When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens,
Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City,"
it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and
mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies
since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and
revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
The first musical epiphany is the Queen cassette. The disc
was Innuendo. I was 6/7 years old and my sister would loop the song Innuendo!
Instead the moment when I decided to become a frontman was after listening to
the first Linkin Park album! I knew every single song by
heart!
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What
comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
I usually come up with an idea or main riff. Then in our
rehearsal room I make it heard to everyone and then we play on it. After we
have gained confidence I throw random words to create a vocal line and if
everyone likes the piece then we define the structure. I have been to various
bands and in some of these everything was decided together. For me it is something
that does not work! There must be someone more influential. I always try to
listen to everyone's opinions and understand what's best for the group!
Who has influenced you the most?
Hard question! My musical path has been very colorful. I
listen to everything! I like pop structures and pop methods! I love the
cantabile refrains and with a beautiful powerful voice! The first Linkin Park
for the aggressive and melodic part influenced me a lot! For the compositional
part and for the sounds I fell in love with Royal Blood and for the scratched
singing part and for the way Chris Cornell puts the words!
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new
motivation?
When I was a boy I subscribed to Rock sound Uk! Fantastic.
Every month a record with the coolest songs of the moment! In this way I had
discovered Comeback Kid, BMTH, Gallows, Everytime I die, Parkway Drive, Cancer
Bats! With my old hardcore band we have open for Cancer Bats! But now I'm
listening to Spotify's official Rock playlists! In these I discovered the Royal
Blood, Rival Sons, Crobot, Royal Deluxe, Reignwolf! These groups give me a lot
of inspiration!
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the
band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
I / we don't think we are products of our environment or
city! Since I was a child I have always loved American and English music. Both
for language and sound! Obviously there are bands "similar" to us in Turin, in our city, but
few and with little motivation. I think I was born in the wrong country :) Only
in the late 90's and early 2000's was rock in vogue in Italy. Now the
two genres that are at the top are Trap (Italian) and Italian fake indie music.
Where'd the band name come from?
Our drummer had just gone to Turkey on vacation and he had eaten
many typical dessert: The Baklava. When he came back from the trip, we were
thinking about the name of the band and he changed the name of the Turkish
dessert in “ The Blacklava” and everyone liked how it sounded.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the
soundtrack for?
I love soundtrack Movie or Tv series! Most of time when I
write a song I was thinking about a good Tv series!
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?).
You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and
why?
We wrote a perfect song for dark (a German TV series
broadcast on Netflix) called Bones! A remix will also be released soon, which
would be even better! But I don't think it will ever reach the producers' ears!
I write Zombe for IZombie and Devil Inside Me for the tv show Lucifer!
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap,
rock and roll moments?
In December we made an acoustic date. We arrive at the place
and it was in a dangerous place. The manager of the place did not open us.
After calling him several times we understood that the evening would not have
gone very well. We ate badly and the wine was bad but we were all together. So
after a few glasses of that bad wine and with all the friends in the club we
started playing! In the club there were only our friends! The only unexpected
spectator was a Pakistani who sold roses and who insulted us because nobody
wanted to buy his roses! On the stage next to Mark there was the bell and we
had to stop to answer the bell :) I had a lot of fun. Many times you don't know
which place you will be in and the only way to feel good and have fun together!
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you
and for your fans?
Regardless of whether it is electric or acoustic, our live
is always energetic and sincere. We try to be very close to our fans who
usually become our friends. The best part is having fun together!
What makes a great song?
A great refrain! What remains in your head! and someone who
listens to the song because if you don't have the opportunity to make your
music heard then no one can hear the great song! unfortunately there are too many
people making music and there is too much choice!
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
OMG! many memories. I was 15 years old and I was in love
with a girl and obviously when you are a teenager you live everything either
very well or very badly! I was in the bad period and I wrote this song rips
tears that was called Winter Till May! I just laugh at thinking about it!
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
I am very strange with being proud of something! Sometimes I
am super excited about what I do and sometimes I notice all the mistakes I want
to improve! if I have to say a song I'm very proud of, it's Bones! I like the
atmosphere, how I sang it and how it has evolved over the years!
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
Rival Sons! Beautiful songs, sung by fear and never taken
for granted! I like it when I hear the singing alive! In these days I am
listening to the latest Crobot album and two songs make me go outside: Gasoline
and Low Life! my girlfriend hates me because I'm looping them! He sings really
well, it makes me shiver!
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
For me digital all my life! I've always listened to a lot of
music! if I had physically bought all the music I listened to, I wouldn't stay
in the house anymore! When I was a teenager I used to carry 4 large CD binders!
Then when I bought my first Ipod Classic it was beautiful and super comfortable!
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice
None of the two! I'm Italian so Wine! I don't like Whiskey,
I drink beer in summer but wine is my partner! red wine, nice full-bodied while
I eat a steak or pasta with ragù!
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new
music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record
store to lose ourselves in?
I was born in a small village in northern Italy and as soon
as I turned 18 I moved to study in Turin which is a beautiful city, not as big
as Milan but still important! In Turin
there is a nice record and merch shop called Rock & Folk! it's in the
center of Turin,
so you can take a tour through the historic streets!
What's next for the band?
I can't tell you! at the end of 2019 we signed for the
German label Frozen-Heart-Music but unfortunately because of the covid-19
everything is stopped. Italy
has been in lockdown since 10 March so planning is still difficult. We had
scheduled dates that all skipped! We are many penthouses on social media, we
made some nice videos and luckily we already had a video clip of our latest
single! If this lockdown continues you have to re-become us through technology!
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our
readers, the waveriders?
If you can go to our social networks and try to support us
especially in this period because I believe that the live show season will be
closed for at least 1 year!
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