In this interview spotlight, I chat with Italy based stolen apple about their latest project, motivations, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with music and links below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
WE ALL COME FROM FLORENCE,TUSCANY, ITALY, AND OUR SOUNDS IS THE SUM OF MANY INFLUENCES, ALL ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, WHICH HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING US FROM THE ADOLESCENCE, POURING DOWN FROM NEW WAVE, POST PUNK AND PSYCHEDELIA BUT EVEN FROM ARTISTS LIKE BOB DYLAN OR NEIL YOUNG. ITALIAN MUSIC HAS BEEN INTERESTING US ONLY REFERRING TO SOME KIND OF SONGWRITING, ESPECIALLY IN LATE 70’S OR EARLY 80’S, WHICH HAD A GREAT DEVELOPMENT NOT ONLY UNDER ACOUSTIC-AND-ONE-MAN-BAND FORM AND WITH A GREAT CARE ABOUT LYRICS. IN SHORT, WE STILL DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S ANYTHING “STYLISH” IN OUR MUSIC. IT SIMPLY RUN OUT FROM US, LIKE BURSTING OR CRYING. EVEN IF WE USUALLY THINK LOUD WHILE BEGINNING TO MELT OUR IDEAS, WE DISCOVERED AFTER SOME ACOUSTIC GIGS THAT WE DON’T NECESSARILY NEED HIGH VOLUMES OR HUGE STAGES (ANY KIND OF THIS WAS NEVER OFFERED US, HOWEVER!!!) TO PLAY THEM AT BEST.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
WE HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL WHICH JUST CAN’T BE TOLD SIMPLY IN WORDS AND WE KEEP GOING BECAUSE WE NEED IT; IT’S LIKE A COMFORTABLE, SMALL WORLD WHO STARTS ONCE IN A WEEK IN A 9 SM CELLAR THAT WE OCCUPIED AT THE TIME WE WERE JUST KIDS AND THEN GROWS EVERY TIME BIGGER, STAYING AT OUR SIDE IN MANY OTHER VARIOUS MOMENTS OF THE DAY. IT’S A SHAME WE’RE NOT PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND THE TIME TO DEVELOP SOUNDS, ARRANGEMENTS AND SOLUTIONS IS TOO SHORT.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
“TRENCHES” IS NOT OUR FIRST RECORDING EXPERIENCE, BUT THE RESULTS OF OTHER FORMER SESSIONS WERE TOO HETEROGENEOUS: BY THAT TIME OUR GOAL WAS TO PRODUCE A VINYL SUPPORT BUT WE WEREN’T SATISFIED ABOUT THE PRESS TESTS AND LET IT ALL GO. BY THE END OF 2014, WHEN ALESSANDRO JOINED ON DRUMS, OUR SOUND SURELY GREW IN ROUGHNESS AND DYNAMIC, AND WE DECIDED TO DRIVE THIS NEW EXPERIENCE TO A NEW ALBUM. IT WAS AN HARD JOB, LIKE ALL SELF-PRODUCTIONS, BECAUSE YOU’VE TO FOLLOW ANY PART OF PUBLISHING, FROM MIX DOWN TO COVER GRAPHIC
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
IN THIS AGE OF MASS STRATIFICATION, THE WORD INDIE ALMOST COMPLETELY LOST ITS ORIGINAL INTRINSIC MEANING, THAT IS BEING FREE FROM EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS. WE CAN’T CONSIDER INTERNET THE DIGITAL ERA AN OBSTACLE TO THE MUSIC, BUT A BETTER AID TO THE VISIBILITY OF THE ARTIST, AND AN EASIEST WAY TO MAKE MUSIC, THE SO-CALLED ‘DO IT YOURSELF’ CONCEPT. SURE THAT IT REMAINS TO UNDERSTAND THE BEST WAY TO USE THE NETWORK, NOT TO FALL INTO COMMERCIAL TRAPS THAT ONLY WASTE TIME. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT ‘S A GREAT PITY FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE MUSIC NOT TO SEE ALMOST OPEN RECORD STORES, SINCE THE THE ADVENT OF TECHNOLOGY DID OUT THE VINYL AND CD CREATION CONCEPTION.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
- OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
- SOUNDCLOUD
- BANDCAMP
- OUR YOUTUBE OFFICIAL CHANNEL
- AND THE PURCHASE PAGES OF OUR ALBUM DISTRIBUTED BY AUDIOGLOBE AND CLEARSPOT .
Anything else before we sign off?
FOR A SELF–PRODUCING AND SELF-PROMOTING BAND LIKE US IT’S HARD ENOUGH TO FIND DATES HERE AROUND, ESPECIALLY IF YOU REQUIRE SMALL FEES OR REFUNDS, AS WE BELIEVE CORRECT, SO WE’VE NEVER SERIOUSLY PLANNED TO MOVE FAR FROM HOME FOR LONG PERIODS, BECAUSE OF US LEADS HERE HIS JOB AND HIS FAMILY. LOOKING AT OUR MUSIC ATTITUDE, IT WOULD BE SURELY WONDERFUL TO DO EVEN A SMALL TOUR ABROAD. SO, IF YOU HEAR ABOUT SOME GIG IN TENNESSEE WE ARE READY TO JOIN! OR, AS YOU PREFER, “IF YOU HEAR VAGUE TRACES/OF SKIPPIN’ REELS OF RHYME/IT’JUST YOUR TAMBOURINE IN TIME”….
