Francesco Marras interview 22/08/22
MM: Congratulations on your solo album ITS ME! how excited are you to unleash it upon the world in September
I am very excited and can't wait for the album to come out. The first reviews are very positive, it is a great satisfaction for me. In this record , for the first time, I also got involved as a singer and even the musical genre is different, Hard rock inspired by the great names of the genre.
MM: Where do you draw your inspirations and ideas from
Music is a language that has always been a part of me since I was a child and all the music I have listened to in life has expanded my musical background. I am a very versatile musician who loves many different musical genres and I always need to get involved in new projects, write new songs and keep my creativity active. Inspiration comes in many different ways, sometimes I start from singing, sometimes from a guitar riff, sometimes from other musical elements ... For the lyrics I would like to send a positive message talking about rebirth and personal growth.
MM: Which two tracks would you play to introduce me to ITS ME?
It is difficult to answer,. I would choose “You set my heart on fire” and “Lady of ice” but it is a bit limiting to choose only two pieces. Despite being a Hard Rock record, "It's me!" is a very rich work in which you can find an epic ballads (Lady of ice), more rock songs (like Do you hear me now? and Closer to the edge), more Heavy songs (like In the name of Rock n Roll), something more psychedelic (like Embrace the silence) and more classic pieces like Money talks, The thrill of the hunt, etc.
MM: Do you think you will take your solo project out on the road
I would love to and am working to make this wish come true
MM: I see you have some dates coming up with Tygers of Pang Tang. What doe sit feel like to be in such an iconic band and will you be contributing lyrically for the new Tygers album
For me it is a great honor to have joined this band that I have been listening to since I was little. I contributed a lot to the composition of the songs of the new Tygers album and there are a couple of songs of which I wrote the entire music. The lyrics, on the other hand, I prefer to be written by the other members of the band because they know English better than me!
MM: What do you like best and worst about touring
I am thirsty for new concerts, the lockdown and the covid have left us a couple of years away from the stage and for all the musicians it was difficult. The thing I like most is the energy between the band and the audience, while the thing I like least is traveling. The best is when the dates are in cities close enough together.
MM: Which three Bands would be your ultimate touring buddies for your solo band
If I can dream of course I say Whitesnake, Guns n Roses, Deep Purple
MM: What's the most memorable concert you've been to (other than your own) and why
One of the best concerts I've ever seen was for sure Queensryche in Milan but I don’t remember the year, anyway, they played Operation Mindcrime 1 and 2 and Geoff Tate sang like a God
MM: What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment so far in your musical career
I don't know what it is in terms of ratings and audience feedback, but to date, I believe my best work is my band's latest album Screaming Shadows, entitled "Legacy of stone". For me that record is a masterpiece.
MM: Which are your Two favourite Albums of all time
I'm a huge Iron Maiden fan, I started listening to them when I was 8 and they have always been my biggest inspiration. I would say Piece of mind by Iron Maiden and Defenders of the faith by Judas Priest
MM: Can you remember the first time you ever played live and how it felt to have people watching you?
I played in many different contexts, because I started with classical music and studied at the music conservatory, I remember the first guitar performances were a bit stressful because I was alone on stage and people were silent. While when you play with the band you are not alone, you are with your mates and the rock audience always makes a lot of noise. Anyway I don't remember what my first concert was with the band but I always felt “at home” on stage.
MM: Who do you think influenced the world of Metal / Rock more than any other person
Undoubtedly the band that influenced the world of metal the most was Iron Maiden, in addition to the music they had the most beautiful record covers and logos (Eddie was something absolutely fascinating for a guy like me). For the world of Rock I would say Jimi Hendrix
MM : What's the most important thing for you right now?
Promote my new solo record “It’s me!”, finish the production of the new Tygers of pan tang record and continue playing live. I’ll do everything I can to grow as a musician and get my music to as many people as possible.
MM: If you could do a cover of any song which one would you choose and why?
Stranger in a strange land by Iron Maiden, I've loved that song since I was a kid and it has the best guitar and bass solo I've ever heard. Every now and then I like to produce cover videos with musician friends, then I put the videos on YouTube, for now we have made Over the hills and far away by Gary Moore, Pull me under by Dream Theater and Stormbringer by Deep Purple.
MM: If you were stuck in quarantine for a month which four famous people dead or alive would you have with you
Martin Birch, Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Pat Torpey (all of us in a Recording Studio)
Five questions:
1. Vinyl or digital - digital
2. Pizza or Peroni - pizza
3. Saint or Sinner - sinners
4. Small intimate gig or festival – festival
5. Denim or leather - leather
MM: Final Words for your fans and our readers
The new album pre-orders are available on my website www.francescomarras.com. “It’s me!” is very important to me, for many reasons, not only for the fact that I sing on it, it represents me at 100% and I hope you will enjoy it like I do. It will be preceded by 3 singles/videos that will be available on YouTube and Spotify. The first 2 ("You set my heart on fire" and "Money talks") are already, while the last, "Closer to the edge", will be released on September 5th.
Please follow me on social, share my music and as always, thank you very much for your support!
Last but not least, a special thank you to The Metal Gods Meltdown
Link to You set my heart on fire videoclip https://youtu.be/i9IuuowKKNQ
Link to Money talks videoclip https://youtu.be/HyFG761vb0o
