Amycanbe, now cult alternative must in the Italian and Europen music scene, represents a real novelty for both the musical eclecticism expressed and the ability to carry audiences of their concerts into a dreamlike journey, armed with a colorful imagination, as well with the seductive and charming voice of their unique singer.
Amycanbe hail from the coastal area of Romagna in north-eastern Italy. Originally comprised of Marco and Mattia, they formed in 2002. After one year they met Francesca, then Paolo (wind instruments, guitar and synth) and now they are a five-piece with Glauco on guitar. There was and remains a common interest with Amycanbe to combine acoustic and electronic sounds.
After the first live performances in clubs, theatres and bars in Romagna, Amycanbe recorded a self-produced EP with 5 songs. It attracted the attention of critics and attained widespread success. Blow Up magazine placed Amycanbe in the playlist of the best debutant Italian indie band of the 2005. In May and September 2005 Amycanbe open for Skin and Yuppie Flu.
In early 2007, after been featured on ’50 Minutes’ and ‘Merdeka’ compilation CDs. the band signed a record deal with UK indie label Dancing Turtle Records, and their debut album ‘Being A Grown-Up Sure Is Complicated’ was released, as a good low key affair, in October of the same year to critical acclaim. This co-incided with a UK tour that saw the band play in Leeds, Bristol, Oxford and Sheffield, as well as the album launch at 12 Bar in London. The band also did radio sessions for the BBC and received plays on BBC Radio 1.
Since then the buzz has been growing-up a lot and the gigs around Italy and UK as well.
Now, the band just finished a new project, a five track EP called The World Is Round, (out next March) which the song Rose Is A Rose (PEACE Mix) has been available as a preview of the project included in PEACE benefit Amnesty compilation, together with acclaimed alternative artists such as Sakamoto, Mogwai, Micha P. Hinson, indian Motherjane and many others…and then reached the no 1 of the Indie Top 100 Charts – Friendvote – Backstage. The next album is planned for an autumn release.
Discography
—————–
– Yellow Suit – EP (EP – Self-Produced – Italy – 2006)
– Merdeka! (Compilation – including “Yellow Suit” – UK – 2006)
– 50 Minutes (Compilation – including “My Ring” – UK – 2006)
– Being A Grown-Up Sure Is Complicated (Album – UK – 2007)
– The Song Of Matthew And Mark (Single Vinyl – UK – 2007)
– Your Own Thing (Single Vinyl – UK – 2008)
– Loud News Magazine n. 2 (Mag. Compilation – including “Little Dog” UK 2008)
– 1000 Pictures by DJ Trax (Compilation – including “Heal” remix by Dj Trax – UK 2008)
– Changes by Yellowtail (Single Vinyl – including including “24 Hours” remix by Yellowtail – UK 2008)
– Café Mambo Ibiza compiled by Jose Padilla (Compilation – including “24 Hours” remix by Yellowtail – World 2010)
– Being A Grown-Up Sure Is Complicated (Double Cd Edition including “Yellow Suit – EP” – ITA 2010)
– PEACE by Buffetlibre & Amnesty International (Compilation – including “Rose Is A Rose (PEACE Mix)” World 2010
We had an email interview with Mattia Mercuriali.
Q1. Tell us something about each member of the band.
We are 5 guys, each one with different interests and approach to life and music…we are trying to find the right balance and transpose it into music. Meaning that anyone should/must bring his own input to the family. This is sometimes very hard or fragile, but it brings a lot of satisfactions.
Q2. What was the main factor that made you guys fall together? How big was the dream at the start?
The “dream” grown up little by little…as per our line-up…(2…then 3…till the actual 5 piece-band)…we are still dreaming.
Each one came from other expereinces…so, as spinning planets, we attracted.
Q3. When you came out with a self-produced album, what was the feeling?
We were a little worried about album reception or comments. Since everything was “home-made”. Then we were very happy about seeing people coming to our concerts over and over.
Q4. What are the main features of an eclectic band and what is your uniqueness?
Do we have one? eheh…
Well…I hope so but I don’t like to tell it by myself…
Main features, well, if you join one of our gigs you’ll see 5 grasshoppers fooling around with a lot of instruments and cable…that is one of our most features!
Q5. What makes a band gel with the audience? –Their stage presence, variety of instruments, song lyrics, etc?
See above…maybe it’s really our aim to change and be always different.
Q6. How much you like to experiment while performing?
Not so much…I mean…I’d personally like to experiment a lot, but I’m missing a bit of skills…maybe in the future.
Q7. Which one you like more—performing on stage or recording in a studio; Why?
Definitely the last! I’m lazy 🙂
Q8. How do you feel music cross geographical boundaries and has a global appeal?
Of course! It was one of the things I thought about when I started answering these questions..I mean…from Italy to India is a long way…isn’t it?
10 years ago would have been improbable to do such a thing.
Q9. What plans the band has for future?
First of all, releasing 2 new records. The first of which is based upon a novel by the writer Gertrude Stein. It is a 5 tracks EP and will be out in March and it is called The World Is Round: We were asked to “compose” music and lyrics inspired by this novel. It went out first as a special gig. Then we found interesting to record these songs that are a bit distant from what we did before (i.e. there is a lot of electronic and spacey sounds.)
Q10. Share a moment that the band enjoyed while performing live?
mm…a lot to choose from…we had very special moments in UK for sure…for example the last gig of the second tour, at the twelve bar…
After the show, a nice guy from the audience came to me, bringing me a Polaroid Picture…I was so thankful…I always keep that in my pedalboard.
Q11. Any message to the audience?
Do you need a nice r&r band in India?
See….I’m so tired of Indie…I’d really prefer to visit India!
