“The old fan bring their children to our concerts.” Interview with Folkabbestia – Rockon.it

“Van Gogh's sunflowers”It's the new single from the Historical Rock Folk Band Folkabbestia, out on Friday 14 March in all the digital platforms for Maninalto!/Believe.

Six years after the latest album “Il Frikkettone 2.0”, the Apulian training returns with new music and that renewed energy which has always distinguished theirs productionsas well as their engaging concerts. Francesco Fiore (Bass), Nicola De Loyal (drums), Isabella Well (violin, choirs), Michele Samson (accordion, choirs), Joseph Porsia (Traverse flute, tin whistle, choirs) e Lorenzo Mannarini (item, guitar), will perform on March 14th Modena (Vibra), on March 15 a Bologna (Piazza Lucio Dalla) and March 16 a Parma (Park of the Cittadella) inside the Festival Ireland in celebration.

Let's start with a classic quote: “What did you do in all this time “?

We played live around the boot and in the meantime we continued to write songs. Songs like good wine sometimes need to mature, age and then to be recorded and published when they are ready.

Why did you choose Van Gogh as a metaphor to represent your return?

The person you love is compared to the most beautiful moments of daily life or even to the masterpieces of literature or art. Sunflowers are a powerful image, and when music evokes powerful images always draws strength, also Van Gogh is known for his passion and intensity, characteristics that are perfectly reflected in the song.

If and how your musical proposal has changed from “Frikkettone 2.0 “?

In six years many things have changed, at the time we lived distant and the songs were born on the computer, where everyone added the parts, these instead we played in the rehearsal room, as the old days and the results sound more like a band, more from folkabbestia.

Can you give us some anticipation on your next activities?

After the release of the single The Sunflowers of Van Gogh will come out a series of other singles on a monthly basis, the first will be a clear no to the war and the rearmament in progress, the second a cover in a folk rock key of a song by the Iron Maiden, the third a tribute to Enriquez, the singer of Bandabardò. Then other songs will be released that will be gathered in the next album. In the meantime, in the summer we will take a tour of concerts around the boot.

From veterans of Italian folk rock, do we ask you how the state of the genre currently is in our country?

In the nineties and two thousand it was certainly much more alive. Now the music played is in difficulty. Maybe there are a little too many computers, smartphones and Autotune around. But alive always matters the energy and emotional contact with the public and in this the folk is unbeatable.

And looking at'abroad?

We realized that the folk rock scene in Europe is very present. Just think of some festivals where we played, the Lorient interceltique in Brittany, the Sziget Festival in Hungary, Seta Sois Seta Luas Festival in Portugal, the Mostar Intercultural Festival in Bosnia, the Folkherbst Festival in Germany. Our references among foreign artists were the Pogues, the negra hands, the Gogol Bordello, the Dubliners, Les Negresses Vertes, Bob Dylan, Fairport Convention, Manu Chao, etc.

The live dimension, as is known, is one of your strengths. In 2025 for the genre you propose, could you work even without streaming?

Both are needed in today's world. For years the word of mouth of the concerts has been our strength, but today it is also necessary to arrive on people's smartphones.

What is the'Identikit of your standard audience?

At the beginning they were the young people of the social centers, or the public of the folk wave of Modena City Ramblers or Bandabardò, today are the old fans who bring the children to the concert to which our songs have taught. After thirty years of activity there is really everything, at least two generations compared.

So what relationship do you have with fans and social networks?

With fans, excellent as always, with social social networks, we are a little boomer, but we are learning to tinker between Facebook, Instagram and what will come …

You will present the new single during three dates of the famous Ireland Festival in Festa. What kind of show have you prepared? What is expected in the lineup?

Ireland in celebration has been a fixed appointment for years now. We will combine the love for traditional Irish music with our old battle horses and the new songs that we will listen to in absolute preview. It will always be a great emotion and we can't wait to see you all under the stage of the folkabbestia to dance and sing that a party is made!