Amplifico Interview - See Heart See Muscle: part 1

Tuesday, 29 April 2008

Amplifico Interview - See Heart See Muscle: part 1
Neal Parsons:

Amplifico have just released their first album, See Heart See Muscle, and have been touring the country wildly in an effort to promote it. With classical influences to their musical soundscapes coupled with bittersweet vocals and lyrics they're already making a big splash in an over crowded musical pond. Lead singer Donna Maciocia caught up with us on a momentary break form the crazed touring to tell us how it's been...

Put A Kilt On It: First off, how's things?
Donna Maciocia: Apart from recovering from a nasty flu bug, very well thank you! Pretty busy. Currently on a train to Scotland, we're playing a few gigs over the weekend.

Tell us a little about the life that has led you to this point.
Born and grew up in Kirkcaldy, Fife. Started piano lessons aged 8 and hated them! (my 1st piano teacher used to smoke fags and fall asleep in my lessons!) but persisted teaching myself by ear. Met Dave and Ross at high school and joined their band on keyboards when I was 15. Went to Art School at 17 to study animation for 4 years.... Left art school, decided I didn't have patience for the whole animation process... so got a 'proper' job, then packed it all in to move to Edinburgh and start Amplifico! Spent 4 years developing Amplifico, playing hundreds of gigs, meeting lots of amazing people. We've eventually just released our first album.

What things inspire you musically?
Well my tastes and inspirations are so varied I could not list them all here. I like to take a little something from everything. right now I am listening loads to the new MGMT album (isn't everyone!), the new Black Keys album, an Edith Piaf greatest hits and a friend just introduced me to The Shins who I cannot believe I didn't know about till now. They are amazing. I am also enjoying listening to the birds that wake me up in the tree outside my window every morning in my new London home - I haven't had that experience since I was a kid. It's so beautiful.
"I was a pretty die hard Michael Jackson fan. I once camped out on the steps of Wembley for 27 hours to get into the pit right in front of the stage on his History tour."

In my early years, my musical diet for a long, long time consisted of nothing more than the soundtracks to my favourite movies, Disney classics, Motown & Michael Jackson. I was a pretty die hard Michael Jackson fan. I once camped out on the steps of Wembley for 27 hours to get into the pit right in front of the stage on his History tour. Don't know if I should really be admitting that though...

How big a part did your classical interests play in the writing of the music?
My classical interests so far are pretty naive and unexplored, I am no classical music expert - I enjoy what I stumble across and catches my attention. For me, one of the amazing things about classical music as a source of inspiration, is how many rich melodies, hooks and chord progressions can be fitted into one composition. Modern music has a tendency to focus on the repetitiveness of 2 or 3 riffs/hooks. Classical music is such a rich resource for hundreds of these little melodies and hooks that can be homed in on, highlighted and essentially turned into pop tunes! I find that if I can write a 'classical sounding' song entirely on piano that is engaging enough without vocals - there is a confidence that when you add words and a voice it will be even more powerful.

With yourselves, KT Tunstall, and Aberfeldy amongst others, is there a renaissance in Scottish music at the moment? Less derivative, and more personable?
It certainly doesn't feel like there has been a mass emergence of successful acts from Scotland that all sound like each other or the Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles or Fall Out Boy or the like which is a great thing. Franz Ferdinand, Biffy Clyro, KT Tunstall, The Fratellis, Paolo Nutini etc. all have their own distinct sounds going on. I don't know if I'd call it a renaissance, but certainly Scotland's profile has been elevated in the eyes of the industry over recent years because of the likes of Franz Ferdinand and KT Tunstall breaking through to the mainstream. Since I moved down to London a few months ago, there is a definite feeling down here that music industry eyes are still firmly on Scotland.

What inspired the artwork on the album, I understand you did all of the artwork yourself? Is it specifically related to the music, or is it a separate entity?
The artwork and the music are absolutely intertwined! It was important to me that every single pencil mark in the booklet and on the sleeve actually meant something in relation to the music and the journey we had been on writing, recording & releasing the songs. I like a degree of mystery to artwork too, i felt there was no need to spell a message out and so I went with a very instinctive approach. It's good to leave some things to the imagination. I designed and arranged all the artwork, but due to time constraints, enlisted the help of another illustrator to draw up some of the little drawings on the booklet; his name is Adam Smith. His drawing style was lovely, very cohesive with my own and I admired his sensitive artistic spirit. It fitted in well with the sentiment of the whole project.

Alot of your lyrics would appear to be very personal to you, have you ever written a song that you felt you couldn't let other people see? Or any songs that you have released which you felt said too much, was too confessional?
There is often a degree of vulnerability when first singing certain songs. There are some songs in particular I have found myself performing for the first time, and I am actually shaking on stage singing them, or even in the practice room when singing the words for the first time in front of the rest of the band. It's a strange kind of naked exposure, baring your soul like that. But after a few times playing a song you break a boundary, it's a bit like therapy I guess!
Amplifico's website
The band's Myspace