Interview by Miriam Cadoni
Transcription by Arianna Govoni
Despite the global situation musical professionals are experiencing, what I love about Italian act Temperance is its braveness in following a tortuous path. Because, yes, it’s damn courageous to publish a beautiful EP as “Melodies and Green and Blue” (out now via Napalm Records) in a such challenging and disheartening period. To learn more about it, I recently had a nice chat with one of the three singers of the melodic power metal band, Alessia Scolletti.
Hi Alessia and welcome back to Femme Metal Webzine. How are you? How are these precarious days treating you?
Well, nice question! Well, I’m fine! I’m lucky to say that, yes, I’m totally fine, even if days here are quite weird. I can say that, because I’ve stayed mostly at home and I’ve enjoyed my time doing some stuff like watching TV series and doing some music with other bands.
Actually, I was lucky to be called from other bands, from other Italian bands here, so I made some collaboration here and there and I’m really happy for that! So this is my life at the moment [laughs]. Hopefully, we keep our fingers crossed for the next future and let’s see what happens!
So, this time we’re here to talk about your upcoming release, the acoustic EP “Melodies of Green and Blue”. Firstly, would you mind sharing with us how was this release conceived, how has everything started?
You know, it was curious, because when we were touring during the past two years all together, we spoke with the crowd and people and friends too about the possibility to create some new versions of our songs in acoustic. At a first, we weren’t so convinced about this kind of “stuff”, because Temperance is a band mostly powerful and energetic, so we actually preferred to perform music in electric.
However, after many considerations about the situation and people’ feedback, we’ve decided to see what it might happen while creating our music in an acoustic version and I can say that it’s an interesting result. Indeed, you can even say yourself that if you listen to our new acoustic EP, “Melodies of Green and Blue”, you could find something new, even if the songs are mostly known by the people, because six out of these eight songs are taken from “Viridian”, so they were already released one year ago.
Surely, what I can say about it is that this time they’re really peculiar and more intimate. Of course, they have something new, inside the music, such as the arrangements. So when we were in August, maybe, August/September, we were in the studio all together for the first time after the first lockdown at the Groove Studio here in Udine, it was so weird but we were so happy too!
As a matter of fact, for the first time we tried to play the acoustic drums and the cajón and it turned out to be so, so funny, both for our drummer Alfonso and our bassist Luca who played the maracas. In that regard, I have to admit that I was impressed by him while he played maraca because of his amazing sense of rhythm. Well, all the fans will listen to him in this acoustic EP. Once again, it was so funny, so improvised but the result really satisfied us!
You just mentioned the fact that “Melodies Of Green And Blue” features Temperance in a new experimental side. I was wondering, you know, how was to re-adapt and re-arrange these songs to a much more essential form? In their original version, they were multi-layered and really powerful and now you’ve found yourselves with a song which is practically bared devoid of layers…
The songs are bared naked to the point that it was so challenging for us but at the same time quite satisfying, because as artists, we always searching for something new in our life, in our music life and we managed to achieve that. On a second instance, it was quite challenging due to the decision to include new musical elements whose origin is non-metal. In essence, I can say that the result is really, really peculiar, even if the songs are the same.
Also, even if they are different now the listeners have the real chance to re-appreciate again the same songs with a different flavor. For example, when I listen to “Nanook”, which is one of my favorite songs in “Viridian”, it reminds me something uplifting. It recalls me a different kind of emotion that I experience when I’m listening to Celtic music.
Good! “Viridian”, originally, was including 11 songs, how much challenging and difficult was to choose just a selection, a handful of songs from that release?
Actually, it wasn’t so much difficult for us, due to the fact that we already performed few of these songs in a previous acoustic live session. In that session, we have featured acoustic versions of “Nanook”, “I Am the Fire”, “Catch the Dream” and “Start Another Round”. Since that performance, the feedback that generated on YouTube from the listeners, fans and other people was very positive, this helped us to have a general idea on how to structure this EP.
As I mentioned before, our starting point is that first acoustic session and then, we decided to include “My Demons Can’t Sleep” and two more previously unreleased songs, because we constantly creating music. Instead, among the old songs I would like to give a special mention to “Gaia” that was written by Michele Guaitoli. And the reason why that song is so special because originally it was born as a merely as an acoustic song only. Also, “Gaia” represents one of the most interesting songs written by Temperance for its lyrics. This song was dedicated to Mother Earth and the environment. It’s very important for us.
You’ve also mentioned these two unreleased songs, “Evelyn” and “Paint the World”. What would you like to say about these songs? I know, for example, that for “Evelyn” you’ve shot an amazing videoclip also and the song is amazing as well, so I want to know more about these two tracks now…
Well, the good news is also that its about to be released a video for “Paint the World”, so stay tuned guys, because it’s coming out on February 16th. You know, one of our main Temperance’s peculiarities is to have always positive attitude in our lyrics but “Evelyn” differs because it treats an important even. So, Evelyn was a girl, an unhappy one who unfortunately decided to put an end to her life in a very way., whose manner is deemed by the American population most powerful and public way to die.
I don’t know why, but it was unbelievable, that this girl decided to end up her life by jumping down from the Empire State Building in New York. Actually, I have no words to describe it, because I can’t imagine what was the impact that this event produced in the Americans’ brain. Of course, it proved to be very powerful and unbelievable. So, we decided to give our tribute to this girl. About this, in its video we decided to include some video from our childhood. The main reason behind this choice is mostly relate with her public memory because Evelyn was a girl who wanted to be remembered as a young girl.
Alessia, I feel that for Temperance this release is special, in particular I’d love to ask you what’s the meaning of this EP for the band?
For us it has a deep meaning because It portrays the idea of togetherness even if nowadays we see each other all together only during record sessions. In fact, it’s a little bit sad for a band that used to go around Europe all together always in the same van, in the same car, and now we’re separated and far away from each other.
Personally, I think that the video of “Start Another Round” video, expresses all what I was mentioning before. In the end, the choice to include also the behind-the-scenes while we have fun and joking together. It simply derives from what I mentioned before
Recently I also had the chance to catch a glimpse of the new photoshoot, and I like that Temperance is in the nature, besides a lake and everything. How did these photos and the location relate to the EP?
Well, there’s a funny story behind it, because one week ago me and Michele were looking at the photos again together, just for fun, and both of us commented that this photoshoot should have been perfect for “Viridian”. Due to the lockdown, we weren’t able to have a real photoshoot in the nature, so, we opted for another location. But this time with the photographer Ermes Buttolo, he made us shine.
Personally speaking, it’s one of the best photo shooting for Temperance, because first of all, we are so in love with nature and its colors. Then, it reflects our main lyrical thematic in which we always talk about colors or some elements in space, in the universe or in the nature. Also, the main protagonist here is the color of the lake Lago Superiore which is situated nearby Tarvisio, in Friuli Venezia Giulia. In the end it is perfect, because it represent the flawless blend of colors between green and blue, which is viridian.
I know the following question may sound stupid right now, but what does the future hold for Temperance?
Well, we hope for the best for our future and up to this moment, we’re still searching for a way to go back on the road as soon as possible, in every condition, in every location and in every occasion. Sadly, in this moment we have to stay safe at home and just follow the local Government’s rules. What else can I say? We surely stay in contact between us, we will try to keep up with the work and just cross our fingers for the next tour on October and November with Leaves’ Eyes will happen.
Up to now, the only plan we have is our first live streaming show ever on February 19th where we will promote and celebrate the release of “Melodies of Green and Blue” on Rockfi.com. For obvious reasons, there will be only three of us performing, so, me, Michele and Marco and the show will last around 1 hour. We’re so looking forward!
Alessia, first of all I’d love to thank you for this interview. It was so nice talking to you again!
Thank you so much!
So, Alessia, we’re almost at the end and with this please be free to say hi to your fans and your readers. Thank you so much for this interview
First of all, I’d like to thank you, Miriam, of course, and to Femme Metal Webzine for this interview. Hope to see you very soon on the road and please be safe out there. Let’s stay in touch, you can find us on our official pages, Instagram and Facebook too. That’s it, follow us and stay tuned, because we’ve tried to surprise you as much as possible, yeah!