. Feeling their sound needed a bit of a shake-up, the Catalan musicians turned to their Scottish brethren for inspiration. “There were various reasons for choosing to work with [Tony Doogan],” explained guitarist Ferran Piqué Fargas. “The first was his discography. We loved a lot of the records he worked on and what he brought to them. He’s also quite versatile. He has worked on Mogwai records as well as the soundtrack to Romeo and Juliet. We felt he was the guy to take on our music as we play many different genres and are quite eclectic.’’ Listening to their latest album, Un Estrany Poder (2016), it’s clear they made the right choice. Doogan has breathed new life into their music, helping them achieve their goal of making an album of singles. “Happiness and energy” are his words of choice when asked to describe the group’s sound. Lead singer Joan Enric Barceló suggests a more pragmatic approach: “The best way to describe it is to stick ‘El Seu Gran Hit’ on Spotify and just give it 30 seconds of your life”. Wise words as the infectious intro will get stuck in your head in no time. On the topic of their live performances, the boys believe first timers will be surprised by their strong following of fans. “The audience knows all the words—people sing so much that they bother others. For us it’s great because we never feel alone.” Playing three dates at BARTS this May, the group guarantees its show will be an eye-opening glimpse into what the Catalan music scene has to offer.