Anna Giusti - A ray of electro-pop

We catch up with young Neapolitan singer-songwriter Anna Giusti right around the release of her new single, “Solid liquid”, just a few months after her debut record, “Post-It“, an album rich in exotic shades and electro arrangements steeped in indie-pop, which also finds room for escapes from the digital world and tributes to a recent but increasingly distant past. A promising debut, overseen by trusted producer Peppe Pleiam La Strada, for one of the rising talents of the Italian electro-pop scene.

Your music carries plenty of tangible references to 80s electronic pop. Where does this backward glance come from, personal as it is?

The choice of sound comes out of dialogue with Pleiam and an artistic analysis. Lyrics and melody definitely shape the direction of the sound, but in general we just follow our own taste and inclinations. We make music very instinctively. We share a lot of listening with each other, and in the case of “Solido Liquido” we were both drawn to those sounds. Peppe, among other things, is a big fan of new wave and post-punk, and he has tons of records. Through listening together I discovered that whole world, and some stylistic choices came out of it. The reference to the 80s also comes from the desire to mix elements of the past with modern sounds, trying to leave a personal mark through choices we like. Like, for instance, letting the lyrics come through and keeping the production minimal and melancholic, creating a perfect harmony with everything else.

Who are your musical mentors, really?

I've always listened to a huge amount of music, including stuff far removed from my own. I grew up with my father, who never travelled without Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Genesis, Police, and then the singer-songwriters, especially Dalla and De André, and with my mother, who listened to Battisti, Mina, Cocciante. Growing up, among the artists I listened to a lot are Meg, Elisa, Radiohead, Lady Gaga, The XX.

Liquid love in a liquid society: “Solid liquid” plays with two fundamental states of matter, now expanded into a social(-media) meaning. What's your relationship with the web?

The web is potentially a great opportunity for dialogue and connection. But human relationships lived through the web impose a physical distance that I prefer to avoid whenever possible. I believe in the strength of relationships beyond the screen, in direct contact, in hugs, in looking into each other's eyes. I think these are different forms of relationships and that both are necessary today. The important thing, in my view, is not to forget to look up from the screen. In general, I spend a lot of time online, but I assure you that when I put my phone down, I feel free and relaxed.

Where does the lyric of this song come from? Is there an anecdote tied to writing it that you'd like to share?

I wrote “Solid liquid” in October. I let myself be inspired by a conversation with Peppe that happened a few months earlier. We were out for a live show and, amid all the chatting, we got to talking about the tendency to romanticize love that burns out quickly, the kind you replace so as not to risk feeling out of fashion and out of time. A sort of celebration of the sense of uncertainty that comes from tormented relationships, so we said to each other: what if we tried to sing about simple love instead, the love found in small everyday gestures that sees beauty in the other person's imperfections? That's how this song was born, just me and the piano, as always. I chose a key of lightness with a touch of melancholy, which has always been part of my character, to sing a message that matters to me, namely the value of solid affections and strong bonds, of any kind. These are bonds worth protecting, because they're rare and precious.

From your first EP under the birth-name moniker ANNA, in capslock, to Anna Giusti. Why that shift?

A lot has changed between the release of the first two singles and today. There's been growth. I started having a more disciplined vision of music and I've built up experience. I've also taken care of aspects not directly tied to creativity, like promotion and booking, basically I've established a connection between the various areas. Meanwhile there was the move to Rome and then the return to Nola, the new job and life hanging in the balance as it goes on… It was a completely natural transition. Anna needed to explore sounds and words; Anna Giusti is the same person who, however, found herself at a crossroads and decided to knowingly take the road that made her happier, even if it was more complicated.

Tell us about your artistic partnership with producer Peppe Pleiam La Strada..

I could talk to you for hours about Peppe, about the whole evenings spent talking about music, playing, creating. Besides being my producer, we're very close friends. We met about two years ago, we were moving in the same musical circles, and when he asked me to let him hear something, I immediately felt he was the right person. Song after song, we studied each other, understood each other, clashed but always found our way back together. By now he's a fundamental figure for me. My musical project was born with him and with Saverio Tufano, founder of Scrz, who is also part of every aspect of this project.

How and when did you decide to live with and for music?

I've always made music. Even though I sometimes neglected it for studies and various unforeseen circumstances, I never truly drifted away from it. Right after graduating, I managed to find a job in Rome. A job I liked but that kept me busy to the point of leaving no time to play. As happy and fulfilled as I was, I felt incomplete, restless. I decided that was the right moment to pursue something I'd put off for too long. There, one night between anger and tears, I wrote “Ho la testa tra le nuvole”. Shortly after, I took a train to Naples and came back.

Naples is going through yet another musical rebirth. What do you like most about the new Neapolitan generation and, in particular, about the emerging female scene (SVM, Greta Zuccoli etc.)?

There's always been a certain artistic ferment in Naples, it's a city rich in musical output, capable of evolving while remaining true to tradition. Here art reflects the essence of the city itself, a contradictory, dynamic, hybrid and romantic city. What I really love is that in the emerging female scene in Naples you won't find a single style, a single school: everyone follows their own instincts, inevitably shaped by the countless stimuli the city itself offers, with its streets, its people, its history, the sea, the food and much more.

What's spinning on your stereo/digital player right now? Who are your regular listens?

I'm constantly on the lookout for new music. Right now among my listens are Lykke Li, The Weeknd, Hayley Williams, The XX and others.

How are you preparing the live side of things? How many of you will be on stage?

I miss playing live a lot. On stage it'll be the usual two of us, me and Pleiam. For us, live shows are sacred, we prepare them with dedication, every time we add different elements and change everything. We have a lot of fun. Right now we're working on new ideas.

Is Sanremo a dream of yours, or do you never think about it? And what do you think of talent shows?

Of course Sanremo is a dream of mine. I'm actually a dreamer and also quite ambitious. But I'm also very emotional, which is why, when it comes to talent shows, I'm not sure I could handle the stress and all the pressure that comes with them.

We're thinking about a new album, but for now we're working song by song. I'm focused on producing new music, I've written a lot of tracks and we're working on them.

Ride the wave of great music

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