Gabriel Aragão is a multi-artist who proves his versatility with a new chapter in his trajectory: the release of his first solo EP, “ABRECAMINHOS”. The work follows the artist’s literary debut, “O Livro das Impermanências” (Editora Letramento, 2021), the release of the soundtrack for the film “Malhada Vermelha” and more than a decade ahead of the band Selvagens à Busca de Lei. , reference in national indie rock. Now, Gabriel shows another side of his songs in four tracks, including the unreleased “Toca o Barco”, which also gets a clip.
The EP came about during the height of the pandemic and social isolation, with each musician and crew working and recording straight from their home studio. Everything happened under the command of producer Paul Ralphes, who signed the Selvagens recordings and was familiar with and in tune with the way Aragão likes to work. This naturalness was transferred to the repertoire, a short but powerful collection of unpublished compositions by the singer-songwriter.
“Among the songs I wrote during this period, leftovers that were not recorded by Selvagens, drafts and new partnerships, my choice was based on a very specific concept, but one that permeates my entire trajectory so far: the sea. I think the fact that I was isolated in the city of São Paulo, spent two winters in isolation with a newborn baby, with a view of buildings and almost no sunlight and blue sky, made me write not exactly ‘about the sea’, but ‘through the sea’”, reflects Gabriel, who is from Fortaleza.
However, not all the compositions of “ABRECAMINHOS” come from solitude. “Toca o Barco”, the highlight of this release, came from the tragic news of the death of journalist Ricardo Boechat. At the time, the composition was aimed at the album by Selvagens à Busca de Lei and ended up being left out of the repertoire.
“I really liked Boechat. I listened to his impressions every morning on Band News FM and loved his encouraging phrase that served as a little push for listeners to follow the day: ‘touch the boat!’. The song, then, recorded later in the context of the pandemic, ended up becoming something bigger than the mourning for a specific person, but a collective feeling (which, in a way, I believe, dialogues with the journalist’s mission) “, sums up Aragão.
The other songs on the EP follow the same idea of emotional vulnerability. “Se Você Quiser”, first partnership with Roberta Campos, was inspired by relationships during the pandemic, with many separations, difficult times, but, at the same time, celebrating those who managed to rebuild. “Dia Cheio”, which also won a clip, was written when Gabriel was on a beach in Fortaleza, with abstract lyrics that reflect on the passage of time and mortality. Only after recording did he notice an interesting parallel: one of the hits with Selvagens à Procura de Lei, when he was in his early 20s, is called “Tarde Livre”. Now, with the arrival of 30 and a solo career, comes “Dia Cheio”, a faithful portrait of adulthood and fatherhood.
“Onda” serves as the introduction of the EP, merging perfectly with “Toca o Barco” in an arrangement made with Felipe Pacheco Ventura (Baleia), taking elements from “Dia Cheio”, the last track, and joining the ends of the EP in this concept of tide. The cycles of water and its power of renewal are present in each part of “ABRECAMINHOS”, from the title to the cover art, passing through the verses and chords.
“Until recently I wasn’t sure what to name this work. I’ve called it ‘Sea Sem Fim’, ‘Old Paths, New Doors’, but for some reason it didn’t click. So I turned to the staff. talisman, it was something like ‘let’s go, pave the way’. Hence came the title of this first release, typed almost like a rallying cry: ‘ABRECAMINHOS’”, adds Gabriel Aragão.
As an invitation to clear the roads of life, the artist sets off on an intimate and universal, intimate and plural journey, through waters he has never navigated before. The EP is available on all major music platforms.