Marcos Casal Cao is a Spanish singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Santander in 1977. Cao moved to Madrid in his early twenties and founded La Sonrisa de Julia, a Brit-pop/indie rock band. After making the rounds of the independent scene for a number of years, the group eventually managed to release his debut, Caminos Diferentes in 2004. In 2006, La Sonrisa de Julia signed a deal with Universal Music and relased a sophomore album, Volver a Empezar. The band consolidated its growing reputation with Bipolar (2008), El Hombre que Olvidó Su Nombre (2011), and El Viaje del Sonámbulo (2013). In 2016, Cao released his first solo outing, Océano Caos.