Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Alaska Blue
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Elisabetta: My earliest memory is tied to a karaoke night when I was about 12. I sang “Stay” by Rihanna just for fun, and from that moment on, my friends and family asked me to sing it at every single dinner together! It was the first time I realized I might actually be good at something, and that feeling was amazing.
Davide: Around that same age, my family moved to a new town. A few times a month, I’d go back to my hometown to visit my best friend, and I discovered he had gotten a guitar. I wasn’t really into music yet, but I was fascinated. I wanted one for myself so we could play together when the weather was too bad to go out and play in the woods. It started as a way to stay connected when we were stuck indoors.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
It actually started quite a bit later. In 2017, we met Francesco Roncalli—a musician Alaska Blue has collaborated with many times. Since Francesco was already recording and producing, he really pushed us to get our own home recording gear.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Long story short: we started for fun. We were playing acoustic covers as buskers because we loved traveling but didn’t have much money. Busking was a fun way to earn 30 bucks to pay for a coffee or fuel—it was basically a way to fund our adventures.
Having a guitar with us constantly while watching sunsets or exploring made it inevitable that we’d start writing our own songs. We eventually collaborated with Francesco Roncalli on our first album (which was very raw and immature!), and that partnership continues today. Along the way, we met bassist/opera singer Gabriele Valsecchi and drummer Marcello Norrito, who helped us shape our sound and deepen our musical discovery. We spent two years touring Europe with them, peaking with our album LOSS. While our paths have diverged slightly since then, they are still involved in our upcoming 12-track album (out on May 8) as well as new friends we met along the way like the bassist Emanuele Mariani!
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
That’s a tough one because we feel like we’re still evolving and finding our specific “genre.” However, we’d describe it as intimate, soulful, and chill. It’s not music for a chaotic situation; it’s the soundtrack for a quiet sunset, looking out a train window during a long trip, or a late-night cigarette. Our goal is to write lyrics that start a deep “chat” with the listener.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
We realized there are two ways to approach a song: you can add infinite layers until it’s “full,” or you can let the song breathe. We’re still learning the power of minimalism—having fewer tracks where every single note is intentional. That’s our big goal for the future.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
A guitar, a microphone, and Cubase. That’s the core of everything we do.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Our favorites change almost every month! Right now, we’re really into Alice Phoebe Lou, Smashing Pumpkins, Oracle Sisters, Men I Trust, Haley Heynderickx, and The Smiths.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Life constantly shapes our songs. To be honest, we write about our daily lives—our thoughts, experiences, and even our “daily problems,” which usually turn out to be existential problems! We write about what we see and how we feel about it, so our music is entirely a reflection of our personal journey.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
That we are all human and we are all the same. We talk a lot about emotions because, despite how much we like to think we’re unique, we all share the same fears, hopes and the same destiny. Empathy is the key. Don’t believe the differences our governments try to create—especially when it comes to shameful things like military mandatory service or war. We’re all the same and all bound together.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
The answer here might be obvious but we would say to listen. We are often so focused on what we want to say that we forget to listen to others first and deeply connect with their points of view. In music, if you aren’t listening, you’re just playing alone. The same goes for life—you’re just talking to yourself if you aren’t listening to the thoughts of others.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
We don’t actually dream of a specific famous venue yet. For us, it’s all about the people. If we can connect with the audience, we’re just as happy playing in a living room as a stadium. As long as we’re having a beautiful evening together, that’s the dream.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
There are too many! We’ll probably think of the “perfect” answer as soon as this interview is over. But for now: Nick Drake for his lyrics and personality, De André for his philosophy, or Calcutta, who is probably the best Italian artist of the last 20 years. We’d also love Alice Phoebe Lou for her songwriting, Haley Heynderickx because “ I need to start a garden” is unbelievably well crafted, Oracle Sisters for their sound, Pino Daniele for what he has been, and João Gilberto for his guitar arrangements. We could go on forever!
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
The easiest way is Spotify or Instagram
https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/artist/6DBwAnbSrkdZEhEitwg0Vq?si=yC1pPplNQpq-fCiRAH29ew
https://www.instagram.com/alaskablue_music/
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
We would love to collaborate with a producer who truly understands our vision and can help us take it to the next level—someone who can help us refine the details while keeping our “essential” and minimalist sound.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That personal problems are actually public issues!
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