Hello Angelina, how are you?

Congratulations on the release of “Untold” how does it feel? 

Hi I’m feeling over the moon, my debut album is finally out after working on it for the last 3 years so it means a lot to me to be able to see it completed and to be able to share it with the world.

It’s a ten track album, what was the inspiration behind it?

The album is called Untold and it encapsulates emotions and events that shaped me in the last few years  but that I was unable  to express until now, from experiencing loosing my voice due to internal haemorrhages to my mother’s illness, months away from a  global pandemic. The album functions  as a total catharsis, a way of letting go and moving forward from some tough lows in recent years while regaining my voice and confidence.

What’s your favourite track? 

Blackbird I think is my favourite track. It’s about self expression, equality and celebrating uniqueness. I was inspired by a trans woman’s personal story that really moved me. 

It took quite a journey to get to this point, what did you learn from the experience?

I’ve learnt That everyone has its own path and timing to assimilate things and be creative. There is no point comparing our selves with anyone else. I have also learnt that being surrounded  by the right people and owing my craft makes all the difference in being productive and giving your best.

You’re  a London based singer songwriter originally from Italy, how did it all begin for you?

I moved to London when I was 18 knowing that I wanted to study to music because I was already singing in a band and a choir but I had no music theory knowledge so I joined the popular music BMus  at Goldsmiths University where I started to take songwriting and performance to the next level while experimenting and expanding.

What did you listen to growing up?

Lost of various genres, jazz standards with Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, pop hits with Madonna and Michael Jackson, rock with Skunkanasie and Nirvana and Gospel music with Kirk Franklyn   and Mahalia Jackson, plus all the Italian pop songs of the 90s. A real mix, this is probably why I love listening to all genres of music and try anything out!

You’ve been blessed to play some incredible stages what’s  been your favourite on to do?

The West Holts stage at Glastonbury was my favourite, the view of the whole festival and all the flags moving from up there is pretty iconic and breathtaking.

Your songs have a very strong energy around them, what’s your writing process?

I usually start with a melody as those are the ones that come most naturally to me, sometimes melodies and compositions appear in my half awake half dream stage. I record those initial melodies on my phone and then normally write down words as I was writing a diary, like a stream of consciousness to understand the emotions inside me that  need to come out of me. Then I arrange the song around these elements with chords and rhythm. Although other times I could start from a different element, especially if I want to write differently to what I’m used to, I start from a different element like the rhythm section or chords and go from there. Inspiration comes in different ways.

When inspiration takes a while to come, what’s your method for breaking that?

I paint, read poetry, listen to a lot of music, go to see live concerts and then force it a bit out of me with some songwriting exercises and journaling… but most of all I noticed that what  I need to create is space and time for my self, I need to stay quiet to be able to listen to my self, this is what I explain in the album, the stillness I found in lockdown for example allowed the flow and unlocked my writing block. It’s all in our minds in the end of the day, fear, doubt, chaos, stress, they are all things that can block the creative flow. 

What are you listening to at the moment?

A Sardinian artist called Daniela Pes and her debut album Spira, I can describe it as spiritual hypnotic folk electronica. Really interesting.

What are you looking forward to next?

I am looking forward going on tour and sharing the album with as many people as possible. I am also looking forward writing more and seing what will come up next! 

Listen to ‘Untold’ here now

Interview by Del Osei-Owusu