Name of your band: Franck Carducci & The Fantastic Squad
What have been your musical epiphany moment?
Not sure I have only one, but opening a gig for Sting in 2022 is certainly one of them. Especially when he came to me after our show and told me “wow, you guys are a really tough act to follow!” :)
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?
In 99% of the times, first comes the riff, then chords sequence, then melody, then a theme, then lyrics. Then it works or it doesn't. Unfortunately I don't have a magic formula. I cannot write on command. It comes whenever it wants, I don't have control.
Who has influenced you the most?
My musical influences are quite obvious, Pink-Floyd, Led-Zeppelin, Supertramp, Kansas, Billy Joel, Elton John, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Genesis, …
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
I wrote all my songs. Most of them are about fantasy. I want to make people dream, travel through my music. But I’va also got a few more down-to-earth numbers, about relationships and stuff like that, based on personal experiences.
I get inspiration from 60s and 70s Hollywood movies, I love Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Steve McQueen, Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando and so many others … But also Greek mythology, English literature (Lewis Caroll, …)
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
We all live in Lyon, France but the project was born while I was living in Amsterdam. The blues/rock scene there is very rich. I used to play in clubs almost every night
Where'd the band name come from?
As a young guy, I was writing my own songs and recording some demos. Regularly, friends would tell me: “Hey, these songs sound good, you should make an album!” and I would always give the same answer: “What for? Nobody knows me and it’s never gonna work!”
Later on, I moved to Amsterdam and joined the local scene there. Then I got to meet one of my childhood heroes, Steve Hackett from Genesis. I opened a gig for him and we had a long discussion. At some point he said to me: “Your songs sound good, you should record an album!”. So I fired my usual response to this, but then he replied: “Well, just do it for yourself, that way you can’t be disappointed, if it works you’re happy, if it doesn’t, you’re still happy because you did it for you anyway!”
The next day, I started the recording of my first album “Oddity”. Steve was very supportive in the process and he apparently enjoyed the album because he then offered to play on the next one, which he did on “Torn Apart” in 2015. So I guess, everything I achieved as a solo artist, I owe it to Steve somehow, I wouldn’t be here without his wise words.
When I released “ODDITY” in 2011, I didn’t have a band. That’s the reason the artist name was simply “Franck Carducci”. After that I got some gigs offers so I had to form a band. The lineup has changed several times since then, but that’s the life of any band I suppose.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
Most likely a mafia movie like “The Godfather” or so :)
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?
Supper's Ready by Genesis. It's the ultimate masterpiece of songwriting and performance for me. It contains everything, simple as that!
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
xxx Once we were driving on the highway back home from a gig, then there's a car full of super cool chicks who overtakes our van, and they start looking at us and making signs and everything. Once they got before us, they slow down and give us the “rock” signs and air-guitar. So then we proceeded to overtake them and there they go again. It continues like this for a few miles, we even put a sign with our next gigs at the window just in case!! :) I mentioned this story in my song “Slave to Rock 'n' Roll”
xxx A few years back I met a gorgeous die-hard Steven Wilson fan. I then introduced her to my girlfriend, and the rest of this story is told in my song “Beautiful Night” ... :)
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and for your fans?
What you can expect from us is a lot of fun, a lot of smiles, and a lot of visual effects.
I always tend to think that even if the music is awesome, when you’re gonna ask people to go out, buy a ticket and come to the show, music alone is not enough. If it’s just for the music, they’ll be better off listening to a quality recording sitting comfortably on their sofa at home.
So I gotta give them more than just the music. I want my show to be a real visual experience for the audience. Costumes, make-up, staging, lighted-wings, laser-gloves, hats, …. you name it!
When we tour in the UK, a lot of people tell me we should be playing in stadiums, and that they've never seen a show like this in a small and intimate venue :)
So I guess if you want to experience a full (sound + visual) rock 'n' roll show like they used to do in the 70s, but with the proximity (and the price) of a club gig, well that's your chance!
What makes a great song?
A cool riff, a catchy melody, original arrangements, an interesting theme and most of all, you've got to put your soul into it
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
I think it was very mediocre and there's not much more to say about this. I was about 11.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
There's several tracks on my albums I'm particularly proud of. Like “Achilles”, “Artificial Paradises” or “Asylum” to name but a few
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
Bruce Springsteen obviously, even though he doesn't write too much. I'm more of a 70s music nostalgic and my ass got kicked so hard from artists of that era that it's really hard to compare nowadays ...
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
I'm fine with all, I'm not a fetishist :)
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice
Unfortunately I don't drink alcohol, so I couldn't say. The good thing is that I'm always the one driving after gigs.
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?
There are a few really interesting record stores in the old town of Lyon. In the roman part of town, the part you'd want to visit first!
What's next for the band?
After releasing an acoustic album as a duo with Mary Reynaud + a live album with my Fantastic Squad in 2023, I'm now currently working on my next studio album.
Any final comments you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
Well I hope to see you on the road somewhere.
More info on my website: www.franckcarducci.com and of course Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Apple, Bandcamp, Amazon, Deezer, … you name it!
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