This week we speak to the Italian band Total Recall who shares how their musical work is part of a legacy for a former bandmate who passed away.
Band Name: Total Recall
Members: Andrea “Ronda” Rondanini (Vocals), Stefano “Bleed” Bigoni (Guitars), Daniele “Danny” Calleri (Drums), Luca “Pigo” De Simone (Bass) & Stefano “Stef” Anderloni (Guitars)
Genre: Hardcore
Founded: March 2019
Originated From: Milano, Italy
Discography: Wooden Scars (Digital EP, 2020) & Always Together (Full-Length Album 2021)
How would you describe your music?
We could say that it is a blend of Low Tuned Metallic Hardcore with Post Hardcore influences and some old Numetal vibes. You will find also a touch of Death and Black metal in it like two olives in a Martini.
What is your musical creative process like?
We do not have any particular inspiration, it’s a creative process triggered by the bond we have and the meaning of the band in general. We could actually say that we are each other inspiration. When we are writing in the studio, each other’s influences, mood and temper act as real influences.
The songwriting is a common effort. We usually start from an idea or a single riff and then we gradually add the rest creating a structure that is solid. The end result needs to be ok for all of us. We do not really compromise. If we do not like the song entirely we drop it right away. Only this way we can be100% sure that we will be able to play it live with the right attitude.
How did the band form?
Total Recall was born in 2019. The founding members Luca (Pigo) (K-Aagain,
Samaritan, Embrace Destruction), Stef (K-Again, Traces of You, Die Trying) and
Danny (Embrace Destruction) were already veterans in the Hardcore/Metalcore
scene and decided to start to write music together after their common friend and
brother Massy passed away after a long fight with his disease.
Massy toured with Pigo and Stef for more than 20 years and he wanted the two old friends to come back together in a band as they played in different bands for many years. Stef and Pigo recruited the drummer Danny who played in Embrace Destruction (the last band of Pigo and Massy) and decided to form a band with members who played or toured with Massy.
After Pigo decided not to be a singer anymore and to take
Massy’s bass guitar to keep his legacy alive, with Stef at guitars and Danny at the
drums, the lineup started to write music without following any particular influence,
with the only purpose to write songs that could reflect the style of music they
played with Massy throughout the last 20+ years.
After a few months, Andy was
added as singer. Andy toured with Massy when he was in Rise Above Dead and
his friendship with him went back some 15+ years, and Stefano (Bleed) as
the guitarist who also was in Rise Above Dead.
How did you come up with your band name?
After the completion of the line up the band was struggling to find a name that was somehow related to Massy’s memory. One night during the songwriting of a song in the studio we took a break and we had a drink with Massy’s sister. We were just going through some memories and she said that the first ever movie she saw was
Total Recall and she saw it with her brother who loved it. We found this story fascinating and the sound of the name was really appealing, on top of that we all love 80s movies and “The Governator” movies in particular.
Who influenced you within the music industry?
Music is a crucial part of our life since we were kids so we had several bands who really influenced us throughout the years and most of all the ages. Even now that we are in our late 40s we still have bands that we consider as influential. This is also a watershed to distinguish what we consider true from the millions of good albums that are only another product on the digital shelf. Also, we do not live in the past, we are always on the lookout for new music and new bands even though we are loyal to the great bands of the past.
Have you performed live much and what was your favourite gig to play at?
We’ve been active for four years only and two of them were passed in and out of lockdowns, which gave us really little room to have memorable performances.
If we review the shows we played from late 2021 till now the best performance was in France during the Perseverance and Alliance Tour in May 2022.
What is the best thing about being in a band?
The best thing about being in a band is having the opportunity to go on tour. With Total Recall we are just started but some of us toured for about 25 years. The best thing about touring is having the occasion to experience other cultures and habits, it makes you a stronger and a better person.
What’s the biggest problem you’ve had to overcome so far as a musician(s)?
Even though we’ve only been on the map for three years we already needed to face a few challenges.
After we formed the band in 2019. we made a plan which involved the music and the management and booking part of the business. After the pandemic struck in 2020, we needed to review basically everything we had planned. We needed to change the release date of the album, delaying it until July 2021 – an album that was ready in January 2020. We needed to change completely the communication approach and find a PR agency able to create a bit of interest for a band that basically never went
public.
We needed also to change the booking approach and try to find little spots here and there in a completely saturated situation in late 2021 and 2022. This is still going on right now, and we think that we will need to adjust the plans up until at least 2024.
What is your ultimate dream as a band?
We are 100% focused on trying to make the music we write to honour Massy’s
memory available to as many people as possible.
You can find out more about Total Recall and listen to their music by following them on Facebook. Instagram, Youtube and Spotify.
If you’re in a band or a musician and would like to appear on this blog, please contact me and I’ll forward you an interview template.
Also, check out my other Music Interview roundups from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022.
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