And In The Mean Time? Andrea Ferro – An Interview.
14th October 2024
Photography: CUNENE
Back in 1994, a little band from Milan, Italy, would embark on a musical journey that would not only result in a true genre-defining success story but justifiably make them world beaters. Yes, LACUNA COIL are one of alternative and Gothic metals’ undeniable triumphs, now with over two million albums sold worldwide, cementing not only themselves as one of this century’s most important and respected heavy bands, but also establishing Century Media Records as a hotbed of the freshest, consistent alternative talent. Since they truly made everyone sit up and take notice with 2002’s “Comalies”, they’ve gone from strength to strength, and continue to deliver to this day. With a UK tour around the corner, and a brand-new album scheduled for an early 2025 release, All About The Rock’s Gavin Griffiths sat down with founding member and vocalist Andrea Ferro over a Zoom call, to discuss inspirations and all the happenings in the Lacuna camp. Here’s what went down…
GAV: OK, so, Gavin Griffiths here representing All About The Rock, and I am joined today by none other than Andrea Ferro, from Italian Gothic rock/metal legends Lacuna Coil…how are you doing Sir?
ANDREA: “…Sorry…ok *Pause* I had some technical issues! Haha! I’m good! We’re very excited about, getting into a new chapter for the band, and, we’ve been very, very busy, organizing a lot of crazy things touring, finishing the record, finishing the artwork, delivering the masters, finishing the video, so it’s been very, very hectic times, but, very exciting at the same time. It’s been a while since we’ve released something, and it’s exciting to be back!”
GAV: Oh, I can imagine! Now, we’ve got a couple of things to talk about today, and we start off nice and fresh, with the brand new single “Oxygen”. Now, it dropped on October 2nd, it’s a very important single because, not only is it a SOLID new promotional track, but it also aligned with the announcement of the new album. Now, we’ll get into the album in a little bit, but what is the importance and significance of “Oxygen”, to you as a band creatively? And what is its message? Because it gives off a lot of deep, emotional vibes, in terms of inner struggle, turmoil, toxicity etc., so, can you talk us through the song?
ANDREA: “Yeah, I mean the lyrics are definitely intense, the overall theme of the record came out as very intense, because we’d been dealing with the pandemic first, and then we’ve been coming back to start touring again, trying to get back into a normal routine, so we had time to reflect, and it was a very hard album to make actually. Maybe the hardest one. Because the inspiration right after the pandemic wasn’t there at all, you know? We kind of felt, very emptied out by that time, and then, it took a while before we could reconnect, getting back into touring helped. The travelling is always very much an inspiration because, we talk to people, we see different situations, and that gives us more inspiration to go more, introspect; reflecting about society and everything we like to talk about, so, we took a long time to be able to reconnect. You know? Restarting songwriting, and “Oxygen” was a good way for us to represent a new chapter because, it’s very groovy, heavy, but it’s got this big chorus as well, and the lyrics are intense in kind of a suffocating way. Even though the verse vocals are very tight, very fast, they explode on the chorus; it was important to start with something, so impactful, for the people but also for ourselves. In terms of finding this, new breath of fresh air to reconnect and restart…”
GAV: OK that’s cool so, in one way, as a band, collectively, it was very cathartic, to write and release that, but at the same time, it’s also very relatable, for a lot of people who maybe read into the lyrics themselves and decipher things differently, and it’s ultimately this very connective song?
ANDREA: “Yes, I think so because, I think that everybody is feeling the turmoil of these times, the overall concept of the record is all about reflection of the fact that, we’re living in such a fast-paced society, and we while being our age, we’ve been able to live first through the analogue life, then the switch through to digital life; it changed everything around us. I also find that, people struggle to deal with this new reality because, you’re always connected, there’s so much information available, so many people around you in a way, but I find a lot of solitude in people. Relationships can appear very shallow, you know? People are not truly connecting as much as they used to in the old days, and we have to face this situation as well. We’re lucky to have this background from the previous analogue times, we could develop everything face to face and not only through a screen, or chats as you do on the internet. That theme really felt oppressing for us, and this generation is struggling as they face this. At least we have a background, more than the new kids now. So, I think that’s why most of the lyrics are dark, observing society but also OUR role in society as well…”
GAV: That’s fantastic and, to be honest you’ve already answered my next question because, the new album, which has been announced; “Sleepless Empire”…now, going by the singles you’ve released thus far, and going on face value alone, the name brings with it a contemporary feeling…it sounds very modern age, it sounds very societal, and you already hit the nail on the head, where people these days react differently, they INTERACT differently, and everything’s changed from what we know from before, with the younger vs older generations, would that be a great summary of the album as a whole?
ANDREA: “Yeah I mean, as I said it’s been the main inspiration although, it’s not a proper concept album in a sense that, there’s not only ONE story that goes all the way through the songs, but it’s more like an overall concept, that we also like to represent in the artwork, and the lyrics, but each song has a specific direction, and a specific story which is not, all tied in, you know? But I think the overall atmosphere of the music and the lyrics is very connected, obviously not all of the songs are as intense as “Oxygen”, some are a bit more relaxed let’s say, a bit more chilled, but overall it is quite a heavy album. I think heavy times demand from us a heavy album, as a response in a way, and that’s why we’ve put a lot of power, a lot of attention into this album…we spent a lot of time in studio focusing on all of the details; every aspect has been really reflected on, and worked on for a long time, and now we’re really satisfied. Every track is representing a good quality, a good step along a common theme, but I feel every track is very strong, there are no fillers as such in this record…”
GAV: That’s cool to hear, now, with the album itself, it’s been penned for a Valentines Day release on February 14th, with today’s society as we’ve talked about; everything is on demand, you know, I want it here, I want it now, I want it ready…you’ve announced this album pretty well in advance, now was that planned, or are there any other things in the pipeline, or, was it simply a scheduling thing?
ANDREA: “It’s a mix of things because, really we have to deal with the release schedule from the label, there’s certain slots that you have to take, you know, in order to not release it the same time as everybody else on the label, but other than that, we have this plan of building this album a lot, maybe it’s an old school thing? You see bands nowadays saying oh in two days, or, tomorrow, we have a new album out, which is FINE, but we have planned a lot, and we have a lot of ideas; there’s a lot of projects that will develop before the actual release, and we want to give it time. And obviously also with it being on Valentines Day, it’s not just random, there will be a surprise when the release comes, we can combine things at the right time. We felt that, holding on to the new year was the best option to release the new record, and MOST of the touring will be done next year as well. At least the beginning of the cycle, so now we’ve given ourselves a little bit of time to finish everything we need to do before the official release. A couple of easter eggs thrown in between now and then, so we’ve got a lot in process right now…”
GAV: Well preparation is key, after all, and the Easter eggs are intriguing, whatever they will eventually be! I look forward to those! The other thing, we touched on your musical approach, this album is coming off the back of “Comalies XX”, which wasn’t necessarily an official release, as you’ve stated in previous interviews, it was more of a celebration. Instead of re-releasing the album with some B-sides, some artwork and some other bits and pieces, as a quick package, you decided to go back to the drawing board, and redo the album completely…it is darker, it is heavier, it is a complete twist on the original version, has that inspired you creatively going into this new album as well? Has it given you time to reflect on your career as a whole?
ANDREA: “Yeah, exactly, when we decided to rewrite the album, it wasn’t because we wanted to erase the previous version but, we thought, it’s been twenty years, we COULD do a remaster, but essentially all that means is make certain bits louder, you know? That’s all you can really do when you repackage an album, and that wasn’t really exciting for such an important record, so we thought, what if we approached it as if we were writing it nowadays? How would it sound with the different approach? We wanted to have them both side by side to say look, this is a tribute to the original, we weren’t looking to cancel it out, you know? It was a great way to like, work together as a band after the pandemic but, not have the pressure of a completely NEW record, but it got us working together in the studio again, we could do some touring around it and really just see how the world was, starting again right after Covid. I think it was a good idea because it gave us the opportunity to restart in a little bit of an easier manner, but we treated “Comalies” with a lot of respect; we know the importance of that record. We know people are attached to that one record, because it led a lot of people to discover our band, its a record that made our name much more popular, and we also knew some people would enjoy the experiment, some would hate it, but it is what it is, you know? But, it did give us the opportunity to play more of the older songs live and bring them back, especially some deeper cuts we haven’t played as much previously, and overall I think it was a good operation. Obviously it has to be taken for what it is, we didn’t consider it a NEW album, as I said we got together to work and make a tribute to a classic album…”
GAV: Of course yes it’s acknowledgement and respect to the legacy you’ve created, and the importance of that album, as you said it helped you internationally leaps and bounds, but it also shows your growth and evolution as artists creatively, and it’s like, yes they are the same songs, but now we are different people and we create differently, and there’s more to this than you’ve already heard, and it’s nothing but positive growth really…
ANDREA: “Yeah I think so, and I understand if people prefer the original version, it’s part of the history, but for us they will always be there, we’ll never erase them from our discography, you know? Nothing like that, it was just a good excuse to play some more of it in tribute, and I think it’s cool to see how it could have been, this, dystopian kind of version. It was fun to do, to be honest, it was fun to go back and hear it, and also understand what you did well. Why that album was so successful, I mean the melodies were very strong and there’s still a lot of appeal to people despite the heaviness or aggression, because there’s still these great melodies, and it was a fun little experiment…”
GAV: Coming back to the new album, and with a new album comes a new tour…with regards to the UK, your upcoming tour starts on October 15th, in Belfast, running through to the 26th, in Bristol, what can fans expect from the setlist? Are there going to be many or, any surprises or teases for new material from the album? What can you give us a little hint at?
ANDREA: “Yeah you know we’ve been rehearsing and there will be some surprises, some new stuff of course, because we have done some touring but mostly in North America, so some of these songs we’ve never even played in Europe yet, so, we can introduce some songs for the first time, also, there’s going to be quite a wider range of songs from the previous records, because we haven’t had a real chance to tour, club wise, properly in Europe since 2019, other than some festivals in previous Summers, so we’ll be bringing a lot of the classics, some of the new stuff as well, so it’s like a transitional set list, sort of covering in-between our best of, and introducing the newer stuff, and, the show will have some different visuals, something new we haven’t done before. So, you know it’s going to be another good experiment to properly restart, we’re going to be doing a warmup show in France, before we go to Ireland and the rest of the UK, and it’s going to be a good way to come back to Europe and start afresh. It’s not a full tour YET, but it’s going to be a good appetiser lets say, but it’s going to be a good showing for the new record…”
GAV: I guess in a sense, with the track you released with Ash Costello, “In The Meantime”, it’s also the current name OF the tour, I believe you just summarised that perfectly because, in a way you’re like, we’ve got new music, we’ve got plans, BE excited, but in the meantime, we’re going to treat you to this; come along, have a good time, but then just wait until you see what we’ve got in store for you, is that the idea behind it?
ANDREA: “Yes, exactly, we’re switching from the previous album cycle into the next, but it’s not fully like, all systems go as such because the album isn’t out just yet, and the rest of the full touring will be done when the album is out, but it’s very important to us to keep going with the live shows, keep covering different territories, it’s been a long time since we’ve been in the UK. The UK has always been very important, very welcoming to music, so we say, we’re not going to go on a FULL European scale tour, that’ll be covered when the album comes out, but at least we can come say hi to our friends in the UK, and get to enjoy some touring this year, and also get people excited for the new things we have coming in the new year.”
GAV: Excellent stuff! With regards to the tour, you’re taking BLIND CHANNEL on the road with you as support, one of Finland’s brightest rising stars at the moment, they did really well at Eurovision, are you excited to have them on tour with you because they bring that energy? Does that spur you on when they bring that level of vibrance and energy to the live stage?
ANDREA: “Yeah we had them last year actually in the US as well, opening for us in some of those shows in North America, and they’re REALLY good at warming up the crowd, they really know how to throw a good party, to excite people right before the show, so it’s going to be fun. They’re very nice people, they’re label-mates, very nice young guys, and they have that extra energy of their youthful age, extra enthusiasm which is always cool, and it’s much needed for a band like us. We have younger new people in the band obviously, but it’s very good, it’s inspiring to see the energy of the new generations. Very often bands our age who have been around as long as us, they tend to say Oh I know everything, I know how to make my record, how to tour, but that certain level of energy, you need to see it from the younger generation, the enthusiasm they bring, and sometimes the naivety too, if you want, it’s great, because it gives you that motivation. It takes you back to when YOU were in their place, you know? And it’s very important to keep your ears open, to hear what the new generation are doing. We know how to write our OWN record but, there’s always that excitement, when you listen to a new band, they may not have the same experience, but, they may have a certain sense of freedom that you may not have anymore, you know? You’ve been doing a lot of records already, exploring a lot of territories already, so it’s very important for us to keep younger bands on the radar, to be inspired by them also.”
GAV: Of course I mean, there’s different levels of pressure, with you guys, the pressure comes from the level of consistency, but you’re already established, but for a newer band, the pressure is, can we keep up with these already established artists? Can we put ourselves out there and get noticed to the levels that you guys have? It’s that fine balance of acceptance and work ethic; what you’re willing to put into craft essentially…
ANDREA: “Yeah I think it’s a great exchange, because we found, they were asking us advice when we were on tour previously, and they give you that extra push, that extra energy on stage, while they are still exploring a lot of things about this world, this industry, and also you get closer to experiencing the cultural change that’s happening within society as well through those conversations; the ways the new generation approach music, and everything around it. Also, on the other hand we just have a great time, our fans enjoy them, and it’s a good combination, to have something new and fresh touring.”
GAV: That’s the best way to put it, because, new fans, old fans, any generation, they can all get into this music together, and there’s something for everyone essentially. Ultimately, it’s just a win / win situation.
ANDREA: “Absolutely, absolutely…”
GAV: So, just to recap quickly…the new single, “Oxygen”, that dropped October 2nd, and is available on all platforms for purchasing and streaming, the new album “Sleepless Empire”, drops in February, on Valentine’s Day, through Century Media Records, and as we said the tour starts on October 15th in Belfast, is there anything else you’d like to push and promote right now?
ANDREA: “There’s going to be a lot more surprises, as I said, from here to the day we release the album, so stay tuned on our pages, because we’ve got a lot of stuff coming out, a lot more announcements, and exciting things ahead, which I can’t say a lot of right NOW, because we’re still finalising everything; waiting for some answers and some other details, but there’s going to be a lot more happening. So, stay tuned, I hope to see everybody on the road, we can’t wait because it’s been a while, finally we’re back, we’re ready for some English breakfasts *laughs*, and I can’t wait to share some energy with everybody out there…”
GAV: Well I’m personally looking forward to the Bristol show, looking forward to seeing you guys, and the guys in Blind Channel, it’s going to be a great tour, given what we’ve already heard, I’m really looking forward to the new album, as I’m sure, everyone is, and we can’t wait.
ANDREA: “Thank you very much man, thanks a lot and I’ll see you on the road!”
GAV: No, thank you very much for your time, it’s much appreciated, take care man!
ANDREA: “Ciao! Goodnight!”
Lacuna Coil UK Tour Poster 2024
