A Chat with Fernando Honorato (16.06.25)
Most well-known for his work as singer-songwriter of Principe Valiente – an evocative post-punk band – Fernando Honorato knows how to turn heads with eclectic, obscure and authentic music. Today, we view Honorato as more than just part of a fantastic group as we explore his new solo project. Join us as we chat about his new solo album, Center of Your World, future plans, and much more.
OSR: Your solo debut marks a significant shift from your work with Principe Valiente. What inspired you to step into this more introspective and stripped-down sound for Center of Your World?
Honorato: I’ve mostly tried the recent years to write in a similar way to how I did when I was younger, while also adding a fresh touch, so it was purely experimental at first. The early demos were intended for Principe, but since they weren’t received as well as before, I kept them for something else in the future instead. Which then resulted in this album.
OSR: The title track explores themes of longing and the desire to connect. Can you talk about the emotional genesis of that song and what it means to you personally?
Honorato: Nothing more complicated than unrequited love, really. Initially, it was specifically about one person, but then it actually took on a more universal meaning, so it’s not entirely about just one person. But it’s about the problematic aspect of it all, with some more concrete lines taken entirely from my personal life. But I wanted to embrace the subject with tenderness rather than bitterness.
OSR: ‘A Million Times’ and ‘Center of Your World’ offer contrasting textures – electronic vs. organic. How did you approach balancing these different sonic elements across the album?
Honorato: Both songs were written completely independently of each other and with some months in between, but then during the album process I noticed that many of the other songs also had similar aspects in how the instrumentation was, so I played around quite early with all the demos and imagined how they could fit together on the same album – and if they could do that, which actually worked quite well in my opinion.
OSR: The album blends post-punk, dark pop, and cinematic influences. Were there any specific artists, films, or moments from your past that guided your creative direction?
Honorato: Entirely on an unconscious level I believe, I just didn’t want to limit myself to anything really, but, as it is with influences that have always been with you throughout your life, certain ingredients always appear regardless of whether you think about it or not.
‘The Fire Of The Night’, to take one exemple, I got the vibe of a more psychedelic rock thing early on, in the same spirit as maybe Jefferson Airplane or Spacemen 3. Which felt refreshing at the time, but since my voice sounds the way it does, parallels are still drawn to Bowie or Joy Division, without it being planned at all. So in my head that song is something more of a garage rock/psych rock track, but in others’ ears, it becomes post/punk. It’s nothing that bothers me or anything, but it’s very interesting how a song can be perceived so differently depending on the listener’s own background and references. But that’s exactly what is beautiful about music; it becomes something special for each person who listens to and appreciates it.
OSR: You’ve described this project as a “new chapter” in your artistic journey. What challenges or freedoms did you experience in writing and producing this album on your own?
Honorato: The freedom has mainly been to be able to experiment freely without having to bounce ideas with others in the meantime. But also scary since it can be easy to lose yourself and become a bit “blind”, so it’s been crucial to find that balance and be able to take breaks from the ideas and let them rest, so that I can revisit them after a few days and then “bounce” them with myself instead. And see them a bit different. It’s been a very interesting journey.
OSR: Vulnerability and emotional complexity seem to be central themes. How did your personal life or recent experiences shape the lyrical content of the album?
Honorato: A few more recent experiences I suppose, been fed up with a lot of things and a bit dissatisfied with how I’ve been feeling. I’m mainly thinking about the post-COVID I’ve been dealing with for 5 years now, but even though I’m feeling much better, it has still been very challenging with the energy levels and pains, etc. And that has caused even more frustration than in my “natural” state anyway haha.
Such things also affect you mentally, but again, it’s no longer as limiting since I’ve been feeling significantly better lately. The head can sometimes have a hard time keeping up, so that frustration has come out in the way I sing more than before, and also lyrics wise. Like in the song ‘More For You’, I can feel the Nirvana frustration that is still there, but became even stronger when things started to get complicated again with a lady friend I was hanging out with, along with this extreme fatigue from the illness. But I still managed to focus and get it out in a song. So a bit paradoxical after all, but lying on a bed and staring and cursing straight into the air wouldn’t have helped either haha. So, it’s better to do something with that energy, but just do a little at a time. So, the psychological dilemmas where mixed there with more concrete physical ailments.
OSR: What was the creative process like between writing lyrics and composing the soundscapes for each track? Did one usually come before the other?
Honorato: Most often, the music/atmosphere comes first. And I play around with made-up lyrics at the same time just to try out different song melodies. And during the process, topics and lines pop up that I develop further into a more complete structure. Very rarely does the lyrics come out first, at least in a few sentences during walks or like doing the dishes or vacuum cleaning, but as a rule it is the music that comes out of me first.
OSR: The album is being released by Aenaos Records and Icy Cold Records, both known for supporting boundary-pushing music. How did those collaborations come about, and what role did the labels play in shaping or supporting the release?
Honorato: Aenaos is actually Principe Valiente’s very first record label (called Af Music back then), who released the first three albums. The third album was also released on vinyl for the first time by Manic Depression Records, which is the same person who later started Icy Cold (they also pressed our first two albums on vinyl later on), so the dialogue was there in the periphery from time to time during this process.
Aenaos has done an absolutely fantastic job with all the promotion leading up to the album’s release, as well as pushing for the singles that came before and booking all the interviews. They are releasing the album on vinyl and digitally, and Icy Cold is handling the CD release.
OSR: Looking ahead, do you see Fernando Honorato as a one-time solo project, or are you already imagining future releases and live performances under this moniker?
Honorato: I already have a bunch of songs intended for this project and will start recording things more properly during the year. But so far it’s just demos and embryos of things, so we’ll see how it develops.
Regarding the live aspect, I’ve been looking around possibilities for doing shows, but nothing is set in stone yet. I’ve actually been too busy with all the promo for the album to tackle that part as well, but hopefully it will become more clear in a while.
OSR: What do you hope listeners feel or take away from Center of Your World after experiencing the album from beginning to end?
Honorato: Hopefully, exactly what I feel after listening to an album that has meant something to me. Some piece of mind and feeling inspired.
