Today we hear from Spanish born Pablo Conejero Lopez, a poet, musician who also works at J. Mueser in New York City.
I was born and raised in Valencia, a small city on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Due to the professions of my parents, I spent a big portion of the first seventeen years of my life in a small town called Seven Oaks in Kent, England.
At the age of 18, just after starting my career as an actor and collaborator at the acting studio of The Shakespeare Foundation of Spain (a position I still hold today as Honorary Vice-President) , I went to drama school at the National Youth Theater in London. This period marked the awakening of what you could call my voice as a poet. Working with monologues and poems in class I gradually figured out a way to develop the artistic persona I had been seeking. I could exist somewhere between reality and fiction by translating my impressions into poems. I find this concept very interesting. The privilege that it is to experience this and to connect with people through art; to somehow be of service to humanity.
Yet, it wasn’t until I was 22 that I started considering Poetry and Music as my main vocation.
In the summer of 2004 (aged 24) I released my first collection of poems, named Rock and Roll Jolie . I also put out two albums as the lead singer and lyricist of a Spanish cult punk band called Vice & Vanity. With them I toured extensively around Spain. We became quite well known within the underground scene in the Madrid of those days and even got some mainstream exposure.
In 2006 I moved to New York City with an Artist Visa, (sponsored by The Shakespeare Foundation of Spain) for poetry research and development. I had my second book, entitled New Reality, published in December 2011.
New Reality is a collection of poems and songs illustrated by artist Vincent Michaud. Vincent is my husband and artistic partner with whom I’m always collaborating. We released New Reality at The Hole Gallery on The Bowery with a self produced event which included live music, a poetry reading and an exhibition of the illustrations. This event resulted in the formation of a musical act called Mone, in 2012 performing at a number of selected events and venues around New York.
These days I’m living in the Lower East Side/Chinatown area of Manhattan, just a block away from the East River and Cherry Street, which used to be the first stop for immigrants coming from Spain back in the early XX Century. My maternal grandfather emigrated from Valencia as a child with his parents and brother in 1917. They returned to Spain six years after, though, but I like to think that a part of their spirit is still here close to me.
I recently started a new and exciting collaborative music project called Ensalmo. We will release a couple tracks and play live in early 2017 so stay tuned!
I also just completed what will be my first bilingual Poetry book. I originally wrote most of the poems in Spanish and then translated them into English. Some were developed the other way around. I feel that this might be the most experimental work I’ve done up to this point. Meaning that I hadn’t played with the two languages I speak and the general tone this much before. The book will be published by next spring. I will unveil the title and the rest of details very soon.
When I’m not wearing J. Mueser I usually just wear Vintage.
Outerwear: My Favorite coat is a brown leather trench from the 70s I bought at a Vintage store in Brooklyn. It was, funny enough, originally made by Cortefiel which is a department store in Spain that used to be very hip in the 70s and 80s.
Accessories: All my jewelry is brand-less. Just silver, two rings with gem stones from random Tibetan places in the East Village. A silver chain on my wrist from a small hispanic jewelry shop off of 14th street that doesn’t exist anymore. My favorite belt a thick black with square buckle I’ve had for 10 years and I bought at the Navy-Army store on Houston St.
Shirts: All my shirts are from weird second hand stores or the Salvation Army, if they are not J Mueser.
Jeans: My favorite pair of jeans is a $5 extra faded 2nd hand pair of wranglers I bleached, then dyed and got tailored
Shoes: My shoes are either Jefferey-West or my favorite pair of Zipp-up, Chelsea boots from Merc London, made in Spain.
Suits: Worsted Wool Navy Suit, Cashmere roll neck sweater and pocket square, all by J. Mueser
Favorite cologne: Heno De Pravia
Favorite app: Oblique Strategies
Favorite piece of technology: A turntable if that counts.
Next style/gear purchase: I’m getting a custom flannel suit made at J. Mueser. My choice to stay warm, feel comfortable and look sharp in the winter.
