Skip to main content

Tag: interview

The past, present and future projects of Andrew McMahon

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

From being a rising star of emo rock to become a radiophonic pop star. In this short interview, we’re travelling backwards in the career, social and private life of Something Corporate singer, discovering more about his new album Tilt At The Wind No More as Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and what’s left of the past… and yes, we asked him if he’s going back to the studio with Something Corporate.

 

Hi Andrew, it’s a pleasure to have you on VEZ Magazine!

Let’s start straight away with the first elephant in the room: you have a new album out soon as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and you’re just forty. Given that since your beginnings you’ve always dealt with difficult and yet actual themes such as bullying and sufferance, what of even more mature shall we expect from the lyrics of Tilt at the Wind No More?

“It’s been a few years since my last release and in that time there have been a lot of milestones. Turning 40, crossing over into having spent more than half of my life on the road, 15 years cancer free, 15 years married, publishing a memoir and so on. I wanted this music to reflect what I’ve learned along the way and to do so with an eye on what’s to come. There is a lot on Tilt about getting older and about the impact of love and relationships on my journey.”

 

I listened to Tilt at the Wind No More and I couldn’t avoid thinking how immediately recognisable your touch is. How do you manage to preserve your identity although evolving the sounds and adding instruments?

“Finding myself and my voice inside new sonic landscapes is always a process and truthfully why I still enjoy making music. I always want to find a new presentation for my ideas and my songs and figuring out how to do that with new collaborators and fresh instrumentation often comes down to trial and error. Once it feels like me or the artist I feel myself becoming I just chase it down until the song is finished.”

 

I’d like to go to the second elephant in the room: the Something Corporate reunion. Besides the long awaited live performances at Where We Were Young festival, shall we also expect any new song?

“I’m really excited to reunite with the band on such a large stage. It feels like the right place to come back together and we’re all so excited. There are no plans for new music at the moment but I’m not ruling it out either.”

 

In the early 2000, artists such as Something Corporate, New Found Glory, Fenix TX, The Early November and many more blossomed under the same roof: Drive-Thru Records. Are you still in touch with its founders Richard and Stephanie Raines?

“Those were incredible times and the bond we shared with those bands is lasting and really meaningful. That said, it’s been a while since I’ve connected with the old Drive Thru crew.”

 

Let’s go back one step and talk about your side project Jack’s Mannequin: I liked it very much both musically and because of its social relevance, supporting such a delicate cause like cancer and the importance of a dedicated support program for the young with leukaemia. Is the foundation Dear Jack that you created to support this cause still active?

Dear Jack is still very active and growing every year. We work with hundred of patients, survivors and their families each year to help them navigate their cancer experiences and it is some of the most important work I’ve had the good fortune to be a a part of.”

 

We’re almost done, two more things we’d love to know: do you still have that piano fully covered with iconic stickers? Do you still jump on the piano barefoot?

“I still have that piano and have written nearly every record on it since it first traveled with me on the Warped Tour. I do still jump on the piano most shows but I’ve taken to wearing shoes.”

 

Thank you very much for your time!

 

Stefano ‘Cece’ Gardelli
Editing and translation: Francesca Garattoni

Eagle-Eye Cherry: Back on Track, finally back on a stage

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

To celebrate 25 years of career, the Swedish songwriter Eagle-Eye Cherry returns with a new album, Back on Track, and a new World tour that will also stop in Italy next February. We had the chance to interview him to know a little bit more about the new songs, how he lived the forced stop given by the pandemic and on the legacy of having written Save Tonight.

 

Welcome on VEZ Magazine and thank you for your time.
Lets start talking about your album Back on Track: do you think its possible to find a link (it could be either a word or a feeling) among the tracks of the record?

“When I was working on the album I started revisiting the music I listened to when I was a teenager. Stuff like The Ramones, The Clash and Talking Heads and I think it found it’s way into the music. Not so much the sonically but the feeling I had when I was young and listening to their music… it got me inspired and energised.”

 

When did you start writing the new songs? Before or after the pandemic hit us all?

“I had started writing new songs prior to the pandemic. I wanted to capture the energy of our live shows in the recording so we went straight in into the studio right after finishing my Streets of You tour. We recorded eight songs planning to return and finish the rest album but then Covid came and put everything at full stop.”

 

After almost a career 25 years long, six albums and dozens of songs, has your creative process changed or your approach remained constant over time? And how do your new songs usually come to life? Over the guitar or in some other way?

“When I made my first album I wasn’t sure of who I was musically. So Desireless was the journey where I found out who I am. By the end of the album I knew exactly what I’m about musically. The difference between then and now is that today I don’t question during the writing of a song because I’m totally at home with my sound. Mainly drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and my voice.
Usually songs are written with an acoustic guitar. Either on my own or together with other songwriters.”

 

To compose, to kick-off a new album, in particular Back on Track is it something you feel you have to do, as to satisfy a creative need, or is it a more natural process, for which you don’t necessarily need to feel an urgency?

“There isn’t really a beginning middle or end. Songs are being written throughout so that the next album is up and running when the touring and promotion ends. Although after my third album I did take a long break from the business and thought maybe I wouldn’t continue as an artist. But eventually I missed touring too much and couldn’t stay away… I had to get Back on Track.”

 

Once the songs are recorded, do you like to be involved in the mixing and post production phases?

“Yes, I like to be involved and make sure the album sounds the way I want it. It’s got my name on it so I have to be 100% satisfied.”

 

Following up on this, how different is the current musician Eagle-Eye compared to the one from 1997?

“I’m a little older. I’ve been around the block a few times and don’t feel restless like I did in 1997. Now I know to focus on what is important. I love playing live gigs and that is my reward for all the hard work… writing, recording and promotion. I’m also a father now and that outshines everything else in life.”

 

During your upcoming World tour, who will be with you on stage? Who will take part to your band? What type of show will it be and what should the crowd expect?

“Yes, I’m very excited to get back on the road. It was very hard during the pandemic to not be able to go on tour. I love to travel and be on the move so to not be able to even leave your apartment had me climbing the walls.
So to finally get out in the world, to meet the fans and share the music will be fantastic. I’ll be bringing the band I’ve been working with a few years now. We are a tight unit after having played so many gigs together. We’ll be playing a lot of the songs from the new album. A lot of the new songs are written because I was missing these kind of tunes in our show. Big energy! And of course we’ll be playing several of my songs from earlier albums also.”

 

In the end, a question that might sound a bit weird but I’m going to dare… during your career you wrote a ton of beautiful songs, there are real gems in each and every one of your albums as undeniable proof of your value as a songwriter, so here’s the question: have you ever thought or wished you never wrote Save Tonight, a hit that remarks an age, that surely gave you visibility, success and so much more, but that also ends up to outshine everything else you have done? 

“It’s a good question. I often say that if having a massive hit like Save Tonight is a problem then that is a good problem to have. Save Tonight has taken me around the world and given me everything I dreamed since I was a kid. So, no I don’t wish I never wrote Save Tonight.”

 

Thank you once again for your time and see you in Milano!

 

Alberto Adustini
Editing and translation: Francesca Garattoni

Josè González. The acoustics of two worlds.

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

The Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist of Argentinian ancestry Josè González participated to the Percuotere la Mente festival last August 3rd in Rimini. González’s style is one of the most recognisable of the indie-rock scene, thanks to that acoustic sound that characterises his albums, including his latest Local Valley, where the melodies get enriched by lyrics sang in English, Swedish and for the first time in Argentinian Spanish, the language of his parents. Very different roots and cultures, the Argentinian and the Spanish one, that meet up in the music of this mindful and passionate artist we got to know better thought this interview.

 

On August 3rd, you took part to Percuotere la Mente 2022, a festival in Rimini with a tradition of hosting artists that pick people’s mind (note: Percuotere la Mente can be loosely translated as “Shaking the Mind”). Is there any particular reason that made you accept to take part to this festival, maybe related to the meaning of the festival name? 

Didn’t know about the meaning, but now that I know I’m glad they invited me! The last couple of records I’ve been aiming at writing lyrics that make people think differently – if they want :)”

 

What would “shaking the mind” mean to you? 

I guess exposing yourself to new ideas or perspectives and allowing yourself to think differently.”

 

Have you any expectation by playing in Italy, in front of an Italian crowd?

“Not that different to other summer crowds. But I am very excited though to play in Italy since I haven’t played that often compared to other European countries.”

 

You were born in Sweden, but to Argentine parents who left their homeland as political activists. What did it mean to you to grow up in a Swedish mindset and at the same time live the cultural and social background of your family​? 

“I’ve felt like it’s been great to have a mixed background and since I’ve lived in Gothenburg Sweden all my life I feel more Swedish than anything else. When I’m in Argentina I feel like a visitor but I’m sure that would change if I only spent more time there. I have a slight Mendozinian accent with some words that were popular in the 70’s.”

 

Has your music been affected from this and if so, how?

I think my music has been affected by many things, some deliberate and some without thinking. I studied Spanish classical guitar, I learnt to sing and play through Beatles and bossa nova. And when I started to write my own songs I was heavily influenced by Silvio Rodriguez from Cuba. Around the time when I was collecting songs for my first album I was into singer-songwriter artists from UK and US – music that I listened to with my friends. So the songs were influenced by many styles and I wanted the album to be different from the other artists that were popular in Sweden at the time. I think my varied background helped me find my own mosaic style.”

 

What, in your opinion, should be the role of the artist during these times of wars, economic crises, and quite often super fast and superficial social interactions?

The role of the artist and art in general is to be whatever the artist want it to be. There’s always room for different aims and ambitions. Some can be aesthetically pleasing and some the opposite. Some can be political and some simply out for mindless entertainment. Maybe the only thing to have in mind is how an artist uses their platform. The bigger the platform the more responsibility to not disinform or to stir hatred.”

 

You play your guitar using fingerpicking, a style that is no longer widespread, while many musicians use more digital sounds every day. Do you think that in the future music will be more and more synthetic?

I don’t have clue of how the future will be. It’s been really fun to hear AI write Bach and Beatles and I look forward to see ABBA avatars but I’m a fan of the artisanal aspect of hearing and seeing people play acoustic instruments. I’m sure future AI’s and virtual experiences can take any kind of taste into account in the long future though.”

 

In Local Valley, your latest project released in 2021, you sing some songs in Argentinian Spanish-– the language of your parents – for the first time. Why did you decide to do so?

I tried with my previous album but got stuck and switched to English. This time not so – it actually felt easy and fun! Maybe my ambition to impress my kids helped me.”

 

Let’s talk about Visions, one of the songs from Local Valley. Towards the end of the song you say “No, we can’t know for sure what’s next /But that we’re in this together/We are here together “, as if to reassure the listener that even if the future is uncertain, being united will give us the strength to overcome it. Where does this reflection of yours  come from?

I seldom think my own thoughts. I try to lean on better and more informed thinkers. There’s a couple of places where I find interesting thinkers: The Long Now, Edge.org and the Effective Altruism community. They point toward challenges that need global collective action and collaboration: Ecological Crisis, Nuclear Weapons, Synthetic Biology, Misaligned Artificial Intelligence. But they also point toward the amazing things we have accomplished and can accomplish in possible futures. Resting on a humanist outlook I’m also thinking that we can’t rely on anything else than this life we have – after birth and before death.”

 

Local Valley is a look at the world filtered by love, art and reason. What is love for you?

“Just an evolutionary by product of electro-chemical firing of neurons to copy our genes. No, just kidding ;)”

 

Alma Marlia
Editing and translation: Francesca Garattoni

A punk chat with Amyl and the Sniffers

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

Amyl and the Sniffers is a punk rock/pub rock band, based in Melbourne. It is composed by Amy Taylor (voice), Bryce Wilson (drum), Dec Martens (guitar) and Fergus Romer (bass). The band is known thanks to their ability on live performing and their particularly frenetic and  dynamic style, exactly like their songs. They won several awards, such as 2020 Music Victoria Awards as best band, best musician (personally to Amy Taylor) and best live act, won again in 2021 Music Victoria Awards. The band also won the ARIA Music Award for the best rock album in 2019. They actually count two EPs, such as Giddy Up (2016) and Big Attraction (2017) and two albums, Amyl and the Sniffers (2019) and Comfort Me (2021). In occasion of their concert at acieloaperto in Cesena, we had the pleasure to interview Amy.

 

You are well known for explosive and extremely dynamic live experiences. Do you feel more comfortable on a stage performing live or recording in studio? What’s your relationship with your fanbase?

“Probably perfoming live makes me feel more comfortable rather than recording. On a stage it is free and you have no inhibitions. 

I like my listeners. It’s cool to see young girls or women or, you know, sixty years old girls take a picture of me, or small businesses that share their product with me or give me a little outfit, just to be kind. It’s pretty amazing to know that my music reaches people and makes people feel something.”

 

What effect had on you the ARIA Music Award victory and the consequent uprising of your success? Have you any regret about your beginnings?

“I don’t know, it was such a big surprise when we won it, so we were like “What the fuck, that is fucking awesome!” and then going forward from winning that. It definitely felt pretty special to be recognized. It didn’t corrupt the humbleness too much.

I’ve never thought about regrets before, I don’t think so. I’m sure I’d do it if I had to think about it, but I don’t want to think about it until late up, ‘cause otherwise I’ll feel bad. I think that if I could go back I would tell to the younger me to start reading more books and news more, and start being more aware ‘cause I live under a pretty big rock, which makes part of who I am, so I wouldn’t change that, but I think that when I started reading the books I liked what they did to my brain.”

 

From your debut to your last record, your signature songs are powerful and energetic. What is your recipe for the perfect song?

“I don’t know if there is such a thing as a perfect song, because sometimes even with my favorite songs, if I’m in a different mood I wouldn’t listen to it and I’m not liking it at that time. I don’t really have the answer. I think that if we’re talking about recipes and I’m like a chef, then I’m probably making toasted sandwiches and I don’t know why they are yummy, but they are yummy sometimes.” 

 

Your lyrics are often coarse and sharp, without boundaries or censorship. What do you think about the extreme moralism borderline with cancel culture that today is challenging both speech and artistic freedom?

“I think cancel culture is complicated. I think that call-out culture can be a good thing. When online it can be too dangerous because it’s all behind keyboards, but in general call-out culture is marginalize people, like have their voices heard by people with a bit more power and so it is complicated because if you have more power it feels quite challenging to be challenged and it seems you’re under attack but sometimes it is just someone without any voice turning up a voice.” 

 

Do you think punk (both as an attitudine and musical genre) is dead? 

“I think that as a genre it is definitely alive. The 1970s punk is probably dead. It’s a different landscape and there’s a different culture now. But it’s reformed, it still exists. I might not know which better punk version is, but it’s still punk. So they might have died but there’s different versions of it. It’s like some people have a really narrow line of what punk is, so for those people if their version of punk is dead then everyone else is wrong, but often it is just different and they can’t see, because they don’t want to. All around the world there are big punk fans. It might look different, and it might look like everyone does different versions of it, people are making crazy about music and I’m sure a lot of punks don’t like that but I think there’s nothing more punk than not having a fucking day job!”

 

Riccardo Rinaldini

The Dead South, bluegrass and folk from Canada

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

Guitars, banjo, terrific lyrics performed by vocals that can give you goosebumps: we’re talking about the folk-bluegrass group The Dead South. The ensemble, formed in 2012 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, features Nathaniel Hilts (vocals, guitar and mandolin), Scott Pringle (vocals, guitar and mandolin), Danny Kenyon (cello and vocals) and Colton Crawford (banjo). They published their first studio album Good Company in 2014. At the moment, their discography counts three EPs – The Ocean Went Mad and We Were To Blame, published in 2013, Easy Listening for Jerks Pt. 1 and Easy Listening for Jerks Pt. 2, both published in 2022 – and three studio albums: Illusion and Doubt, published 2016 and Sugar & Joy, published in 2019, on top of their debut from 2014. They will play at Alcatraz in Milan on April 18th and we had the pleasure to interview them.

 

On a personal level, how did you cope with the past two years of pandemic? Did you notice any effect on the dynamics of the band, for example emotional distance or small frictions due to the frustration of being idle?

“I think we coped with the pandemic quite well. We all had some time to do our own thing for a little bit, which was a nice thing, at least for the first few months. We all had time to work on other personal projects, Scott had a baby. We spent lots of the down time practicing and recording our two new EP’s, so it wasn’t 18 months of being totally idle. Once we got back on the road, it felt like we had never stopped. We fell right back in to the groove pretty easily.”

 

Soon you will come and play in Italy: how do you feel about touring again? Do you like Italy? Do you think your music genre is more or less appreciated here rather than in other Countries?

“We’ve never been to Italy, so we’re super excited to finally play there! It’s always tough to say which countries appreciate our music more. People are people, and every country in the world is going to have people who enjoy our music and people who don’t. It will be very interesting to see how the Italian crowds compare to other crowds.”

 

One of your most famous songs is “In Hell I’ll Be in Good Company”: who do you see yourself with there, if you believe in Hell? How do you relate to religion and spirituality?

“None of us are religious guys, most of our lyrics are just stories, usually about villains instead of heroes. If there is a hell, I’m sure the four of us will be spending lots of time together there.”

 

Who are the artists that influenced you the most, both on a personal and musical level?

“When we started the band we listened to a lot of Trampled By Turtles, The Devil Makes Three, and Old Crow Medicine Show. Personally, I grew up listening to lots of metal, and that’s still what I listen to the most. Lamb of God, Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder are probably my favourites. We all grew up on punk and classic rock as well, and I think those genes influence a lot of our songwriting.”

 

Which are the origins of the name “The Dead South”?

“We used to have a drummer in the band, and he came up with the name The Dead Souths. We didn’t like the plural Souths, so we dropped the “s” and became The Dead South. We had our first show booked and needed a name, so we went with that and it stuck. It seemed to fit the genre of music well, but if we had anticipated 10 years of “The Dead South?? But you’re from CANADA!!” jokes we might have reconsidered.”

 

Has success changed in any way your perception and vision of music? Have you experienced any change in the way you write and compose your music? If so, is it a good or a bad change?

“I don’t think it has, if anything it’s maybe a bit harder to come up with original ideas than when we first started playing, because we were all just learning our instruments and learning how to write songs. We never want to write two songs that sound the same, and we don’t want to change our instrumentation, so it’s more of a challenge to come up with unique songs than it used to be. Other than that, everything is exactly the same. We still just jam acoustic in someone’s basement, we have no fancy jam space or anything like that, and our “success” doesn’t really change anything. We still feel like we’re the same four dudes from Regina trying to write fun songs.”

 

Riccardo Rinaldini

Things Are Great is the record Band of Horses made the way they wanted to

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

After almost six years since Why Are You OK, Band of Horses are back with their new album Things Are Great. Many are the news on this record: the band lineup partially renovated, a talented producer and the most sincere and transparent songwriting ever. To balance this out, what does not change is the iconic sound of Ben Bridwell’s band, that circles back to its roots and their indie and alternative rock attitude. We dug into these topics – and many more! – with drummer Creighton Barrett, touching also the global suspension of our lives due to the pandemic and, last but not least, a question about The Funeral, that we have recently found in the soundtrack of a successful Italian Netflix production.

 

Hello Creighton and thanks for being here with us. Let’s start talking about your new album, Things Are Great, out on March 4th after almost six years since your last release. Although some time has passed, is it possible that some underlying atmospheres and inspiration were already seeded in Why Are You OK? As if that record, besides having a connection within the title, already contained an end and a new beginning?

“Yes, well, we’ve had some different members that have come and gone since the last record: that’s nothing new, our lineup changes pretty regularly for better or for worse. But yes, I think this is a continuation in the way that Why Are You OK was a record that we made distinctively to make the record the way that we want to make the record, as opposed to, maybe, not so much outside influence but maybe getting back to the roots of us, just making the records that we wanna make and the records that we want to listen to. So, I think this newest record Things Are Great is even more of that, of been the little punk rock kids we used to be and not worrying so much about what other people are gonna think: let’s just make this record the best for us and make the best that we can.
I think those two records definitely show a bit of a departure from the record before Why Are You OK, which was kind of exercise, with someone else kind of telling us which way to go and how to make it, and that didn’t sit very well with us. So we kind took the reins.”

 

In terms of sound, we can find the iconic sound of Band of Horses. However, in the production of the album the contribution of Ben Bridwell, who also worked a lot with the sound technician Wolfgang “Wolfie” Zimmerman, had much more weight. What happened at that stage of the process and how did the recording sessions go?

“We had started the record with our previous producer from Why Are You OK, Jason Lytle, who is from a fantastic band called Granddaddy. We made Why Are You OK with him and it was great, but we started the session for Things Are Great with him again and it just wasn’t vibing properly, just it didn’t feel right.
We recorded a few tracks with Jason and kind of had some time and we played some shows and kind of sat with what we’ve done thus far. It just wasn’t where we thought we should be and we decided that it was so early in the process that it wasn’t too big of a loss just to be like “You know what? Let’s start again!” basically.
We have a great friend that lives in our town which is Charleston, South Carolina, named “Wolfie”, Wolfgang Zimmerman. He’s this younger kid who’s making really great music with these local bands in our town, and he was doing really great things out of the storage shed, it wasn’t even a real studio. So, if this kid is that talented where he can make these bands sound incredible with not being even in a real studio, what happens if we put him into a real one? We worked out fantastically and I think to Ben and I, I can speak for both of us, Wolfie was just a breath of fresh air. He came into it, saying: “I want you guys to sound like you guys”, which, you know, people always say they do when they go to make a new record but things get pushed, things get pulled in certain directions outside your hands. Sometimes, and this time, all he wanted to do was to trust to go back to the way we made our earlier records. Ben and I don’t have any musical training, we taught ourselves how to play our instruments and I think he wanted to hone in on that, more than try to make grandiose sounding thing, he wanted us to just to sound like we were with our instruments and making music. Which is what it sounds like, I think. Long answer, sorry” (laughs)

 

Within your discography, lyrics represent a fundamental part of every record: what stories do the songs on Things Are Great tell? Is there a track you are particularly fond of?

“My favorite track on the record is called Ice Night We’re Having which is just this really weird kind of gallop, really indie rock sounding song, which is kind of my heart. That’s my favorite song. As far as the lyrics go, Ben was going through a lot of heavy stuff during the making of this record. So I can’t really answer so much for the lyrical content, but Ben, he really comes over and really thinks about what he’s saying. I do think on this record, he said in previous interviews, I don’t know, it’s as if he’s a bit more unmasked in this record. But I think this record would have come out: we’ve got pushed back because of the pandemic and of this shit that everyone’s been in, I think it helped him to write the words to where maybe it’s easier to access them in a way everyone’s going through kind of a bad time right now. I think it’s easier to break down those walls that maybe he had in place previously to where everyone is kinda like in a shitty situation and his words on this record lend themselves in a little bit easier than past records, where it’s like: “Look, I kind of feel what this guy is going through and even though what I’m going through is completely different”, it paints a pretty easy picture for all of us.”

 

Cover band of horses

 

The album title hints to a positive meaning, we could say of “purpose”. However, within the tracklist we find songs like Tragedy of the Commons, In The Hard Times or In Need of Repair that refer to complicated situations. Did the planetary upset caused by the pandemic influence the writing of the album in any way? How did you live or are you still living these years of suspension and away from the stage?

“In July, last summer, we finally got the go ahead to play our first few shows and it was two shows leading up to Lollapalooza. We’ve played some shows, got back at it but, that year or so off, you question a lot of things: for one, we were sitting on this record and it was done and you know, idle time can be so horrible. You just have more time to think about “Is it a good record? Does this suck?”.
It’s been so long in the making, It just kind of like a painting you’ll never finish. You just let it go. That time was pretty hard for all of us, not just financially, you know, Ben and I both have families, we have children, so trying to navigate that was of course rough.
But it also made you question a bunch of stuff that maybe we didn’t get the question before. It was just like everything just came to a stop, there’s nothing on the books, no one knew what to do, no one knew how to do anything with it. It seemed that for the first time – even when there’s been financial breakdowns and stuff before, people still went to shows and people still went to the movies, like in the Great Depression and stuff like that, like they had this artistic outlet – for the first time that wasn’t even possibility. And so when you break it down to “What about musicians who played live?” ,no one knew what to do. Everything during the pandemic was focused on not letting that happen, it was so overwhelming. It was hard even break it down to like “Shit!”.
We’ve been doing this for twenty years and it’s such a second nature to us. For the first few months, we didn’t even know what hit us. It was just like: “Wow, Do we start something new? Do we? Do we not do this anymore?” No one had any answers, it was pretty crazy and luckily the clouds lifted and we got the emails about going to play those two warm up shows for Lollapalooza and it was just like… “Holy shit, it’s back”.
So, it was crazy time…”

 

I don’t know if you’re aware that your song The Funeral has been recently featured in an Italian Netflix production titled Tear Along The Dotted Line. It’s an emotional coup de grâce, as soon as the notes its signature intro start sound, the protagonist reaches the climax of his inner journey towards self-awareness and consciousness of the reality he’s living. How is your\the band relationship with this particular song, that made so many appearances both on the big and the small screen, usually to underline intense emotional moments?

“To be honest, the weight of that song didn’t really hit me till we started playing it live and then it just becomes this other thing. It’s like, for better or for worse, ‘cause there are some people that only know that song, in, there, at the show, they’re just waiting for that song, so we have to do our showbiz act which is like “You don’t get to the end”, that little act. That’s one side of it. But to be perfectly honest, it’s never lost on me playing that song live for people because the room changes, it means so much to so many people in so many different ways. Not just about like someone actually losing somebody… it’s an earmark for so many people’s lives and to be a part of a band that did that, I’m insanely grateful for it. I love the use of it in movies because it is a perfect song for that stuff. It resonates and I can’t ever tell that resonates ‘cause people have heard it and they’re going to expect it, you know? But it’s still to me at least my side, it doesn’t ever lose its awesomeness. People keep putting it in movies…that’s a great use of that song, yet again! It works there! It’s obviously somatic and cinematic. I think it’s great. Is that show good?”

 

Yes, it was a really good production. It’s actually an animated comic by Zerocalcare, who is a very talented comic artist and is very successful in Italy. We thought it was sarcastic but instead, at the end, when The Funeral started, we all burst into tears. It was a very coming of an age experience.

Wow, Zerocalcare? I’ll look him up, thanks!

 

Laura Faccenda
Editing and translations: Francesca Garattoni
Photos: Stevie and Sarah Gee

About how Mighty Oaks reflect their emotional state into music

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

Mighty Oaks did plan to spend their 2020 touring the globe, but it wasn’t possible: they have therefore conveyed their energies in recording their forth album Mexico (Howl Records), planned for release on May 7. Due to the occasion, we had a chat with Claudio Donzelli, who told us the emotions and the experiences that brings their music to life.

 

Back in February 2020 you released All Things Go and after a bit more than a year you are here again with your new work Mexico. What does it mean to you to bring something new to life while the whole world is on hold?

“The pandemic changed everything, including the typical lifecycle of an album. When the lockdown started in March 2020, we had an incredible plan for the rest of the year, tons of great shows in Europe and US. We were looking forward to touring our third album All Things Go but it soon became clear that such restrictions were going to have a huge impact on our tour schedule. In the impossibility to play any shows at all, we thought that we would best invest the time in writing new material. Nobody knew what was coming but we knew that once this nightmare would be over, we would have been ready with new music to release and perform live. It’s been our way to cope with the lockdown and besides that, it kept us sane and focused during times of uncertainty.”

 

The trait I prefer out of Mexico is its particular intimacy. What do you like the most of your album? And what is, in your opinion, its uniqueness, that special something that differentiates it from your previous releases?

“I love when an album is a snapshot of where we are individually and as a band at the time of making it. When I know that we managed to reflect our emotional state in the music we make. I think this is the case for Mexico. We lived through unprecedented times, with climate change, racial issues and broken politics. You’ll find some of that in the album, but you’ll also find represented universal traits of the human experience like love, friendship and death. I love the juxtaposition between the two. At the end of the day each of us has to confront his interior world with the exterior world we live in. I think its uniqueness is in the process. We recorded almost everything ourselves in Ian’s home studio. The result is more raw, direct and unfiltered than ever before.” 

 

Ian Hooper said that recording at home felt like going back at the beginning of your career. Is it an experience worth making again?

”Absolutely, and it feels right and very natural to go back to that way of working at this stage of our career. After three albums out and as many EPs it was time to reshuffle the cards and bring some fresh energy in the studio. The same fresh energy that Ian and I were immersed into as we were recording music the first tracks, laying the foundation of the band, in 2010.”

 

You all come from different Countries and the band was born in Germany: how your different origins influence and/or enrich your music?

“First of all, it enriches our experience of working together. Second our music, but it’s really hard for me to say exactly how our cultural background reflects in the music we make and even if we grew up in different places, the music we heard growing up with was not so crazy different. For example, I grew up listening to mostly brit pop and US indie bands in the 90s/00s.
In general, internationality is really part of our nature, even beyond the band: in our team we have professionals from France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany of course and people with Hungarian and Turkish backgrounds. It’s quite common in Berlin as the city became a huge international hub in the past 10 to 20 years.”

 

If I ask you to sum up your artistic journey up to now, what will you tell me?

“Wow, that’s a really hard question! I’ll give it a try! (smiles)
I think we’ve always been interested in finding powerful ways to tell stories that resonate with people. We do that through Ian’s lyrics that are often inspired by autobiographical events. We do that with the music which serves and supports the story. Our artistic journey unfolds in developing, perfecting and experimenting with the craft of songwriting.” 

 

Last but not least, a piece of advice to our readers: which album recently released would you absolutely recommend to listen to?

Earth by EOB (Ed O’Brien, guitarist of Radiohead) has been the best album I’ve heard in while. It really raptured me. It came out during the pandemic last year and it really made me travel without moving when traveling wasn’t allowed. It’s a wonderful multifaceted record with contaminations of different genres and musical flavors.”

 

Marta Massardo

Sam Eagle and the need of not repeating himself

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

Sam Eagle is an unstoppable force of nature and after only five months from the release of Something Out of Nothing, he’s out again with a new EP She’s So Nice (Cooking Vinyl). To mark the occasion, we had a chat with him and he told us how his songs come to life.

 

You are just 21 but you already have a strong and heterogeneous release history: can you tell us about your artistic journey?

“Sure, well I started out doing solo stuff when I was 16, having only been in bands up to that point. I wanted to make something super simple and just for fun, just to try out the process. I loved it, and haven’t looked back. I have a strict rule that every song has to be unique to itself in my catalogue. So that every song speaks for itself and I don’t repeat myself. This is really important to me as an artist, and if something doesn’t meet that criteria it won’t be released. People say that writing as many songs as you can is the way to go, but I disagree personally — for me I much prefer taking longer to write a song, and just focus on making it the best it can be, allowing the song to form naturally before moving on.”

 

What do you prefer about your latest EP?

“I think the range of styles, emotions and sounds. That’s another thing that’s very important to me — having as wide a range of feelings as possible across a project. I’d like to think there’s something in there for everyone.”

 

How does its content differ from your previous releases?

“It’s more produced I would say. The last EP Something Out of Nothing and this one She’s So Nice were both made together, so they’re very much a pair, or a body of songs. Before these two EPs though, I used to take a lot more influence from jazz. Now I take more influence from hip hop.”

 

What do you get inspired by?

“Nature has always been a massive inspiration to me. Growing up by the sea and in the countryside of England has definitely influenced me to keep things natural, and not to process the instruments or my voice too much. Other inspirations can be anything from a song, a book, a fun experience, a conversation or anything really! Just trying to have new experiences — which granted has been very difficult over the past year.”

 

You are one of the artists of the year for 2020, a great achievement given the current circumstances. How are you living these challenging times?

“I’ve been very lucky to have put together my own studio to record these EPs before the pandemic. It’s been a real life line as I can keep making music and working on projects without any cost. It’s something I’d really recommend to anyone who can do it, to try and get together some kind of set up so that you’re self sufficient as an artist. It’s been difficult to stay inspired, and the amount of content flying around everywhere has been quite exhausting. I’m certainly ready now, and looking forward to moving forward into whatever the future holds.”

 

Marta Massardo

Tim Hart: being happy with what you have

Leggi questo articolo in Italiano qui

With his new upcoming album Winning Hand (Nettwerk Records) about to be released, we took the chance to ask a few questions to Tim Hart on this intimate and contemplative work recorded with Simon Berkelman at the Golden Retriever Studios in Sydney.

 

How did Winning Hand come to life and what does the title stand for?

Winning Hand for me is the concept of being happy with what you have and not always looking enviously to all those around you. It for me is a very freeing concept.”

 

Is there a red thread through Winning Hand

“The album is almost a tour diary that I’ve written over a couple of years of touring. At times it’s about what’s going on in my mind and at times about what’s going on around me. There’s lots about love and family and loss. Ultimately Winning Hand is about discovering a sense of self.”

 

In your third single Steady as She Goes you talk about what home is to you. What is then “home” during these difficult times? Do you think that its meaning has changed?

“When I wrote this song I was writing less about a place and more about a feeling. A sense of belonging. I know that sounds strange because I mention Sydney. But it’s more how being around friends and family make me feel. And in that sense it hasn’t really changed. You can feel just as at home while going through the horrible times we currently are I think.”

 

This is the first time recording your album with a full band. Can you tell us something more about this decision? 

“Recording with the full band was a way of me letting go of control. Previous albums I have played the majority of instruments. This time I just wanted to focus on the songs and let other great players focus on their thing!”

 

How was born the collaboration with Bianca Braithwaite and her artwork?

“Bianca is such a talented artist in many mediums. I was really drawn to the honesty and detail of what she does. She was amazing at getting what was in my head into artwork. She is very very talented!”

 

You have created a mixtape on Spotify that you update every month. How do you select the songs you add?

“I love creating these playlist and the simple answer is that I love listening to lots of music. Last year when lockdown started I realised I’d been so immersed in the music world that I stopped loving the simple pleasure of listening to music. That’s why I make these playlists to share and discover new music with other people.”

 

Cecilia Guerra

VEZ talks to – Ep. 1 “An Early Bird”

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Visualizza questo post su Instagram

Abbiamo intervistato An Early Bird occasione dell’uscita del nuovo singolo Talk To Strangers distribuito da Artist First.

Un post condiviso da • VEZ Magazine • (@vezmagazine) in data:

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1560685645808{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”18886″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1560685645808{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”18883″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1560685686606{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”18884″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”18882″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”18885″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1560685645808{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”18888″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1560685645808{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”18887″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1552435940801{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

Foto: Luca Ortolani

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1552435940801{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

PARLARE AGLI SCONOSCIUTI:
IL NUOVO SINGOLO DI AN EARLY BIRD

 

IL RITORNO DEL SONGWRITER CON TALK TO STRANGERS, BRANO CANTATO INSIEME ALL’ARTISTA OLD FASHIONED LOVER BOY

 

Reduce da un anno ricco di live – circa 70 tra Italia ed Europa e al fianco di artisti come Scott Matthews, Stu Larsen e Grant Lee Phillips, torna An Early Bird con il nuovo singolo Talk To Strangers, distribuito il 21 Febbraio da Artist First.

Talk To Strangers, prodotto presso Il Faro Studio di Somma Lombardo da Claudio Piperissa e Lucantonio Fusaro durante le sessions del secondo full length del cantautore, racconta la sensazione di non sentirsi totalmente capiti dalle persone più vicine. Da qui nasce il bisogno paradossale di aprirsi agli sconosciuti sentendosi a volte anche più capiti.

Musicalmente il brano continua un percorso di ricerca che ha progressivamente spostato il cantautore dai suoni indie folk del primo album Of Ghosts & Marvels – uscito nel 2018 – a quelli più scuri dell’EP In Depths, uscito alla fine del 2019 per Ghost Records.

Il risultato richiama un solido songwriting di stampo folk-pop con delle derive dreamy, tra Travis, Ben Howard e Sparklehorse, e vede la partecipazione di Old Fashioned Lover Boy, altro artista appartenente alla scena alt folk italiana.

“La cosa è nata in modo molto spontaneo perché io e Alessandro siamo molto amici: è semplicemente venuto a trovarmi durante le registrazioni e ci abbiamo messo davvero poco a entrare nella dinamica di collaborazione. È la prima volta che lascio cantare qualcun altro parte delle mie canzoni eppure sono felice di averlo fatto perché il risultato mi emoziona molto”.

Il secondo full length di An Early Bird è presumibilmente previsto per seconda metà del 2020.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Un Cimini senza filtri. Ma con tanto amore.

8 dicembre 2018.

Prosegue il mio mese preferito, anche se mancano ancora un po’ di giorni a Natale, questo sabato sera ha tutto il sapore di un regalo ricevuto in anticipo. Ho un appuntamento speciale e imbocco la A14, con la mia modalità preferita: me myself and I e con canzone A14 in sottofondo, per arrivare da colui che l’ha scritta.

Che Federico Cimini fosse un ragazzo umile ed estremamente gentile, l’avevo capito ancor prima che ci incontrassimo e ancora prima che gli stringessi la mano. Mi era bastato uno scambio di qualche messaggio e il modo in cui ha immediatamente accolto la mia richiesta di fare un’intervista per Vez magazine, in occasione dell’ultima tappa del suo Tokyo Tour prevista al Locomotiv club di Bologna.

Ho scoperto da poco la sua musica ed è stato amore – al primo ascolto. Questa è stata anche la prima cosa gli ho detto, non appena siamo arrivati in camerino e ci siamo seduti sul divano per fare la nostra chiacchierata.

Più che un primo incontro, mi è sembrato un ritrovo, come se ci fossimo già visti e avessimo già avuto modo di entrare in confidenza, saltando quei passaggi da “primo impatto” sempre un po’ imbarazzante tra due sconosciuti.

Forse perché Federico, attraverso i suoi testi ha la capacità di fare entrare le persone in contatto con il suo mondo e tra buoni “empatici”, così come amiamo definirci entrambi, ce la intendiamo senza aver bisogno di tanto tempo prima di stabilire un contatto umano ed emotivo.

In camerino ci siamo arrivati insieme, perché sia lui che il suo manager Nagni sono stati così gentili da aspettarmi ed accogliermi all’ingresso del locale.

Ne approfitto per ringraziare ancora entrambi, non è un gesto scontato o dovuto, ma sin dall’inizio, nonostante fosse la mia prima intervista da sola, senza nessun supporter, mi sono sentita una loro amica, non una sconosciuta.

Il suo album Ancora meglio è in loop da più di un mese nella mia macchina mentre macino chilometri e nelle mie cuffie mentre cammino per strada. Ho scoperto da poco il suo nome e quando gliel’ho detto, mi ha risposto sorridendo: <<Ne sono felice, meglio tardi che mai>>.

 

Adesso Immaginate questo:

 

Un camerino che sembra un tipico salotto di una tipica “casa-regaz”, un divano con seduta una Claudia alla sua prima intervista da sola, emozionata livello-pro e mezza tremolante con le sue domande scritte a penna e un registratore in mano.

E nel bel mezzo dell’intervista immaginate un alternarsi di personaggi adorabili (membri della band) che a turno, fanno avanti e indietro in questo salotto, chi lavandosi i denti, chi intonando note stonate, chi col filo interdentale, chi venendo a prendere una birra dal frigo.

Come non sentirsi a casa?

Iniziamo così la nostra chiacchierata, in un ambiente con un clima che ho amato e che avevo promesso di descrivere.

 

Ero in macchina con mia madre e ti stavamo ascoltando, ad un certo punto mentre ascoltavamo Fare tardi lei ha detto: “Questo ragazzo sembra Rino Gaetano!”. Ecco, ti senti parte di questo preciso momento storico o magari ti sarebbe piaciuto nascere in un altro periodo e contesto. E quali sono i tuoi artisti preferiti, quelli con i quali sei cresciuto?

Questa è una cosa bella che mi impaurisce sempre un po’. Non credo nel destino ma credo nel caso, quindi se il caso ha voluto che nascessi in questo periodo storico va benissimo così.

Mi piace, nel senso che ho sempre cercato di costruire il mio futuro e il mio presente, adattandomi. Ci si adatta, da “animali” a questo mondo, quindi è giusto che io mi trovi qui. Artisticamente non so quanto io mi riesca a ritrovare, ma ci sono.

Far parte del mondo “Indie” non è una scelta personale o voluta, spesso scrivi delle canzoni e ti ritrovi in quel gruppo. Poi ci sono i giornali o il pubblico che hanno bisogno di etichettare, ma sono contento di riuscire a dire la mia facendo parte di questo contesto.

Vivo sempre tutto con alienazione, sono un cantautore, scrivo canzoni e mi fa piacere che possano ascoltarmi sempre più persone possibili a prescindere dal genere a cui appartengo. Gli artisti con i quali sono cresciuto fanno sicuramente parte della produzione italiana storica, per me importante, perché mi ha aiutato tantissimo: da Rino Gaetano appunto, a De Gregori, a Lucio Dalla, a Battiato. Durante l’adolescenza ho avuto il mio periodo Ligabue.

La musica italiana comunque mi ha aiutato tantissimo e la cosa bella adesso è quella di vivere a Bologna, che è un centro musicale assurdo, una città piena di bar e nei bar sai che ci vanno gli artisti. Noi ci troviamo sempre lì, ci sono molti artisti che seguo dello Stato sociale o Calcutta, con i quali ho il piacere di essere amico oltre che un loro fan.

E alla fine si cresce anche un po’ insieme.

 

Come ti immaginavi a trentanni? Momento in cui si tirano un po’ le somme e si fa un giro di boa.

Da bambino mi immaginavo scienziato.  Non avevo un’idea precisa di cosa significasse fare lo scienziato, lo dicevo così, in maniera generica. La musica è stata una passione che mi ha sempre accompagnato, forse a livello naturale mi ci sono ritrovato ed è bellissimo riuscire a lavorare con la propria passione. Poi ho trentanni anni ma non li dimostro (ride) e io confermo.

 

Prima di avere un’etichetta discografica, hai iniziato il tuo percorso auto-producendoti. Sognare non costa nulla, ma quanto costa poi realizzare un sogno e non abbandonarlo prima di chiuderlo nel cassetto?

E’ un investimento e quando si investe, si investono delle forze tra cui il denaro, il tempo, la credibilità, la personalità. Si investono un sacco di cose, quindi il costo non è solo economico, ma è a livello vitale.

Lo fai quando ti rendi conto che la passione che hai è importante. Sono sempre stato un ragazzo determinato, molte passioni che avevo da bambino le ho abbandonate, però poi ho scoperto che mi piaceva scrivere e cantare ed è stato bellissimo e da lì non mi sono più mosso.

Tra le varie passioni poi ce n’è una che puoi davvero sviluppare e può aprirti al mondo del lavoro e da lì ci devi credere.

 

Hai avuto uno stop di un paio d’anni e adesso invece sei reduce da un anno “pieno” quant’è importante allontanarsi da tutto e staccare la spina per stare da soli? La solitudine in sé ti spaventa?

Probabilmente non riesco a stare solo lo ammetto, ed è una critica che mi viene fatta spesso, dalle mie ex magari (ride), però la solitudine è importante. La cosa importante in realtà per me è sentirmi “voluto bene” che forse non è corretto in italiano, ma credo sia chiaro come concetto.

Una volta che so che i miei amici, la mia famiglia e chi mi sta più vicino mi vogliono bene, lì so che sono in pace col mondo, che sto bene e posso prendermi i miei spazi, anzi ho bisogno dei miei momenti di solitudine. Ma ho anche bisogno di quella certezza.

Se dovessi ritrovarmi solo in mezzo alla solitudine invece, mi prenderebbe malissimo.

 

Soffri l’ansia di volere tutto e di non accontentarti mai?

Sì, questa è una verità, cerchiamo sempre quello che non abbiamo ed è una cosa che coinvolge tutti. Io invidio chi riesce a vivere bene accontentandosi di ciò che ha senza cercare altro. Non riuscirei ad essere come loro.

 

Ancora meglio titolo del tuo ultimo album, sei una persona che riesce a godersi la felicità e le soddisfazioni sia personali che artistiche o aspiri sempre a “quell’ancora meglio” e pretendi sempre il massimo da te stesso, senza riuscire a godere molto dei tuoi traguardi?

Cerco di pretendere quello che è meglio per me. Il mio obiettivo di vita è quello di sentirmi soddisfatto, cercare di stare bene. Non dev’essere un’ossessione perché io non canto per popolarità, quella arriva dopo…

Bisogna sapersi accontentare delle cose reali, tutto il resto sono velleità e sono cose che possono trasformare un obiettivo in un’ossessione e così facile poi perdere il controllo.

Mi piace raggiungere i miei obiettivi facendo le cose fatte bene, sennò divento pazzo come molti artisti nel corso della storia.

 

Un’ultima domanda: a chi pensi mentre scrivi?

Penso ai fatti miei, mi isolo, penso a quello che mi succede e a quello che ho bisogno di tirare fuori per sfogarmi.

Mi chiedo se ho bisogno di mandare un messaggio a qualcuno o di esternare qualcosa, ma spesso in realtà penso solo a me stesso.

Infatti canzoni come la Legge di Murphy è una fortuna che siano poi riuscite a toccare altre persone e a farle sentire quasi come protagoniste della canzone stessa.

Mi spiego meglio: alcune testi li ho scritti in momenti non del tutto felici, e perché no, anche in momenti di malessere.

Questi testi però, invece di risultare solo un mio specchio sono finiti per essere anche lo specchio di tante altre persone. E questo è il vero potere della musica.

 

Si conclude così la nostra chiacchierata, con qualche foto insieme, un video di saluti per Vez e un bell’abbraccio.

Questo è Cimini. Umiltà, semplicità e genuinità. Impossibile non amarlo.

Come d’altronde è impossibile non amare i suoi testi, perché lui e i suoi testi sono una cosa sola.

Perché Cimini mostra sé stesso esattamente per com’è: reale e vitale.

E questa si chiama autenticità. Cosa rara.

 

Ho aspettato seduta sul palco l’inizio del live e non potevo concludere in modo migliore il mio 2018, primo anno da e con VEZ.

Trovate il mio report sul nostro sito.

 

Claudia Venuti

 

image1

Genova e la musica: un pomeriggio con i Banana Joe

Il 13 dicembre prossimo al Mikasa di Bologna, suoneranno per la prima volta i Banana Joe, band tutta genovese fresca di secondo posto al Rock Contest 2018.

Noi di VEZ abbiamo già conosciuto i ragazzi e ne abbiamo anche recensito l’album Supervintage (uscito il 26 ottobre, Pioggia Rossa Dischi, ndr), un freschissimo primo lavoro che travolge e talvolta, commuove, per quel sound grunge anni ’90 che, shakerato, non mescolato, fa breccia nel cuore di noi amanti del moderno/passato e della psichedelia dei fantastici sixties.

E poi li abbiamo conosciuti durante il Concerto per Genova quando ci hanno accolto sorridenti a concerto ultimato. Disponibili e gentili, con quell’attitude seria ma rilassata di chi ama seriamente il proprio lavoro e lo fa con passione, ci hanno salutato con la promessa di rivederci presto.

Oggi abbiamo intervistato Andrea, frontman e voce del gruppo.

 

Andrea, una domanda al volo, su due piedi: ma quanti anni avete? Siete davvero giovanissimi!

Beh, io di anni ne ho 25, Emanuele ne ha 30. In verità chi abbassa la media è Fulvio, il nostro chitarrista: ne ha 24.

 

E come vi siete conosciuti?

Fulvio e io ci siamo conosciuti ad una grigliata estiva sulle rive del Varenna a San Carlo di Cese (dei nostri amici ci hanno addirittura scritto sopra una canzone). Una festa dove si è mangiato tanto e si è anche bevuto, diciamo (ride). Abbiamo iniziato a jammare con batteria e chitarra e abbiamo capito che in qualche modo sarebbe stato bello poter lavorare assieme.

Era però il caso di trovare un vero batterista, perché appunto Fulvio suona la chitarra. Abbiamo invitato Lele, che già conoscevamo, al nostro primo live quando abbiamo aperto la data dei Combine, gruppo tedesco di origine iraniana.

E così siamo riusciti ad avere il nostro batterista, mentre prima c’erano solo turnisti.

 

Chi scrive la musica e i testi?

Ogni pezzo ha una scrittura a sé. Talvolta sono io che scrivo la musica e Fulvio magari scrive i testi. Oppure Lele il testo e Fulvio la musica. Oppure è un lavoro fatto assieme, in contemporanea. In realtà è molto difficile capire chi ha scritto cosa.

La risposta giusta sarebbe: “Musica e testi li scrivono i Banana Joe. Assieme”

 

E i Banana Joe, hanno un luogo del cuore, un luogo che amano e dal quale sono ispirati?

Ah per prima cosa i vicoli di Genova. Tutti i vicoletti di Genova.

Girando la movida genovese siamo sempre lì, tra i suoi caruggi e sicuramente questi hanno avuto una grande importanza nella scrittura dei pezzi e dei testi.

La periferia poi riveste per noi un ruolo davvero basilare. Genova Bolzaneto e Genova Sampierdarena sono due quartieri che siamo soliti frequentare poiché il primo è dove abbiamo il nostro studio di registrazione e poi in entrambi ci sono dei piccoli bar che somigliano tanto a quei baretti di periferia che amiamo tanto.

Una menzione in particolare va anche ai Giardini di Plastica, che in realtà si chiamerebbero Giardini Baltimora.

È uno spazio che dà il nome ad un pezzo che andrà nel nostro prossimo album ed è una zona che ci è rimasta molto impressa. Quando eravamo piccoli era uno spazio degradato anche se in realtà era nato come luogo per far giocare i bambini.

Sai quei parchetti dove le famiglie alla domenica portano i bambini a giocare, e dove appunto ci sono tutti questi giochi in plastica? Ora è in riqualificazione.

 

Noi ci siamo incontrati al Concerto per Genova, esperienza che per me da emiliano-romagnola è stata molto toccante. Come l’avete vissuta questa tragedia da “errore umano” e con che spirito avete partecipato al concerto?

Abito vicino a dove è successo il crollo del ponte (Ponte Morandi, ndr). Ero fuori a fare la spesa, pioveva a dirotto e ho sentito un boato. In quel momento pensi a tutto ma sicuramente non ad una cosa come questa.

All’inizio infatti non ci credevo. Mi sembrava una cosa impossibile. Per andare alle prove ci passavamo sotto ogni giorno. Lele infatti era a 300 metri dal luogo del crollo.

Ogni volga che passiamo di là, perché ora hanno aperto nuovamente la strada, viene un po’ di magone perché non sembra vero. Non vedere più quel ponte è una cosa sulla quale non fai mai l’abitudine.

Suonare a questo evento è stato bello, poiché Genova è una città attiva, ma solo in determinate situazioni. A livello culturale sembra molto provinciale, e questo anche per quanto riguarda la musica e i locali. Sembra quasi chiusa.

In questa circostanza invece abbiamo notato che le persone si sono attivate per far capire che la popolazione c’è. E così ci si rialza dal basso, e si va avanti.

 

Ma parliamo del Rock Contest 2018. Un bel secondo posto….

Sì, bellissimo. Il Rock Contest io l’ho conosciuto tramite il cantante del gruppo Lo straniero, gruppo piemontese di La Tempesta Dischi. È un contest molto ben organizzato e con un livello molto alto delle band in gara.

I live sono gestiti nel migliore dei modi e mi è stato riferito che molte band vogliono partecipare. Delle circa 800 domande pervenute, solo una trentina sono state selezionate.

La finale è stata bellissima e in giuria giudici del calibro di Maria Antonietta e de I Ministri. Presenti anche etichette come Woodworm. Una gran bella vetrina per noi genovesi competitivi e anche se avremmo desiderato il primo posto, siamo davvero orgogliosi.

E scherzi a parte, fosse stato per me avrei fatto vincere tutti. Ottimo livello e ottimi compagni di avventura.

 

Qual è il vostro rapporto con la stampa e più in generale con tutti i media?

Se non ci fosse la stampa non si conoscerebbe la musica.

Noi con i giornalisti ci siamo sempre trovati bene ed è veramente piacevole sapere che ci sono persone interessate a te e che vogliono conoscere la tua storia.

L’informazione in Italia rispetto agli altri paesi è comunque ad un livello piuttosto basso. E per questo va protetta e incentivata, non di certo fermata.

 

Ultimissima domanda, qual è la cosa che amate di più fare quando non vi occupate di musica?

A me piace tanto il cinema, Fulvio si dedica alla cucina perché è un cuoco provetto e di Lele posso dirti che ama tantissimo fare il papà. Ha un figlioletto di 6 anni e quando ne ha tempo, anche lui ama andare al cinema come me.

Una cosa che invece ci lega come gruppo, togliendo appunto la musica, è il fatto che siamo dei cazzoni! No seriamente, le nostre prove in studio sembrano puntate di Zelig. Lavoriamo con impegno e serietà, ma l’umorismo è uno dei nostri collanti principali.

 

7b

Banana Joe & Me, Concerto per Genova, 17 novembre 2018

 

Grazie mille Andrea e grazie ai Banana Joe.

Ci vediamo il 13 al Mikasa di Bologna.

E lì, ci andremo a bere una birra.

 

Sara Alice Ceccarelli

  • 1
  • 2