TOZ Antonio Piretti Interview by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
1) Lamitschka: Music has many new fans throughout Europe who
may be hearing about you for the first time. How would you describe yourself
and the music you play to someone who has never seen or heard you?
Answer:
about me..
I’m a soul of this world.. made in Italy and grew up between Europe and Canada.
I feel music, sport and love are the reasons for living.
in my music I represent myself.. passion,
truth, concreteness and why not a pinch of madness.
All my recorded songs have been played
by musicians, I mean they are not coming from a good sound sample of a
software, and this is something that a listener can appreciate.
I am learning the piano and this is giving me a better view to arrange my
songs, creating a good understanding between the guitar and the piano, that are
the bases on which I develop my tunes.
My genre can go from singer-songwriter to pop, rock and folk.. it depends on
the song.
What I always try.. is to write songs with meaning or messages with a positive
approach, to see life with truer and more positive eyes.
2) Lamitschka: What is your new Album and how’s it doing?
Answer:
The new
album “Three“ has been released just 2 weeks ago 😉 and I’m receiving good
feedback from my contacts, and it is performing well on the main music
platforms as Spotify..
I recoded
the album with my former musicians, Denis Borgatti at the keyboards, Marco
Paradisi at the bass, Daniele Berni at the drums and percussions and myself at
the guitars and voices.
Mixed and Mastered with Martino Buttieri.. all of them friends of mine and from
my own town, Bologna.
This time I took deeper care of the
arrangements outlining the path in each single instrument.
As a final result, the album is composed of 8 songs, recorded by a complete
full band. Even though the songs were conceived with an acoustic touch, the outcome
is a melodic pop rock with warm sounds made characteristic even by distorted
guitars.
Interesting the alternation of percussion such as the Cajon or Bongos to the
Drums played with brushes. Good presence of the Piano and of the Bass that
accompany the guitars as leading instruments. The voice presents a sweet
interpretation of songs that can range from pop to rock, always in a truthful
song writing style.
3) Lamitschka: How did you choose the title for the
Album? Is there a story behind the name?
Answer:
the album is
named “Three“ and in the art work cover my family is represented, my wife my
daughter and me. I consider the family unit the most important thing, so I just
wanted to make it clear.
The next album will be named four.. since we are waiting for a new entry.. 😉
4) Lamitschka: Do you write the songs yourself? If not, how
do you go about finding the songs for your album?
Answer:
yes I do
write my own songs and like that..
honestly talking, I wouldn’t like to write for another person and neither to use
a song that is not from me..
I consider authentic what I as songwriter can create or do.. on the contrary, take what another has
composed, it’s not stimulating.. that’s it
usually I
write in English but sometimes I have the desire to communicate also with my
native language, Italian.
5) Lamitschka: What is your favorite song among all the
songs you have recorded and what’s the story behind it?
Answer:
I don’t
have a favourite song among mine, but I can say that there’s a song that I
consider the song of miracles.. “My Name Is Not Important“.
I can tell you, every time I play that song while I’m performing in the subway
of Toronto, where I play daily following my schedule.. well every time
something happens..
People talk to you. tell you messages, people are reacting.. I’d prefer to say,
“Angels“ manifest themselves, and this is great, this is giving you all the
answers.. as you understand why you are there. This is the best sensation that
you can experience when you play..
The song “My Name Is Not Important“ was written thinking.. what an hungry African
child can think about our western way of life..
6) Lamitschka: Do you have any interesting stories about how
fans have been affected by your music?
Answer:
when I’m in
Toronto I play for the TTC, the firm that manages the subway.. so daily I have my
schedule, time, area, etc.. I’m always in touch with so many people.
Then sometimes you organize gigs, where fans or friends can come to listen or
just to visit you.
I remember that girl, who came in a gig in Kensington Market in Toronto and she
told me before I started to play.. “do you remember me, I’m… ?“ I was not
remembering.. but she told me that she bought one of my Cds in the past and she
was listening to that cd everywhere.
She asked me to perform a specific song.. “Un Giorno Vorrei“ and she told me..
this song is always with me, whatever I do, cooking, taking a shower, chilling,
and then she smiled meaning other situations…
I also smiled and I said “sure, it’s a nice song, I’ll play it for you“..
still now, sometimes when I’m going to perform that song I think about that
moment..
7) Lamitschka: What do you think about today’s music scene
versus its post and where do you see it going in the future?
Answer:
in the past
the main channels to delivery your music were the radios and tv..
Now there are also new networks as the playlists on Spotify..
Honestly I don’t like the way in which Spotify (immediately followed by Deezer,
Apple Music, etc..) came up.. just because it is not an educational message for
the people.. to consider that music is for free.. this is a wrong message.
Before to upload a song on a music platform, you have invested a huge quantity
of time writing the song, recording the song, arranging the song, mixing,
mastering, promoting, etc, etc..
You have spent money to pay musicians, technicians, studio, promoters, etc.. and consider that nobody paid for the hours
that you dedicated..
and then Spotify, when you are a premium member (0.99 x month), is letting
everybody download all the songs that you desire on you device..
that’s a shame.
Spotify is paying you back a ridiculous % of each streaming.. and when a client is downloading a track is
not anymore paid and considered as a download.. but it is now named “an
extension of a streaming” since you are a premium member (0.99 per month).. so
at the end Spotify is on the NY Stock Market Exchange and you get just less
than the crumbs of that.
In the past the people were used to pay
to download a song (0.99 $ or more per each song).. and that was right.. you
could choose the songs that you liked in an album and download / buy only the
tracks that you were really liking.
But now Spotify and all the other platforms consider the download an extension
of the streaming.. and with 0.99 per month (when you are a premium member) you
can download all the songs that you want. Can you simply understand that this is not
correct..?
so Spotify is creating its own great business, but has destroyed the industry
because it is not possible, I mean, it is not sustainable to give for free something
that cost a lot of money to be prepared.
So this is negative either for who has paid everything to produce the final
file audio and either for the education of people who think that music has to
be for free.. and nobody is buying anymore cds or paying for the download.
They say that with those platforms you can reach more people, so you can have
more fans, etc.. I’d comment: ” bullshit”
I mean, it is true that more people can listen to your songs.. but what can you
do with that..? nothing.
Only if you reach a huge number of followers and streaming you can monetize
that also with a great tour.. but the great
majority of the indie artists are not reaching that level.. so for them it is a
losing game.
I give you a simple example.
years ago people were used to buy my cds while I was playing.. now the come to
me, they take a picture of the cover of the cd and then they add those song to
their playlist or they just listen to them on line..
The consequences of this is that you can’t effort anymore high costs to produce
your songs.. and this is why nowadays the quality of the songs is “in average”
lower that in the past.. because many of them are created by a guy behind a
computer, that is costing much less than a band trying and retrying and finally
recording in a studio.. that’s it..
Music is an
important part of our lives, of our culture.. music is a way to communicate
with our soul.. it shouldn’t be treated in this way.. musicians and artists in
general should be more supported and helped.. and in this case protected.
Because this is a “robbery..”
for the future I don’t know.. I can say that the only way you, as a musician,
have now to receive some money is to play live.. ok, but for how long you can
play daily or however so frequently..?
In this case, something has to be changed, because as now the blanket is too
short..
8) Lamitschka: If you had the chance to change something
about the music industry, what would it be?
Answer:
I’ll banned
all these “terrible” algorithms that are somehow controlling/directing
everything.. not only in the music platforms but also in the social media,
etc..
Stop to be controlled as robots, stop to depend on algorithmic rules..
We should come back to our level, human beings.. but since the majority of the people
don’t get this.. the mass will continue to play the game of the drivers.. this
is way we are loosing and losing our roots and needs.. to follow paths or lives
that somebody is planning or directing for us.. just think about Tv,
newspapers, etc.. let’s open our eyes.. let’s stop to eat Tv, let’ss live our
own lives..
for example, in my home, there is no the TV..
I can only suggest this.. “when the mass is going in one direction.. go in opposite
way.. you‘ll never be wrong..“
and the most important thing.. “always follow your instinct“, follow
your desires or dreams, even if they can appear difficult to be reached.. keep
on, never give up.. surround yourself with smart people and people with heart
that care about you.. and follow your
path..
I repeat, your path not what the society is telling you to be or appear..
9) Lamitschka: What inspired you to become a songwriter?
Answer:
there was a
girl in the past that somehow was in love with me..
I was not attracted so told her.. we can act as friends, but not more than
that..
We saw each other several times.. she supported me in a difficult moment, etc..
On a Christmas Eve she called me and told me.. “I’ve written this song for you,
listen to it..“ then she placed her mobile on the piano and played live that
song voice and piano while I was on the other part of the line.
Then after a month she told me that the band of her brother liked that song and
with some adjustments they wanted to release that song..
2 months later I was in a gym recovering from a knee’s operation and I heard
that song by radio.
I stopped and I thought.. “ehi this is the song that Ileana wrote for me“.
Can you imagine the power of that moment on me.. she wrote a song for me.. a message for me and after some months I was
listening to that song by radio..
wwwoooaaaawww!!!!!
so I thought.. that’s fantastic.. if she did that.. I can try too.. so I
started..
10) Lamitschka: Is there anything in your life that you would
change if you could?
Answer:
As a first
thought, I’d answer “Yes, probably I wouldn’t stop to play baseball and definitely
I’d say to my father to not rush with his car on that day on June 1997“
But then, seeing my daughter and my wife… I can
only say.. every single day and step brought me here.. and I like where I’m ..
Photographer – TTC – c – August 2018