Fresh off an intense year touring their acclaimed album Coisas Estranhas, Brazilian indie rock favorites Exclusive Os Cabides return with Feliz e triste ao mesmo tempo, a seven-track EP that captures the energy, spontaneity, and emotional contradictions of life on the road. Rooted in the band’s hometown of Florianópolis and infused with a more rock-driven approach, the project balances joy and melancholy, humor and introspection, while staying true to the irreverent spirit that has made the group one of the most exciting names in Brazil’s independent music scene.
We caught up with vocalist and guitarist João Paulo Pretto to discuss touring, collaboration, surf rock influences, visual storytelling, and the enduring heart of Exclusive Os Cabides.
Q: Feliz e triste ao mesmo tempo was born after an intense year on the road supporting Coisas Estranhas. How did touring change the way you approached songwriting and the energy you wanted this EP to have?
João Paulo Pretto:
I think our approach has changed completely. We’re more mature now and have a much clearer idea of what we want. Speaking personally, touring gave me a lot more confidence and made me more assertive with my guitar playing and less afraid of making mistakes. That directly influences my life, which in turn influences the recordings.
Q: The title translates to “Happy and Sad at the Same Time,” which feels like a very human contradiction. Why did that phrase ultimately capture the spirit of the record better than all the other title ideas that were debated?
João:
We kept discussing the songs, and that phrase appears in the track Fazer Qualquer Coisa Hoje. We felt that “happy and sad at the same time” summed up the songs on the EP really well because its themes are varied and often extreme. It’s also a very relatable feeling. I don’t think anyone experiences just one emotion at a time.
Q: This EP leans into a more rock-driven sound while still carrying the band’s unmistakably Brazilian identity. How do you balance local influences with international alternative rock inspirations?
João:
As a Brazilian, I think it’s impossible to do something that isn’t Brazilian because that’s our way of seeing and experiencing the world. I listen to music from all over the planet, so I don’t consciously think about being from anywhere specific. It just naturally sounds like where I’m from.
Q: Recording at Ouié Studio seems to have become part of the band’s history, from Roubaram Tudo to Coisas Estranhas and now this EP. What is it about that space and environment that keeps pulling you back?
João:
It’s in front of a beach, it has analog equipment with cool buttons, nice people, barbecues, and beer. I mean… why wouldn’t we come back?
Q: The band often emphasizes collaboration, whether in songwriting, visuals, or merchandise design. How does working collectively shape the final result compared to a more traditional band hierarchy?
João:
Actually, Antônio and I usually write the songs ourselves and then bring them to the band, so in that sense we’re fairly traditional. But we’re always open to arranging things together and incorporating good ideas from anyone.
As for the visual side, my girlfriend is a designer, my sister is a designer, and many of my friends are talented artists. Antônio and I have always enjoyed drawing too, so we usually handle a lot of those creative elements ourselves.
Q: The artwork incorporates elements like denim, embroidery, stitching, and handmade textures. How important is visual storytelling in communicating the world of Exclusive Os Cabides beyond the music itself?
João:
We’re always creating images through our lyrics and visual art. I think that’s the way we communicate best with people. When I listen back to our songs, I see a lot of colors in our storytelling, so the visual side comes naturally.
Q: Tracks like “Lagartixa Tropical” helped introduce your music to a much wider audience. Has that growing visibility changed the way you think about your audience, or do you still create music primarily for yourselves?
João:
The biggest change has been seeing so many younger people at our shows. It makes me feel like I could maybe do something positive for them if I have something worthwhile to say, so I think I’ve been trying to be more positive in my writing. Other than that, I’m still writing the same old songs.
Q: There’s a sense of humor running through everything from your interviews to your visuals. How important is playfulness in your creative process, especially when exploring deeper emotions?
João:
That’s just who we are and who we’ve always been. If people watched videos of me and Antônio as kids, they’d understand immediately.
Q: Florianópolis seems to be more than just your hometown—it almost feels like a character in your music. In what ways does the city continue to influence your sound and perspective as artists?
João:
We live in a place filled with magical stories, and we’ve been hearing those stories since we were children. The landscape is beautiful too, which keeps us inspired not only artistically but also in the way we live our lives.
We try to maintain a harmonious relationship with nature, and that’s something everyone in the band values deeply.
Q: Looking back at your journey from Para Endoidar o Cabeção through Roubaram Tudo, Coisas Estranhas, and now Feliz e triste ao mesmo tempo, what has remained at the core of Exclusive Os Cabides despite all the evolution?
João:
Our way of singing, our sense of humor, our appreciation for cats, and our desire to do something experimental with guitars. Many things have stayed with us and will continue to be part of who we are. (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡
Final Thoughts
With Feliz e triste ao mesmo tempo, Exclusive Os Cabides continue to refine a sound that feels simultaneously playful, heartfelt, and impossible to categorize. Fueled by a year of touring, friendship, ocean air, and creative freedom, the EP captures a band growing more confident without losing the charm, curiosity, and humor that made listeners fall in love with them in the first place.
Happy and sad at the same time? Perhaps. But above all, very alive.
