Hi to every old-school grinders. In today's fast changing underground world, there are not many bands still playing what it used to be grind core proper. And one of them is definitely Spanish guys Looking for an Answer. The band's founding member Félixkindly agreed to give an interview for our webzine.

Hola, amigo!

First let me congratulate you with the band’s 10-th anniversary. Wish you happy grinding at least twice that more.

Hey Quercus!!!! How is it going????

We’re fine here. Thanx a lot for your words, yeah, bro, the band will be 10 years in December. It is not everyday… Thanx again.

Well, let us recall, if you don’t mind, the beginning of the band. How was it created? What were your reasons and intentions?

I started LFAA as a one man project, the main reason was to make music into punk/crust style with a strong message into animal liberation and veganism stuff. LFAA recorded the split with the almighty AGATHOCLES and then later Ramon (UNSANE CRISIS) and Iñaki (DENAK) joined the band. We played and recorded as trio with drum machine for several years until Moya join us as drummer. Now we have two guitars so we have become a five piece band.

Have you fulfilled all your plans? I mean, have you gained what you panned?

Our main target has been to enjoy playing our music. Well, I think we have gained what we aimed at.

Answer to what question have you been looking for? Found?

Yeah, we were looking for so many things and we found so many answers on the way. Maybe we are not looking for answers any more, just for revenge.

What music influenced you then, and which still influences?

All the music we’ve listened to influenced us in one way or another. The five members of LFAA are still soaked with bands like Repulsion, Napalm Death, Terrorizer etc., etc. To sum up, old school grind core is the answer to your question.

So, you agree with critics who label your music as old-school grind core?

Yes, we totally agree with that.

But don’t you think that old-school, if use this definition properly, could be applied to more punk-like music?

Maybe you are right about the punk stuff. Grind core is raw music, so is punk. The main difference, I think, could be how fast and violenly you play it.

All (or almost all) band’s lyrics are in Spanish. Have you ever thought about writing any English language songs?

Though all our lyrics are in Spanish, we always provide translations into English. The only English stuff in the band is the name (and it is a mistake from the past). The name should have been in Spanish either, that is BUSCANDO UNA RESPUESTA. Now it’s too late to change it.

How crucial, in your opinion, are texts in grind? Do they play a great role in your music?

Yeah, text is of great importance for us for we want to express our ideas over there.

Your discography is quite a large one, but you have only 2 full lengths and 1 EP, all the rest being splits. Why do you prefer this format?

You see, we used to do splits in the past but we do not want to do any more 7”splits at the moment. We would like to concentrate on our own stuff.

So, there will be no splits?

Well, we are to release a 10”LP split with Brazilian gods RATOS DE PORÃO. And I think there will be no more splits for a long time

Split with what band was your favorite?

We like all the bands we have cooperated with, we are good friends with them all.

Your new release is planned to be out on Relapse. Could you tell us more details?

We have planned several releases on different labels: we will release a CD compilation with all our split vinyls on Deepsix. Then later, the 10”LP split with RATOS DE PORAO will be out on Six Weeks, and yeah the next 7”EP is out on Relapse. then we plan a full length CD also on Relapse, the vinyl version of which will be available through Power it Up.

Many fans are afraid of your music becoming more commercial due to this deal. Do their fears have any reasons?

If under “becoming more commercial” they mean selling some more records, maybe they are right. But if they think we will start playing slowly or putting down the distortion faders, they are soooooo wrong, my friend. Grind core has always been a thing from the underground, but so has been thrash or death metal in the beginning.

Well, in general, do you think there could be a commercially successful grind band?

As I have already told you, yes, if commercial means to sell more records.

Speaking about money, how do you earn your bread? What do you do in your life outside music?

We used to work full time to survive in Babylon. Some of us are in designing, public assistance, especially education, and doing record stuff, others are factory stuff … 100% working class pride you see.

There are two promo videos for the forthcoming LP on your MySpace. Both of them are filmed during your gig. Have you made any real video clips? Have you one in plans?

Yeah they were filmed by a guy during some show. Public records and mixes everything. We have planned to record a real video clip for the next CD/LP.

OK. Spain is a kind of exotic country in terms of extreme music. There are very few bands known internationally. What could you tell about Spanish extremal scene?

Yeah we have some internationally known bands like Haemorrhage, Machetazo, and some more. The “scene”… It is not so big anyway. There exist some bands, labels and zines, and for sure it is more active in the north. Basque Country etc…

How big is usually the crowd at grind gigs in Spain?

Unfortunately not so big at all. We would like much more people to visit gigs.

You have toured a lot and played at most popular grind fests, what are the fests you would still like to play at?

We love playing at all of them. I couldn’t prefer one to another. The crazy one, however, is Obscene Extreme. Play fast or don’t. It is so sick too.

OK, as we are a Ukrainian zine, I’d like to ask what you know about Ukraine and Ukrainian grind / metal scene.

We know something about political and social topics from the Eastern Europe. You know, bro, very often people know other places from the negative point, for the things which happened in the past. Not long ago I was watching a documentary about old abandoned coal mines, and how people go there to extract a bit coal to sell putting in risk their lives.

Not so much about the scene, there are lots of bands to from Ukraine in the metal encyclopedia, could you let me know bands to check?

With pleasure. So, the most prominent grind bands are: Fleshgore, Epicrise, Ebanath and Foible Instinct. Great death metal is played by Mental Demise. Natural Spirit is for folk metal fans, and Nocturnal Mortum, Khors and Kroda ara great black/pagan bands.

Wouldn't you like to visit us one day to play a gig or two?

For sure!!!! We could go as far as to Poland in the last tour. We hope to go further next time, it’s just a question of time, we travel by van sooooooo many kilometers from Spain.

Thanks a lot for the interview, Félix. Wish you all the best.

You are more than welcome. Thanx to you for let be in your zine, all the best with your work, hope to see you some time over there. ENJOY!!!!

Quercus