This awesome Italian hardcore / screamo band approached me with their brand new EP called “To Live Alone / To Die Alone”. I would be fool not to recognize the quality and passion delivered through their work. So here’s my advertisement for APERTURE, a “negative youth hardcore” band from Monza.
Do you want to know what does it mean to be one? See below.
Hey, guys! Please shoot my readers a quick introduction to the band. You describe yourselves as a negative youth hardcore band. What does that mean? [smiles].
We are APERTURE from Monza, Italy! Formed in 2010 with the intent to play music that could let us shout out our thoughts and to have some fun with the thing we love the most, music.
Negative youth hardcore band, this definition comes from the fact we are angry with what is around us, things are not working the way they should and the older generations think that kids don’t have the guts to work and change things: In our case we live in a country where you can’t start anything without big money loans. This definition is also chained to love and feelings, this is what we talk about in our latest EP.
Is this your first band or did you play in some other (punk) bands before?
We all played in other bands, I (Nick, the singer) played in various bands but they weren’t projects that I followed particularly, same for Depa (drummer) and Ste (guitarist) , Marcello Played in a punk band called FLYING PIGS, they played the last show last Saturday instead for Angy (guitar) we are the first band, he was our first fan and 2 years after we decided to take him as second guitarist!
Do you all live in Monza? Tell me more about the city.
Yeah we all live in Monza and neighborhood! Monza is beautiful but She is just a city next to Milan, famous for the Formula 1 track but not for venues. People prefer going to parties instead of supporting the music they like so things are quite hard around here. We mostly play venues in Milan! But we still believe and play as much as we can!
Any local bands you’d like to recommend?
There are several good bands like our brothers in THY SOLACE (with ex members from A FADED GLORY), FROM THE ASHES, ØJNE, HOLY, and WE AVOID, HANNYA and YES I SWEAR from Italy!! Check out [smiles]
Alright, fellows. You’ve just released your new EP called “To Live Alone / To Die Alone”. Did you organize a release show to celebrate the big day? What are your thoughts about it so far?
We will play a show on the 8th of March with COUNTERPARTS and LANDSCAPES in Milan and that will be our first occasion to showcase our new EP! It’s not a real release show as we are supporting some big bands but it will do the job! We like what we did, the EP is the mirror of the big change we did, new sounds, a better composition and we like it! People are listening to it and that’s good!
Great! There are 2 more gigs scheduled for this month, right? What about the rest of this Spring? Any plans to book more shows?
Yess!! this month we’ll play two dates, a mini fest organized by me (Nick) with 8 bands from Italy, it is a nice event, there will also be two exhibitions of artists and a fixed gear race with final checkpoint is at the show we will play with CVLT OF GRACE the next 25th March. For the spring we are planning a little tour through Europe , for now we have a show with heart in hand and FEED THE RHINO the 11th of May. we really would love to play a festival like Fluff this summer, but it’s still hard for now.
Ok, guys. Let’s go back to “To Live Alone / To Die Alone”. Was it hard to put it together? How do you remember both writing and recording processes?
We had a lot of new tracks, finished or almost finished but most of them didn’t respect the objective we wanted to achieve: a concept EP with 4 tracks , they all had to tell a story through a progressive situation. We worked hard and we wrote 4 functional songs, not 4 distinct tracks! The recording process was very clean and neat, thanks to Marco Bonanomi who recorded us, we found very quickly the sound and impact we we’re searching and we are happy with the result, it is a another occasion to thank Marco for the awesome job too!
Nick:
I remember the place where we recorded the drums, lost in the snow, it was amazing and peaceful… but the most thing that I loved and I remember of these recordings is Chinese food almost everyday, I fuckin’ l’ve Chinese food, I love china [laughs]“
Marci:
[laughs] When we quarreled during the studio recordings, Marco used to tell us: “NON LITIGATE BAMBINI (Don’t quarrel children)” like a as if he were our father!! We love you Marco [laughs]“
Awesome! [smiles]
What does this record mean to you personally?
Nick:
In these songs I tried to explain the moment when you understand that you love someone and you can slowly realize that that person don’t love you back, I searched to describe all feelings inside my body, mind and heart in details. For me this songs means release me from this demons and seal them in these melodies! Soo love is fuckin’hard [laughs]!!
Alright. So who loved you back and decided to distribute this outing for you guys? Do you work with a label? How did you decided to put this EP out?
Actually we tried to write to some labels but none of them even replied so the release is online on bandcamp and we are still searching a label to print out the EP!
Alright, let’s discuss touring. Do you guys have anything coming up soon?
We are building up some shows in Europe, have some proposals but still not putting everything together as we want to tour in May so we have to fill up at least a week of touring!
Any pals to back you up on a trek? Or are you going alone?
Yes! Our buddies WE AVOID from Cattolica in Italy, we are setting up things as we have to rent vans so everything is still to decide!
Ok, what else, guys? Any plans for a full length? Do you have any songs left after the recent recording session?
Yes we have two new songs left after the EP and we are still working on other new songs. We would like to record an LP in the future of course but the only problem as usual are the money, so we hope to find a label that could help us.
Ok, before we finish off. Are there any albums that you have been digging that are getting a good play on your player at the moment?
We all have big influences from KILLING THE DREAM‘s albums, songs to scream at the Sun from HAVE HEART, TOUCHE AMORE‘s albums, Axe to fall from CONVERGE, the question from EMERY, PIANOS BECOMES THE TEETH‘s album, we become buried from FUNERAL DINER and No Gods from SHARKS.
Any shows you are looking forward to?
We are always looking forward to our shows!! We love playing live even if in Italy without big bands it is difficult having hardcore kids to shows! One of the next shows we are planning will be’ with HEART IN HAND and that will be lovely ! One of our dream shows is FLUFF FEST.
Oh yeah, but about the shows that you plan to attend as a listener only? [smiles]
We can’t wait for the next BANE show in June!! We love them!!
Nick:
The next month I’ll going to London for COMEBACK KID’s “Turn It Around” Anniversary tour!! Sick!
Just before I let you go, are there any final words you want to pass onto readers?
Nick:
In Italy there isn’t a real scene, there is a lot of envy and no modesty, people and bands just try to have competitions putting in first place their own problems. Italy is full of talents, band that could really be so good if listened! but shows are almost all empty! Our generation has the “job” to change things, supporting each other to try and create a real Italian hardcore scene! Now loads of kids (16/17 years old) are forming bands and that’s good and we have to give them the right space ! It is not helpful moaning about Germany and other places where shows are so big and real fun, it’s not about where you are! If only all of us could roll-up their sleeves, and I’ve seen the proof of this playing before COUNTERPARTS and LANDSCAPES, things change, as they said it was one of their best shows!! And we played well too, we couldn’t believe to the big mess that was in front of us! So if we all want, things can be done, we all just need big humility! I will always believe in this, and this final message was not only for Italians ! just continue , start and never stop, to support your scene, your music, your people, and of course your friends!
Yeah man, but you can’t deny it all, I think. There ARE honest and hard-working Italian bands like STRENGTH APPROACH, CURSE THIS OCEAN, EMBRACE DESTRUCTION, RISE AFTER DEFEAT, MY OWN PRISON or RAEIN, plus a few amazing labels like StrikeDown Records, Goodwill Records or Destroy Your World Inc.
Italian punk scene was definitely stronger back in the 80s, but it definitely doesn’t look a desert. Maybe it’s the case of your local scene?
Depa:
You are right, but in Italy , except for rain these bands don’t have the support they should around here, but outside Italy we played/saw most of these bands!
Fair enough, boys. Let’s wrap it up. What’s next for APERTURE in the coming months?
We want to play as much as possible, we are writing new songs, and thinking of what to do with them, if another EP or a full length, that would be a cool story! And of course have fun doing what we love!
Great! Thank you so much for the chat, gentlemen! Any final words of wisdom?
Thank you for the space and the time you’re giving to us! Your great and we hope to see you sometime at one of our shows! We already said it like 5 times, support your local scene! Going to shows, buying merch and the songs , that is the best way to help the bands continuing to be active and record new stuff! We really want to know what you think about the EP!
Thank you!
