Violet Blend 15/12/22
MM: Can you tell us about your Band and whos your biggest influences
There is a kaleidoscopic world of genres, forms, styles and influences in my education and
view of music. This background makes me mix and blend - sometimes unconsciously - lots of
different styles. I can say that the base of our music is rock, but you can hear echoes of
classical forms, jazz chords, metal riffs and punk attitudes in it, it combines different musical
genres and unravels between them. We all come from different studies and paths in music,
and we want our music to reflect and represent what we are. I have two college degrees in
musicology, I’ve studied different instruments (saxophone, piano, guitar) and played classical
music since I was a kid and this resonate when I write songs. I was lucky enough to study and
play different genres in different situations, classical, jazz and rock, experiences that blend
together in my life. That was the academic part of my education, the love and need for rock 'n
roll has grown hand in hand and always had a great part of my studies and my life. Every time
I listen to music I learn a new technique, a new way of communicating and I translate it
according to my sensitivity. I listen to everything and Im influenced by everything, I have
temporary obsessions, lately Ive been listening a lot to Edgard Varèse and Falling In Reverse.
This is the base of the songs I write, then we arrange all together and everyone put their own
in it. The drummer Michel Agostini loves classic metal and art rock, the bassist Ferruccio
Baroni is into prog music, all the different backgrounds and tastes of each member influence
the songs.
MM: Where do you draw your inspirations and ideas from
I write almost all of my songs in one go, I sit at the piano and then words and notes come
naturally in relation to my mood, the feelings I'm experienced in that moment and the thoughts
Ive in mind. All of my songs talk about what happens to me in everyday life, the feelings I
experience, the thoughts that invade my mind, they are often answers to the difficult situations
I find myself facing. To write music it's like an atonement, I feel immediately better, it cures me.
I try to speak honestly in my songs, to be real and true, both in the music and in the lyrics,
thats the real me without any masks to protect me. We always try to paint a musical discourse
of clear sonic eloquence with the right expressive power to describe and dissect feelings. We
speak about fragile things, fears, anxieties, broken dreams, aspirations, joys and hopes of our
life. We also speak about the importance to stand and react against everything that hurts you.
MM: What would you say is your Bands favourite song ?
Im particularly bound to the song "Morning", from our sophomore album ‘Demons’. In the song
Im speaking to myself and trying to wake me up from a nightmare and find myself again. The
difference between myself and the reflection in the mirror is terrifying me and I have to find a
reason and a way to save myself from the pain. Lyrics describe the whole healing process I
went through. Every time I listen to that song I remember one of the worst battles I fought in
my life, If I survived that time I'll make it again.
MM: Plans tour and festival wise for 2024
We are incredibly happy to be back on tour across Europe from May 2024. We couldnt wait,
especially after the forced stop due to the pandemic which in recent years has seen us only
perform on Italian and Swiss stages. In June 2024 we will return to the UK and attend a some
Festivals, including Loverocks Fest in Dorset and Willdfire Festival in Scotland. We will try to
go to as many cities as possible in the UK during the tour which is now like a second home for
us, we’re very looking forward to it.
MM: What can we expect from Violet Blend live
I can directly let you listen to Violet Blend live. We just released a live album called "Live and
True", an entire concert that we performed in Florence in 2022. The concert has always been
one of the fundamental experiences and part of our work, an important piece to fully
understand our music. During the performance, a deep connection is created with the
audience and a synergy that cannot be reproduced in the recording studio. For this reason we
decided to release a live album, to share this experience with all our fans around the world.
The performance is real and we wanted to leave it as raw as possible, "Live and True" is
exactly the mirror of how we present ourselves to the public on stage.
MM: What do you like best and worst abt touring
Going on tour is an incredible experience, it's both amazing and really difficult for the artists.
People think that a metal band tour is all sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, but that's not really the
case, at least for us. When we are on tour we follow precise rules, we never drink before a
concert, we don't stay out too late the night before, we make space for ourselves to warm up
and prepare for the performance, we take time to be together and strengthen our bond, we eat
lightly throughout the tour and we try not to overdo it in general. Of course, when you are in a
place it is also nice to visit it, we like to travel around and get to know the place and the locals.
It really depends on the length of the tour, because we always start with excellent intentions
and strict rules and then maybe we find ourselves at the Crowbar drinking gin until the
morning. You always know how a tour starts but you never know how it will end despite good
intentions. In any case we always try to give the maximum and best performance possible in
every city we play in.
MM: Which three Bands would be your ultimate touring buddies
We've made so many new friends in recent times with bands from all over the world, its
incredible how music can change strangers into friends. The truth is that we werent very used
to it, here in Italy there is no real brotherhood between artists, there are many that are
convenient but they are never true and disinteresting. We are jovial people, we like to meet
and make new friends, but if you approach us only because its convenient for you, we'll notice.
Fortunately, there are still people who think like us and it is a great pleasure for us to bond and
support each other. On the next UK tour we will meet some pen pals who we have supported
each other for a long time over the last few years and are looking forward to, very talented
artists like Carbellion from the US, Copperworm, Howling Black Souls, Autumn Killers and
Amongst Liars from the UK and many others. Last but not least we cant wait to go back on
tour with The Chris Slade Timeline, we have already supported their Italian tour and we can;t
wait to see them again, they are incredible artists, Chris Slade from AC/DC is a legend and
everyone knows it, but above all they are all wonderful people who we really love.
MM: Whats the most memorable concert youve been to (other than your own) and why
Here Im playing the wild card, the most memorable concert I attended was Garbage in Rome.
I play the wild card because we played on the same stage and therefore we attended the
concert from backstage and afterwards I had the honor of meeting the band members and
having an evening with them. The emotion you felt when talking to Butch Vig is indescribable,
he even complimented us at the end of the concert and I was over the moon. Small
clarification, we wanted to give him our t-shirt and he insisted on buying it.
MM: What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment so far with
When people let you know that your music has helped them in some way. Our main goal is to
reach peoples hearts with our music. When people listen to our music we want them to feel
understood, that they’re not alone, that we all have dark moments, but we have to find a way to
live well. Our greatest satisfaction is when a person tells us that one of our songs has helped
them through a difficult moment in their life. Music brings people together in a profound way
and can give you the strength to carry on in the darkest moments. It's a wonderful feeling to
have confirmation that what you are doing is helping someone feel better.
MM: Which are your Two favourite Albums of all time
Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces by Seether
Meteora by Linkin Park
Both these two albums has helped me through dark moments and they’re incredible for
hundred reasons.
MM: Can you remember the first time you ever played live and how it felt to have people
watching you?
I played the saxophone in many orchestras from the age of 12, I also made my debut in a jazz
club at the age of 13, so you can say that I was used to the stage since I was little. Although if I
have to be honest it affects me every time I go on stage, even today. Violet Blend very first
performance together was in a cool music venue in Florence that unfortunately closed some
years later. We set the date directly with the owner, we were truly inexperienced and it was a
real bet. I can say that we entered in an exuberant way in musical scene of Florence, there
were about two hundred people at that concert and it is not so common for our city and for the
first date of a band. We were at the same time scared and excited by the crowd that night, but
in the end we had a good performance. We have come a long way both from a performance
and artistic point of view since then. If I think all the things that happened after that first concert
it seems them happened hundreds years ago, but it was not.
MM: Growing up which Bands posters did you have on your bedroom wall.
Oh well, I still have posters all over my house. Now I have primarily posters of concerts that we
performed, awards, and something related to Violet Blend to be honest, but when I was a
teenager I have plenty of it. I had posters of Linkin Park, Alesana, Seether, Evanescence, the
gigatography of Tori Amos, White Stripes, The Libertines, a portrait of Edgard Varèse, HIM and
many others smaller pictures, quite an eclectic collection.
MM - Who do you think influenced the world of Metal / Rock more than any other person
Each of us has an artist or band that has decisively influenced our little world. If I have to think
about who influenced my world to the point of inducing me to devote my soul to rock, it was
certainly Pink Floyd and my father who made me listen to them and above all understand
them. If I have to speak as a musicologist and therefore think about the history of music, there
is a before and an after Elvis, his figure has profoundly influenced the world of music and has
opened up new possibilities. Rock simply didn't exist in the common imagination before Elvis, it
was an epochal turning point for popular music that finally invaded the homes of the average
spectator.
MM - Whats the most important thing to the band right now?
As I said before our main goal is to reach peoples hearts with our music. As long as we don't
miss the point everything will be fine. We make music to communicate with the world and this
is the point. I would like to see Violet Blend also united as they are now in the future, we
consider the band as a second family and I think it's the most important thing to keep over
time. Friendship, brotherhood and the common goals that unite us are the core values that I
would like to see always vivid over time. I hope to retain the joy and satisfaction I feel in writing
music and performing on stage, and I hope to continue to enrich myself intellectually as an
artist and as a person. I also hope to continue to grow as a band, hit bigger and bigger stages,
reach as many eyes and ears as possible with our songs and keep the spark of authenticity in
our music.
MM:If you could do a cover of any song which one would it be and why?
Sooner or later I will decide to cover Song to the Siren by Tim Buckely. Its probably my
favorite song, it manages to describe everything I have inside in a sublime way, I wish I'd
written it myself.
MM: Tell us why we should buy and listen to your Band
I believe that art is conceptual elaboration and translation of reality through the sensitivity of
the artist. Our conceptual elaboration and our sensitivity is something that may or may not be
of interest, but which certainly has an authenticity behind it and which really tries to analyze the
world from its perspective. If youre just looking for entertainment, dont listen to Violet Blend,
well probably be boring to listen to. Even though we have a lot of nice choruses and catchy
songs that you can remember, but thats not who we are. Try listening to our music more
deeply, you might find a universe that could be similar to yours.
MM: Four words to describe Violet Blend
Authentic: In my opinion, authenticity is the fundamental value of any art form, it counts a
thousand times more than originality, which is a false myth. When something is authentic it is
real, irreproducible and recognizable. Authenticity springs from the soul and is self-sufficient, it
does not follow stylistic rules but represents who you are. Our music is certainly authentic, it
tells our story and paints us without veils or artifices.
Kaleidoscopic: Our songs may seem simply catchy, but an attentive ear will discover many
harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, dissonant and semantic nuances. There are so many elements
that blend and play hide and seek in our music, each song is conceived as a puzzle in which
every instrument, every sound effect, every word and every atmosphere must fit perfectly
serving the general meaning.
True: We are many things, but we are always what we show. In the past I was afraid to show
my true personality, I was afraid of not being liked, I wanted to satisfy and please everyone,
over time I understood that this is not my job. We are exactly as we show ourselves, and we
no longer care if we please everyone.
Blended: We are a mix of many things, experiences, pasts, studies, struggles, sacrifices, doors
slammed in our faces, unexpected successes, joys and disasters. Our music is about us and
therefore reflects all our experiences.
Final Words for your fans and our readers
Thank you so much for having us, we had a lot of fun with your questions. We hope to see you
on our next UK tour, all the updates from our social pages, search for Violet Blend and you will
find us! Thank you!
Giada Celeste Chelli
(Vocals/piano/songwriting for Violet Blend) Facebook
