Regardless of Me's Fulvio Torresani Interview

*Rock On! Exclusive*

La dolce vita of Metal

If you were asked to name the Metal capital of the world, Italy probably wouldn't be the first country to spring to mind. But there are four talented musicians from Milan who are set to change that.

In his first UK interview, Allana Cutter speaks to Fulvio Torresani - one quarter of Italy's latest export, Regardless of Me.

ROM: (second from left) Fulvio Torresani

So, Fulvio, you are fairly new to English fans. How would you describe Regardless of me?

We are a band from Milan, Italy. Born from a project of Emiliano Sicilia (guitarist), we've been working together for about 2 years. In 2008 we signed with Locomotive Records, before publishing our first album The World Within - released in Europe in March and worldwide in May 2009.

How did you meet?

I met Emiliano Sicilia and Enrico Cassano (bassist) over 15 years ago. We played together for a long time in different bands, playing very different kinds of music. Pamela (Manzo, vocals) had been involved with Emiliano's first solo album, Devotion, Materialize, in 2006 - she contributed vocals. That experience was the spark shell and now... we are promoting our first Regardless Of Me album!

You have appeared in Italian Metal Hammer, but this is your first UK interview. Why try to crack Great Britain?

The web and print media have given us good visibility in Italy and Spain but obviously for us, and throughout the world of metal, the UK is the “promised land”. We hope to do well there aswell. We haven't played any gigs there yet but we are hoping to do so as soon as possible!

Who do you think is the most influential act in your genre at the moment and what is it about them that you admire?
Is this a trick question? I think it’s very hard to define our genre, so…what can I say?! For example, we really admire Porcupine Tree, but their music is different from ours. Try listening to The World Within and you'll understand what I mean. I don’t like the label of gothic metal band, because it’s restrictive.

You released your debut album in March this year - where did the title The World Within come from?

The title of the album is connected to a point of view of the world from inside of every human being. The key lies inside of us: the media

control the emotions, the feelings of the people are kept under a doped mechanism. People are dumb and blind - they are just following an illusion.

You released your debut album in March this year - where did the title The World Within come from?

The title of the album is connected to a point of view of the world from inside of every human being. The key lies inside of us: the media control the emotions, the feelings of the people are kept under a doped mechanism. People are dumb and blind - they are just following an illusion.

Who wrote the songs on The World Within and where did their inspiration come from?

Emiliano Sicilia is the author of the whole album, music and lyrics. The musical concept is fully linked to the lyrics.

What track are you most proud of?

We are proud of the whole album! That's like asking who you love more - your mom or your dad! But if I had to choose, I would say that the most representative track of our sound, lyrics and message is For Eternity. It could be a good hit single!

What's the best thing about performing live?

It sounds trivial, but contact with the people is always something special. The thing that makes us proud of what we do is that in any place we play, we always attract new fans. It’s a chance to show what we can do!

You were special guests for Hardcore Superstar in June when they played in Italy. How did that come about and what was it like performing with them?

We got in touch with the Lustando Festival organisers in early 2009. The experience with Hardcore Superstar was great, even though we were quite different on stage compared to the other bands.

Are you involved in any more festivals this year?

No more this year, but we’re working towards next year.

Which artist would you most like to work with?

I always say the most interesting artist in the rock scene is Steven Wilson. We really appreciate his musical concept. He is perhaps the only real genius of today!

What can we expect from Regardless of Me in the next year?

We began writing songs for the next album a couple of months ago, so we are developing new ideas. We’ve got so many things to say in a more powerful way.

Last but not least, how do you say "Rock On!" in Italian?

We say “Fai brutto!”.

So there you have it - Italy's latest contribution to the world of metal. "Fai brutto!" to Regardless of Me.

Regardless of Me's debut album, The World Within, is available now from Amazon.co.uk. You can also visit their MySpace, myspace.com/regardlessofme.

Past interviews:

Connor McNicholas