This album actually started back in 2024 on the stage of Prague’s Vinohrady Theatre. I was writing the music for Carlo Goldoni’s Le baruffe chiozzotte, but the more I lived with these characters and their stories, the more I realized the music needed a life of its own, outside the theater walls.

I didn’t want to make a “folk” record in the traditional sense. Instead, I took these gritty, centuries-old working-class lyrics and completely stripped away their old melodies. I wanted to hear what happens when you treat ancient Italian dialects—Sicilian, Neapolitan, Sardinian—not like museum pieces, but like raw, rhythmic engines.

There’s a specific sound on this record I’m really excited for you to hear. I took the mandola, a classic Italian instrument, but I threw away the pick. I played it using the fingerstyle technique of the Persian setar. It gives the strings a sharp, biting energy that feels very modern, even though the soul of it is still grounded in the Mediterranean.

We’ve put a lot of love into the production. Milan Cimfe at Sono Records helped me dial in the sound, and we’re releasing it on 180g heavyweight vinyl and CD for those who still love to hold the music in their hands.

The journey starts on May 8 with the first single, “Serenata della spiaggia,” followed by a second track “Non è la morte la fin de l’amore” on May 15, and the full album with lead song “La Baldoria” on May 22.

I can’t wait to share it with you!