STEGOSAURO, hailing from the northeastern Italian countryside, formed in 2020 with a mission to create a hyperactive blend of Midwest emo, math rock, and screamo that’s fit for riding a bike without hands (but be prepared to ponder your life choices when you inevitably fall off).
After months of anticipation, their first self-titled EP dropped at the end of March, thanks to a collaboration between To Lose La Track (IT), Friends of Mine (JAP), and a team of other Italian underground labels (Dischi Decenti, È Un Brutto Posto Dove Vivere, Longrail, Troppistruzzi, and 1a0).
Now, STEGOSAURO is hitting stages to let those six tracks breathe some fresh air.
Their music is the perfect antidote to the tired nostalgia for dinosaurs, encouraging you to grow up and embrace something new. With vocals that throttle you to tears and Midwest emo riffs that stay rent-free in your head, this band is unbelievably underrated. Their unique blend of emo, indie, punk and math rock and original flair creates an album that’s both pleasant and unique.
Stegosauro was formed as a side-project in the summer of 2020. Alberto, who played guitar and vocals, was a member of DECACY, a screamo band from Vicenza. Enrico played guitar, and Marco played drums and also provided vocals, and had just started LEITA a few months earlier, during the pandemic.
Although they had known each other for over a year, having met through mutual friends and by attending shows, they had always wanted to play math rock and emo together. After starting to jam and write songs, they began looking for a bass player. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in Italy, they were unable to meet and play together until the middle of 2021.
In the spring of 2021, they found a bass player named Alessandro through an online community for musical gear sales. Together, they started practicing and recording. They played their first show at the end of that year, but in 2022, one of the members had to move to Austria for a semester abroad, so they had to pause playing live until the summer when they resumed and began recording their EP.
STEGOSAURO’s new release consists of the first six songs they wrote since they started jamming two and a half years ago.
Despite their diverse musical influences, the band’s sound is rooted in math rock and “twinkly” emo. They cite ALGERNON CADWALLADER, TOE, SNOWING, CAP’N JAZZ, BRAVE LITTLE ABACUS, DELTA SLEEP and SPORT as some of their biggest inspirations.
The lyrics of their songs mainly speak about everyday experiences and feelings that are filtered by a sensitive subjectivity. They touch upon themes like difficulty in communicating one’s true feelings, understanding loved ones, finding one’s place in the world, and surviving in a society that sometimes feels out of touch.
However, they also convey a strong message of hope and faith in one’s ability to make the world a better place. The band is committed to spreading a positive message of love, friendship, resourcefulness, and community through their music.
Comments the band:
The EP’s opening track is “Jap’n Cazz”: The title is obviously a nod to the all-time great band Cap’n Jazz, the godfathers of midwest emo, whose name mispelled we thought was funny read in italian).
“Squalo“, “Streghe” all talk about relationships and connection in different ways, being it a friend you’ve grew up with to or someone you love but struggle to understand and being understood by.
“Van Houten” (the name is from “The Simpsons”, but does anybody really need to be remembered that?) and “Tangram” want to be a call to take action and to believe in something better.
Than the closer is an instrumental track called “Buonanotte Raga“, which translates to “Goodnight fellas” in Italian.
The band expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of their recent EP, but noted that the process of recording and mixing it themselves was quite exhausting. They gave a special shout-out to their guitarist, Enrico, for putting in a great deal of effort, as well as to his family for allowing them to use their home as a recording space. Despite the challenges, they are excited to begin working on new material.
Speaking about their local scene, Stegosauro stated that there is currently a thriving emo/punk scene in Italy, with many of their friends performing outstanding music and putting on shows throughout the country. They expressed their joy at being surrounded by such creative energy and viewed it as a happy moment for DIY music in Italy.
“Above, we think of LIFE IS STRAGE, a collective we’re actively involved organizing shows here in Vicenza, including a two-days festival in Selva di Trissino, a beautiful location up in the hills.” – says the band.
“There’s two bands in particular we want to mention: LEITA, Enrico and Marco’s other band. They also we share a drummer, a guitarist and a reharsal space. They released their first EP “Per Sempre, Comunque” last summer, and also have updates coming this year. Word on the street is that their next album will be boss nova.”
“The second is AMALIA BLOOM, a really promising band from Vicenza, formed by some of our best friends. Listen to their last record and catch them wherever you can.”
STEGOSAURO are currently working on new songs and developing their ideas within their practice space located in the basement of a parochial organization’s bar near a church.
They are excited to play more shows, expand their fan base, and travel to different places with their music.
“Shout out our friends and lovers for the support, everyone who checked us out dedicated some time to our music for the love, Karol for the outlet. See you around! One Love.”
