Interview Lacuna Coil

Artiest: Lacuna Coil

Geïnterviewden: Marco Coti Zelati, Andrea Ferro, Cristina Scabbia

Interview afgenomen op: Alcatraz Hard Rock & Metal Festival

Label: Century Media Records

Op Alcatraz Hard Rock & Metal Festival hadden we een gesprek met Marco Coti Zelati (ook wel gekend onder de bijnaam Maki), bassist en main songwriter van Lacuna Coil. Een interview met hem komt niet veel voor, dus we voelden ons geprezen om een interessant op muziek gefocust interview met hem te hebben. Later kwam de hele band erbij, zanger Andrea Ferro en zangeres Cristina Scabbia sloten aan bij het gesprek.

Let’s talk about the tours. How have the tours been so far, like The United States, South America and now some festival shows?

The tours went great, definitely great. It’s been quite long, 2,5 months and going. On the tourbus it’s been a pain in the ass but we survived. But it was great, very good reactions because the 1st of April, the new album came out. We kind of did a release party in L.A. which was cool.

America was cool and great for me. Last time we did the USA, I wasn’t there because I had a problem with my elbows. So I had the chance to go to Rio de Janeiro for the first time, it was very good, I was impressed. I enjoyed it and saw a lot of stuff, like the Christ and everything. You know, when you left the band because of an injury and they go for the first time to a place where you’ve never played before, you are like “oh fuck really, come on!”, now we had the chance to go there again and I was really happy for that. Then we came back, had some rest for about three weeks and then for the first time in our lives basically, we had three shows in Italy. We really enjoyed them, they were organized by Red Bull, we had fun. Then we did some European festivals, we went to Russia, … I’m happy basically.

You are actually up for some serious touring this year! North America, Canada and then finally Europe!

And then finally Europe, yeah. But also Canada because we haven’t been there. We will start the tour in San Fransisco, we have a festival there in September, Aftershock Festival, and some shows. Then we go off to Canada for some shows and we end in New York. Then we go back home and start the European tour. We will be in England…

That’s interesting, English dates are not announced yet. [Op de dag van het interview]

Not announced yet, so don’t put that on the interview.

It will probably be announced after Bloodstock tomorrow? [In tussentijd zijn de data bekend]

Yeah, of course. And so the rest of the European tour, we have four gigs in Italy as well and that’s it. Then some rest until January, because then we’re going to play on a boat in Florida, I don’t know what ship it is. That’s why I never do interviews, because I don’t know anything about this. I just try to make songs and that’s it, haha. That’s not my job, talking, just playing base and guitar, whatever, haha.

You will be touring together with Dani Filth’s new project Devilment. How did that come to happen?

Yeah, we’re going on tour with Dani, but honestly I don’t know how. That’s something for Andrea to answer, maybe better to ask him.

How is touring without Criz and Pizza? Is it not a strange feeling?

Actually yeah, after 18 years of touring with them it’s kind of weird without them. Actually, in the last few years it was not so different, because I missed some shows because they were on tour without me. But then Pizza and Criz left because they had their own stuff. But Ryan [new drummer] had already played with them, I have never played with Ryan, this one was the first tour for me that I played with him, but I enjoyed it.

Of course I miss Criz and Pizza but I absolutely agree with what they have done, we can’t tell them what they must and must not do, it’s okay. Pizza came to our show in Minneapolis or somewhere in Minnesota. He lives there and he came down for the show. He didn’t play of course but he did a signing session with us. It was kinda cool for the crowd.

How is Ryan doing, being the one American in the middle of all Italians?

The problem with us, fucking Italians, is that we talk in Italian. He’s learning Italian, but… we just talk every two seconds, we never shut up, especially Cristina (laughs). If he can learn Italian in this way, he’ll be perfect because it’s not easy. But actually he’s been doing very good, learning it. He looks at me with this certain face that he’s trying to understand what we are saying, but at the same time you can understand by his face: “Why are you talking in Italian and not in English, I’m here too” (laughs). That’s our big problem. It is rude maybe, yeah, sometimes it is! But it is not easy for us. I see a lot of people that are from different countries and they are used to speak English. Italians, I don’t know why, for us it is immediately normal to speak Italian, we don’t seem to care about the rest (laughs). We don’t do that on purpose, it just happens.

Broken Crown Halo, how is it being received by press and fans?

Good, amazing. Best album ever. The people are very happy about the album. I’m talking about music and I’m growing up, you know, I listen to other kinds of music. I just write what I feel at that moment. I’m not following any kind of rules except just for one, thinking when they sing with a different tune, I have to stay at some point just to make their job easier, but that’s it. If people like it and enjoy it, it’s good. I’m still the same writer, I still listen to the same music but I listen to more music now so I probably have more influences. I still love what I’m doing. The way I build up the music is the same, I still use a lot of keyboards. Actually it’s more about the producer. Every producer has his own things and his own view on the album. So you never know what will happen. But with me there is not a lot of chance to change stuff. So, so far I know the people have enjoyed it a lot. I’m glad about that. The next album is going to be much more brutal, but whatever.

There is a big comparison with Dark Adrenaline as we can all hear, was this a conscious choice?

Yeah, actually I think it’s the same, it’s just building up. When we did Dark Adrenaline, to me it was always more darker, but actually the main difference are just the songs. Dark Adrenaline was really what I wanted to do. It’s more European, it’s more heavy, more fat and big, you feel more the base. It’s more heavy in a goth or dark way. Broken Crown Halo is more open, more midtone, it is a more American sound. But actually the music is still the same, it’s not so different. For example, if you just remix all Broken Crown Halo like with Dark Adrenaline, you can definitely feel the similarity between the two.

So you say the next album will be a bit more brutal. Will this not be in line anymore with the previous two?

I just started to write it down. But I feel that all the songs I’m doing now (I’m working on three new songs), are actually the next step. Dark Adrenaline and Broken Crown Halo and the next one are going more towards the place I want to get. I’m still trying to make goth stuff, well with goth I mean our way of goth. For me when I say goth, I’m talking about dark atmosphere, it’s not gothic metal music, just ‘In A Reverie’ was probably gothic. But I really like the lyrical stuff. And now with Ryan we have an American drummer, he has a different view on beats… Probably some fans will say now that we are even more American than after Karmacode. To me actually, it’s not so American. They don’t use melody and I still use a lot of melodies. I just like to mix their rhythms and grooves with our melodies. A lot of bands in Europe are doing that now actually. Honestly even Within Temptation, if you listen to them, it’s American music with a goth melody, it’s the same thing, you know. Everyone is doing that, probably because that’s the way now. To me, I’m doing that step by step because I don’t want to make such a huge step in one album. So it’s going to be more brutal in a way, it’s going to be more tight, more live-show, you can feel more rhythmical stuff, but it’s always going to be with Cristina, melodies, … I really like the way Andrea sings now actually. It was like in the beginning, more fucking tough and I really love that. I prefer that, so I hope for this in the next album more and more because it sounds fucking cool to me. We already have Cristina that sings with melody, it’s cool Andrea singing with melody sometimes too, but if we could see more of that tough way, it’s better to me. He’ll be here soon, let’s ask him.

So far no search for a second guitarist right?

Not yet yeah.

Do you see Lacuna Coil continue this way in the future, with one guitarist?

Absolutely, yes. We have some friends who told us that the live shows sound better because you can feel more the base and guitar with one guitar live. The only problem is that now when playing the old stuff, everything is built up for two guitars. So we have one guitar on the backing tracks of course. On the next album I don’t know but I really love and am used to make songs with two guitars, so it’s not going to be easy. I’m really trying now to build up the music with one guitar, but it’s not easy…

[Cristina and also Andrea are joining one by one]

Marco: So, goodmorning Cristina!

Cristina: Goodmorning.

Hello Cristina. Did we have any specific question for her, Marco?

Cristina: For me?

I remember we had one for Andrea. So you’re going on tour with Dani Filth and his Devilment project, how did that come to happen, how did you come in contact with Dani Filth?

Andrea: I think it was more a management thing. They told us that there is this band that are coming out with a new album. It’s a new project and it was good, good and interesting to open for the band, so we said why not. We know Dani already a bit from the past, festivals where we played. When you’re on tour, you have to see who’s going to be out, whose able to make the tour financially… It’s not only like that you pick a band that you like, like friends but they don’t have the budget, they can’t afford a van or a bus... You need to see who is available and who can fit into the mood of the tour. So having Motionless in White also with us, it makes sense. It’s a different kind of project that could feed both bands because it’s gothic in a way but also heavy. They’re still a dark band but a little different. Let’s see what’s going to happen.

One last question for you Andrea, we talked about your screams or growls on Broken Crown Halo, would you like to do that for next albums as well?

Andrea: Yeah sure, everybody liked it.

In the beginning you did it, then there were a few albums where you didn’t do it and now it’s back again.

Andrea: Yeah, this time when we were doing the vocals for the album, we didn’t put too many barriers. We didn’t really think too much. We thought, why don’t we try to use some screams and see how it goes. And we just did it and it worked out great. Maybe some people were shocked, especially after the opening track, like what is this. But we just went for it.

[By now also guitarist Marco Biazzi (Maus) has assembled around the table.]

Marco: For the first time ever, there are four people from the band for an interview! You should ask them a question!

Cristina: What does Lacuna Coil mean?

Andrea: You could ask what it’s like to have a girl in the band.  You know, they always ask her how it is to be a girl in the band, but not what’s it like to have a girl in the band, that’s a different thing.

Okay, sooo?

Marco: It’s nice. The tourbus is cleaner (everyone laughs). Our underwear is clean all day, after the show usually what happens is we change, we go out and drink, get wasted and have fun with people, she stays on the tourbus washing our stagecloths and then prepares our food and makes our beds.

Andrea: Every morning comes with a coffee.

Why do I find that hard to believe?

Cristina: It’s like they are my dwarves and I’m Snow white on the bus, haha. No, it’s probably terribly hard for them to deal with my mess. I tend to shop a lot, like bargain shops, so every time I find something and I need to buy it because it’s so cheap, so it’s always full with my bags everywhere. I put it all on the bus with the promise that I’m going to put it away but I never do it, so it’s probably hard to deal with that side of me, haha. But beside that, well it shouldn’t be too hard for them, I’m one of them!

Thank you so much for this interview, all of you, it was a real pleasure!

Marco: You’re welcome man!

Andrea: No problem!

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