Valentina Lupi - A Fresh Start

Valentina Lupi's second album took us by surprise.

Valentina kindly made herself available to answer a long series of questions, through which we tried to delve into some themes tied to her past, her artistic vision, and how she organizes her work.

Hi Valentina, a full five years have passed between your debut album and your second work: an eternity in an era that moves so fast, especially for an emerging artist...

That's true, but I think it's more important to be certain about what you release.

Over this long period I went through moments that pulled me away from music, even though it always stayed with me. It's important to make a record worth listening to, so I took my time and looked for the right people to collaborate with.

Let's talk about your artistic journey so far, starting obviously from your first steps.

I took my first steps in venues in Rome and its province in 2000, when at eighteen I produced a five-track EP titled “Nel sogno” that allowed me to take my songs on the road. In 2006 I recorded “Non voglio restare Cappuccetto Rosso”, my first album, and that's when everything really began in earnest.

You were born in Velletri, which, while in the province of Rome, I don't imagine is the most comfortable place to attempt the big leap.

No place is comfortable if you decide to do this job. I have to say my mother and my town always supported me.

Did you dream of being a professional singer as a child, or was it a passion that took shape more clearly as the years went by?

I never would have thought I'd do this for a living. My father wanted me to be a lawyer, projecting onto me all the passions he hadn't been able to pursue because of work. He was a wonderful father, and I owe my love of music to him. When I was eight he put an accordion in my arms, at ten he bought me a piano, he always supported my musical studies, he believed in me deeply.

I started writing songs after he passed away.

“Non voglio restare come Cappuccetto Rosso” finally opened you up to the world. Which aspects of that album would you handle differently today?

None, that album is fine just as it is. I wouldn't change anything about my past, especially not that record.

How many copies did it sell?

Honestly I have no idea, but I think the results were good for an independent debut album.

After that solid debut you had the chance to share the stage with some big names…

There was the show on May 1st, and also opening for Afterhours was a really moving moment.

I imagine the physical and mental process of getting ready for "Act Three" was very different from the one that led you to prepare the material for "Non voglio restare come Cappuccetto Rosso".

The approach is always the same: my hands on the piano and then off I go with the words. I do have to admit, though, that I've changed in the way I express myself: a lot of the songs on the first album were written at night, whereas "Atto Terzo" was written entirely in broad daylight.

I'm a more grounded person now, my writing has evolved, it's more direct.

So let's get to the new album: first of all, we're very curious about your songwriting process. Where does the inspiration come from? Is it something you actively seek out and stimulate, or does it show up in unexpected shapes and moments? And then how do you organize the material? What usually comes first, words or music?

Words and music walk hand in hand: I can't conceive of a lyric without chords. My inspiration comes from different sources: news stories, literary works, sometimes just a single word someone said.

I don't force myself to write: when I feel the need, I sit down at the piano and start pulling out my thoughts. Sometimes I start from a phrase that then becomes the title, other times I write out a series of ideas that later get a title which isn't repeated in the lyrics but is an image I feel sums up the song, like the title of a film.

What were the first songs that came out?

"Io e le tue parole", "Al di là del bene e del male", "La mia colpa", "Quello che vorrei".

These are the tracks conceived first, a little over a year ago.

What was the moment when you felt everything was heading in the right direction? Often there's a key song that steers an album in progress toward a certain direction…

When I wrote "La mia colpa" and after finishing arranging it with my band, I thought I'd end up with an album able to fully represent me. I always believed in my songs, but the conviction that it would be a great album came to me while arranging them with the band, who created a unique, special sound.

I work with people I hold in very high esteem, who understand my lyrics perfectly, they really did an excellent job.

Which of these new songs do you feel most attached to?

“Il modo migliore” and “Dove sei”, which are in fact the first two tracks on the album.

And among the songs from your first album, which ones do you still feel are most ‘yours’?

“Qualcosa di agrodolce”, “E’ questo il vero?” and “Come scriveva Benni”, which I still play live.

It seems like everyone around you is well aware of the excellent work you’ve done: what’s your own overall assessment of “Act Three”?

I don’t really feel like passing judgment, I just know that I feel happy, satisfied, and that I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any differently. I believe in it deeply, and I believe in the people who made it with me.

Let’s get into the lyrical side of the new album. “Act Three” is a reference derived from Shakespeare…

Yes, in the third act of “Hamlet”, the protagonist delivers the famous soliloquy that opens with the line “To be, or not to be, that is the question…”

Looking closely at the whole play, I found a lot of similarities with my own thoughts, my doubts, my fears. That’s where the need came from to write my own “Act Three”, a song of mine with that title, which then also became the title track.

There are a lot of songs about love on the album, but it’s often a painful kind of love…

When you’re in love with the idea of love, and on top of that it’s not reciprocated, it’s always painful. I also like putting myself in other people’s stories, but my songs are mostly autobiographical.

Loves that are almost always imperfect, where things don’t always go the best way.

Love that makes you suffer isn’t love. I’ve come to that conclusion lately, and I’m happy about it, because I’ve discovered healthy love, true love.

It’s funny when you sing about the woman who basically erases her own personality in “Non è cambiato nulla”. There’s also a fun reference to Talking Heads, who almost become scapegoats…

Talking Heads are just an example, I could have named any other band. Actually, in “Non è cambiato nulla” I’m taking aim at a certain type of arrogant, know-it-all people, who snub and criticize the views and tastes of anyone they see as different from themselves.

Was that a deliberate process, or is it the result of unconscious genius?

It's true, we decided to work by subtraction. We played the songs a lot, searching for the sounds and arrangements that felt most fitting. The arrangements came out naturally, also thanks to the influence of what we'd been listening to and each person's own personal taste.

Matteo Scannicchio on piano, Giorgio Maria Condemi on guitars, Cesare Petulicchio on drums and Fabio Fraschini on bass did a great job.

You're about to head out on a promotional tour that will take you around Italy. How are you approaching it? Do you have any strongly distinctive ideas in store?

The tour is constantly evolving: there will be electric dates and others in acoustic format, where we'll perform as a trio. The trio format is a dimension I particularly love because it lets me play much more with the nuances of my voice.

How difficult is it today in Italy to organize a tour and find suitable venues to present your work?

It's very difficult. If any musician told you about their experience, you'd discover countless anecdotes about how hard this job is. There's no shortage of venues, and no shortage of willingness to organize events either. What's missing is money — music too is an integral part of that great cauldron called "crisis".

Will you also be playing some covers live?

I've thought about doing some covers, but I haven't added them to the setlist yet.

You've already found yourself in front of huge crowds, like at the May 1st, 2007 show. What do you expect from this tour?

I expect the best — I hope to get back on big stages, but in general I hope to play as much as possible in all kinds of venues and events. Live shows are the real test of what you've done within four walls.

Alongside you there will be a top-notch backing band, able to play musical genres that are quite far apart from one another. I know this matters a lot to you. Tell us how you met and how the idea of working together came about.

I'm very proud of the band that accompanies me. Matteo Scannicchio and I have known each other for years — our collaboration started back in school and has continued to this day. I met Cesare and Fabio a few years ago, during the tour for the previous album. Through Cesare I met both Fabio and Giorgio, and I immediately hit it off with them.

What are your personal tastes in literature and film?

I really like 20th-century Italian literature. I go to the cinema often — I'm a big fan of Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino. Among Italian directors, I love Bellocchio and Marco Tullio Giordana.

Let's talk about your musical tastes: tell us about the Italian and international albums that have struck you most in recent months.

The latest Verdena album is remarkable. I was also struck by the latest work by Ardecore. Among international artists, I'll at least mention the new PJ Harvey record.

Would you describe yourself as musically omnivorous, or do you prefer to dig deep into just a few specific genres?

I listen to everything — I like electronic music, rock, singer-songwriter stuff.

Where and how do you listen to music throughout the day?

I often listen to music while travelling, and it's a dimension I really enjoy.

How do you see and judge the national independent scene? Is it a patient on the road to recovery?

It's not sick, it's doing just fine! You just need to open the doors so it can express itself.

You're a girl who's making it. In Italy's rehearsal spaces there are thousands of young musicians chasing a dream, and playing remarkably well too. What concrete advice would you give them all?

You need to be strong and believe firmly in your own convictions. And then play everywhere: the audience won't come looking for you at home. Even if it's hard sometimes, and you risk losing your motivation, you need to keep going, convinced of your own path.

You also personally handled the production of "Act Three": how did you build up the background needed to do that, and how much do you rely on technology in the studio?

I built up that background through experience: I've been playing and writing music for many years now. As for the technological side, I get just as much help as I need. I prefer to record as if it were live, straight to tape.

I believe in the first take of a recording, I don't like perfection, especially when it's achieved artificially.

Valentina, promise us that we won't have to wait another five years to hear your new compositions!

Promised.

Ride the wave of great music

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