17th October 2009 - English Interview for www.ravenheartmusic.com

 

I am new to the Italian band Absinthe (fronted by Luciana "Lucky" Fabris), with the review of their new album 'Chapter One: Urban Fairytales' being done by one of my reviewers, Phil Wooldridge. So to be honest, I have not yet heard the album, although from what I understand it is good. I wanted to speak with them to find out more so I did!

Can we first be introduced to the members of the band? And can you tell us how you guys and gals all came together?

Stefano: First of all I’d like to thank you for wanting us on your website. We really appreciate it! I’m Stefano, lead guitarist and founder of Absinthe. And here is Matt, our brand new guitarist! Absinthe was founded by me and my mate Riccardo in 2006. Since then we started writing new songs, and when Kappa joined we decided to record a full-length album. We had several line-up changes in the past, but we are sure that the new line-up will last, because, finally, we are playing with very good people, which are very good musicians as well.

Matt: I can’t do anything but join my brother Ste saying that we are really honored to be on your pages. But let’s get back to the story of the band now. Actually I met Ste a couple of years ago, thanks to his girlfriend which Is a good friend of mine… “matt I got tickets for the Absinthe gig.. you should really come to check them out, they’re really great!!! And I’m fuckin’ the guitarist by the way…” We became very close friends soon and we discovered that we have in common this huge passion for music. Then two months ago Ste proposed me to join him in Absinthe because they were looking for something new. And this is basically how new Absinthe is born. Ste lead guitar, Kappa keyboards, Ricky bass, me rhythm guitar and another ricky hittin’ drums. And we are proud to announce that the lineup is now complete with Lucky, a great great singer… You’re gonna hear her singing her ass off very soon!!! We promise!

Can you tell me about the title of the album? as I am curious. And will there be a 'Chapter Two'?

Stefano: We were sitting in the studio for the Urban Fairytales recording, it was kinda late and I came up with this idea of writing chapters of our musical career, and I thought we could have started it with an evocative title such as Urban Fairytales. As you might know Absinthe is also called La Fee Verte, that means green Fairy. So Urban Fairytales definitely was the best title ever for our debut album! About the future… of course we are planning to write new chapters. And there’s another little story behind the title: our album it’s a concept album about living in a chaotic concrete jungle as big towns are. It’s a journey through the emotions, fears and feelings that we all feel everyday. And it’s a struggle to find peace, peace that’s finally reached in the last part of the album with songs “Say” and “Limpido”

Matt: I was not in the band when the album was recorded so I cannot say anything about the title but… I can say that we’re fully working on the next chapter: we have some tunes on their way and it’s scheduled we’ll enter the studio next spring! Everybody is pretty excited about this because there’s a great feeling and u can definitely smell the vibe during rehearsals.!!! ROCKON!!!

Have you released any other records or is 'CHAPTER ONE' your debut?

Stefano: Chapter One is our first full-length, but we have released 3 EPs before of that.

And for those unfamiliar with your music, how would you describe your music, and do you have any personal faves on the CD?

Stefano: Ahah, a real hard question indeed! Our sound is a mix of several genres and attitudes. We all are coming from different experiences, so it’s a real jam of rock, pop, metal, blues… all mixed up in the Absinthe way! Maybe our brand new guitarist Matt, who has been a fan of ours, could answer to this question.

Matt: I got to tell you something… one day Ste called me: “hey man, the carrier just brought me the cds!!! Come here and check them out!!!” Well as soon I got that cd, it was on heavy rotation in my car for a month or two. I was captured by the sound, a pure mix of heavy, blended with Britpop and blues… wow!!! My fave??? “Watch me burn” of course!

Where did you record the CD, and how was the experience in the studio?

Stefano: We had the luck of being owners of a recording studio, so we homemade it. It was fun in the studio, very tiring, and very unhealthy..tons of junkfood and booze! But it’s been damn fun and we are looking forward to recording some new stuff
soon

Matt: […jeez I’m definitely dreaming it!!! ]

I understand that you now have a new line up. Would you like to tell us more and how are things working out with the new line up?

Stefano: Well. This has been the best thing in the last months. Last band’s performances had been quite bad, and songwriting had become something difficult to face. So we decided to change, and I can say that it’s been the right decision. Now everything’s going smoothly and we found the fun of playing again.

Matt: As I said before, you can feel the vibe in the air during rehearsals. We’ve been playing together for just a month now, but it seems like we have been together for 5 years. We are very excited about this thing… GREAT!!!

And have any band members (past or present) been involved or are still involved in any other musical projects?

Stefano: I don’t really know anything about the past members. They went their own way, and we kept on our way.

Matt: Every musician in the world have had more than one project in his life… but in our case, we prefer concentrating on Absinthe, without being distracted by other things

And what has the media reaction been like so far to the record?

Stefano: So far there have been many different reactions. In Italy, where music market is quite blocked on some strict clichés, our sound is not fully understood yet; some like us, some hate us because of our polyhedric nature. Outside Italy we have had some very good response, and we hope we will get much more in the future.

Musically, who or what are your musical inspirations at the moment, and what/who do you listen to when you are chilling out or relaxing?

Stefano: Well, I hardly find the time to chillout or relax. I’m into rock, mostly
Queen and Guns N Roses, and metal, mostly British heavy metal or power metal. My inspiration is everyday life, with its many colours, feelings and sounds. I think my dream would be fulfilled if Absinthe were able to play good music, telling true stories of our lives.

Matt: Queen & Brian May are definitely my greatest sources of inspiration, my true love. Then Guns, Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. Oh… I was almost forgetting about my bluesy roots… Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Clapton above all. What I use to chill out?? Ludovico Einaudi…

And do any of you have any hobbies when not making music?

Stefano: At the moment, unfortunately music is the hobby/second work. I’m going to become a lawyer, but I keep the faith and keep on playing!!

Matt: I’m an Aerospace Engineering and I’m getting my graduation (someday…), and I’m a, let’s say, decent photographer.

What band/artist would you just love to tour with and hang out with?

Stefano: Ahaha… nice question… I’d love to tour with Queen and good, old Guns N Roses. And Iron Maiden of course! I’d love to meet Gotthard too, they are great.

Matt: Queen of course. And Einaudi.

And what are your band's plans for the future regards touring, and do you have any future musical ambitions?

Stefano: As I told you we have ambitions, we’d like to go touring and play more
gigs. We’ll see what the future will bring. For sure we are going to record some more albums, then we will need a bit of luck.

Matt: Get on stage, play, back in the studio, record. Ad lib… All dressed in
engineering!!

Well, thank you for your time and good luck in all your future endeavours. Finally is there anything that you would like to say to anybody across the world via this website?

Stefano: We can’t say much. Just never give up and keep on following your dreams. Music is a tough path, but if you give yourself to her, she will reward you with many satisfactions. Remember to check out our website www.absintheband.net and
myspace www.myspace.com/absinthemilan. And if you like your music..BUY IT!

Matt: Just one thing: Keep On Rockin!!!

16th October 2009 - Italian Interview for www.bandstribe.it



1) Quali sono le origini della band e del nome scelto?

La band è stata fondata nel 2006 da me e dal bassista, Riccardo. Entrambi avevamo accumulato una discreta esperienza nell’underground milanese e sentivamo l’esigenza di metterci alla prova con un progetto più vario e meno stereotipato. Da lì l’idea del nome, Absinthe, che significa “Assenzio”. Il riferimento è alla bevanda alcolica, che ha ispirato molti artisti del Settecento e dell’Ottocento. La possibilità di assimilare la figura della Fata Verde al ruolo di una front girl ha fatto il resto.
Vorrei poi presentare a tutti i lettori i nostri tre nuovi arrivati: Luciana “Lucky” Fabris alla voce, Matteo “Benza” Benzoni alla chitarra ritmica e Riccardo “Skrotos” Boccassini alla batteria. Delle persone splendide e dei grandi musicisti, con i quali abbiamo la fortuna di condividere il progetto.

2) La vostra musica include diversi generi:ci sono influenze particolari che vorreste menzionare a tale proposito?

Effettivamente la nostra musica è il frutto della commistione delle molte influenze che caratterizzano il nostro modo di suonare. A titolo meramente esemplificativo potremmo citare le influenze più facilmente riconoscibili come il rock, il pop e un po’ di metal. Ma non disprezziamo nemmeno il blues e il progressive Anni ’70, anzi… ci piace attingere a piene mani anche da quel campo. L’importante è che in fase di composizione tutte queste influenze vengano omogeneizzate nell’amalgama che definisce il sound degli Absinthe.


3) Cosa ne pensate delle proposte musicali attuali?

Sono la persona sbagliata a cui fare questa domanda. Purtroppo la proposta della scena musicale odierna è a mio parere piuttosto imbarazzante. Per provare vere emozioni devo ancora affidarmi ai soliti grandi gruppi come i Queen, i Guns N Roses e pochi altri. Tra i gruppi attuali apprezzo i Muse, una grande band davvero.


4) A quali tematiche vi ispirate per la composizione dei testi?

Non abbiamo un tema fisso, però ci piace affrontare in modo approfondito determinate tematiche. Il nostro album “Chapter One: Urban Fairytales”, ad esempio, è un concept che narra le ansie e il senso caotico che la grande metropoli impone. I pezzi nuovi invece sono più introspettivi, dedicate più al ritrovamento di se stessi e alla rinascita dopo momenti oscuri della vita. Qualcosa che attualmente ci riguarda molto da vicino.


5) Quanto pensate sia importante avere un leader all'interno della band?

Credo che sia fondamentale. Nel nostro caso la leadership è esercitata da me, Riccardo e Kappa in perfetta democrazia. Ovviamente lavorare con me e Riccardo non è sempre facile, siamo molto testardi e convinti delle nostre idee. Però non siamo solo esigenti, diamo anche molto alla band e per questi motivi credo che la nostra leadership sia accettata di buon grado.


6) Parlateci dell'aspetto live della vostra band

Abbiamo sempre concepito i live come il vero momento clou dell’attività di una band. In studio si può correggere, reincidere, riprovare. Dal vivo invece è necessario che tutto riesca il più perfetto possibile, anche dal punto di vista scenico, che all’inizio era un po’ il nostro punto debole. Ora le cose vanno molto meglio, e siamo sempre felici di vedere i nostri fan soddisfatti alla fine di un concerto. Significa che abbiamo fatto bene il nostro lavoro, ed è una situazione impagabile.


7) Milano è una metropoli:questo elemento offre più possibilità delle altre città per gli spazi musicali?

Milano è una realtà davvero strana. Potrebbe offrire decine e decine di occasioni per suonare live ed invece molti locali stanno chiudendo, un po’ per la crisi e un po’ per la mancanza di passione del milanese medio per i concerti. Ci siamo resi conto che uscendo dalla grande città il pubblico si scalda, ha più voglia di divertirsi e di fare un po’ di casino a ritmo di rock n roll!


8) Il vostro ultimo lavoro è stato ormai presentato:ritenete che per ora esso rispecchi le vostre aspettative?

Siamo molto orgogliosi del nostro primo album, crediamo che sia un bel traguardo e che le canzoni siano tutte piuttosto valide. Purtroppo la formazione che ha inciso l’album non era però affiatata al punto giusto, e quello forse ci ha un po’ penalizzati a livello emotivo. Ma anche questo problema è stato risolto e ora siamo più convinti che mai. In conclusione siamo soddisfatti, ma siamo decisi a fare molto meglio con il prossimo disco.


9) Quali sono, perciò, i progetti futuri a cui vi dedicherete?

Innanzitutto rodare la nuova formazione, che potenzialmente è la migliore che gli Absinthe abbiano mai avuto. Ci siamo allargati, spostando Kappa alle tastiere e questo ci permetterà di aggiungere ancor più atmosfere e sfumature in chiave live. All’orizzonte c’è poi l’incisione di un EP che farà da warm up per l’incisione del nuovo album, prevista per il prossimo autunno.


10) C’è qualche messaggio in particolare che volete lasciare ai lettori di BandsTribe?

Di non mollare mai, di credere in se stessi e di rispettare la propria arte. Perché la musica, prima di essere un lavoro, una passione o altre cose, è un’arte. Ricordiamo poi che il nostro album è in vendita sia su tutti i migliori negozi online (iTunes, Napster, Nokia Music Store etc), sia in versione fisica in alcuni negozi e su ordinazione direttamente sul nostro sito www.absintheband.net .

We are so proud and happy to announce that a new era has finally started in Absinthe's life. Our new line-up is complete and ready to rock!

We welcome on vocals Luciana "Lucky"Fabris, a great singer and a good companion in life!





Siamo felicissimi di annunciare che una nuova era nella vita degli Absinthe ha avuto inizio. La nuova formazione è completa!

Diamo il benvenuto a Luciana Fabris alla voce, una grande cantante e una buona amica!