We're pleased to introduce Francesco Liccari, an Italian musician who sings, composes, and plays the guitar. Find out more about this talented singer/songwriter by reading his interview and listening to his songs!
Please tell us a
little about your background and where you are from.
I’m from Trieste (Italy),
a border city where different cultures meets together. There, I started taking
lessons of classical guitar when I was a child. Under the guidance of my
teacher, Andrea Massaria (professor of Jazz guitar at Venice conservatory), I’ve learned almost
everything I know about music.
And since you’re been
playing since you were a child, what made you fall in love with music?
Listening made me fall in love with music. I’ve always
listened to a lot of music since I was a child. I began with the artists my
father listened to (the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd) and then with the
ones my brother listened to (David Bowie, Queen, Cat Stevens, Fabrizio De
André, Donovan). Then, I found my own tastes, listening to Bob Dylan, Neil
Young, Woody Guthrie, Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, Francesco
Guccini, Edoardo Bennato, to name a few. At some point, I felt the need to write
my own songs and so I did it.
You’ve mentioned
several of your favorite singers. Can you consider any of them as your greatest
influence to follow in the music career? Why?
At the beginning, it was Bob Dylan. His lyrics taught me the
importance of words and feelings, and through his music I learnt my own way of
writing. The second greater influence is David Bowie. He taught me how to
change, how to make my music different. As a songwriter, I can find my way of
writing music and then continue all my life with it or I can change it, like Bowie always did. This is
the most important lesson, do not copy what you have already done but strive to
always be different.
That’s a really good
lesson for every artist. I’m assuming you also write the lyrics and compose the
songs?
Yes, I do. I love to create something new every time,
writing the right words for the right music.
When was the first time
you performed live and how did you feel?
The first time I performed live was in 2009. My songwriting
project had yet to come and I was playing in a cover band at that time. I felt
scared and also excited, and it was funny but totally awful! The first time I
performed live as Francesco Liccari was in 2010. I played just a couple of
songs I wrote the year before but was definitely better than my first
performance.
That’s great. Is
there a specific performance you feel was your best so far? If so, where and
why?
No, there is not. Certainly playing at Sofar Sounds was a
nice experience and I also think I did some really good performance after
Enrico Casasola joined my project, playing bass. However I can't pick one as
the best. I usually perform trying to share my feelings (through music) with
the audience; if I succeed, that is a great performance. So every performance
is different; it can be good or bad, but a good one can't be better than
another good performance.
It makes sense. What
do you enjoy the most about your interaction with the fans? Who is your
audience?
Talking with them after a gig, or on social network. It is
extremely important to me to get to meet my audience not only in general, but
every single person. They give me strength and the reason to keep playing.
Music is made for listening; without my audience, my music would be useless. Who
is your audience you ask me? People with something in common with me; they find
something in my music that they also feel. I see that like an invisible thread
linking each other.
It’s a wonderful
thing when your music resonates with your audience. And how do you draw
inspiration to write your music?
Everywhere: from real life, from stories I hear, from my
lucid dreams, from the emotions I feel. A mix of memories, time and irrational.
The inspiration for the lyrics I write comes to me like a stream of
consciousness, all at once.
What are you working
on now and what are your plans for the future? Where can we find and buy your
music?
I’m working on my third EP. I'm going to reveal the title in
a preview to you; it will be "Four letters: love". Its main theme
will obviously be love. However it won't be a collection of love songs but a
reflection about love.
You can find my previous EPs on Soundcloud, you can buy them
on Bandcamp and you can find some videos here: http://francescoliccari.it/video/
I hope you’ll enjoy them!
I’m sure we will, and
thank you so much for revealing the name of your next EP to us! That’s special.
And is there anything else you'd like to add?
Support independent music/musicians, we have a lot of
independent music out there. Do not let the majors choose which the right music
is for you. Same goes for movies, books, paintings and all the arts. Don't let
others decide for you, choose by yourself.
Finally, and in conclusion, I would like to thank you for
the interview!
Thank you for your time, Francesco, and we wish you much success in your music career!
To follow Francesco and find out more about his music, click on the links below:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franz_Liccari
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrancescoLiccari/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/francesco-liccari
Bandcamp: https://francescoliccari.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://francescoliccari.it/
