Interview with La Polvere

Our chat with the punk band from Marche

Radio Punk: Hi guys, welcome. Tell us a bit about yourselves.
La Polvere: Hi, we are Luca (main vocals and guitar), Diego (bass and back-up vocals), Stivo (guitar and vocals) and Stefano (drums). We are La Polvere, from Marche, we play a mix of punk rock and hardcore punk. We sing exclusively in Italian.

RP: You began in 2010 with the name Violent Tormenta and then changed the name to La Polvere. Why did you choose this name in particular for this band?
LP: In 2010 we needed a name that would tell of how aggressive our music was and we thought Violent Tormenta would fit perfectly. The original project, stylistically speaking, was quite different from the current one, though. Our music was beginning to evolve in a different direction when Luca suggested to change the name of the band to La Polvere. We liked the calm-chaos idea. Generally, when one thinks of dust, they either think of it in two ways: when it dances chaotically (as if it were transported through the air) or when it slowly falls on a surface.

RP: Throughout the years you changed your line-up several times, can you tell us more about that?
LP: La Polvere was born when 4 people from various bands belonging to the same movement and pretty much the same genre met. We shared stages, concerts and festivals. We became friends and decided to build something together by expertly mixing our individual musical influences. However, because of a variety of things that happened to members of the band, some of us had to re-invent ourselves, sometimes more than once, and we had to find a new solution to the band. The turning point was when Luca became our guitarist and singer. That was probably the most important part of our, albeit brief, history. Luca brought a lot of new ideas and gave a strong direction that helped us create our first EP.

RP: How do you write music? Are you inspired by anyone in particular or do you have any topics that you refer to?
LP: We have no rules or any specific method. Each of us contributes freely, bringing lyrics and music as they are inspired. We then discuss all the material and arrange it in order to harmonise it as best as possible with all our individual influences. We mostly write lyrics that have to do with our emotions and feelings pertaining to our lives, connected to the events that characterise us for better or for worse. In “Leviathan e La Rabbia di Athena” (from the Leviathan EP, 2016) we tackled contemporary issues such as immigration and the economic crisis from a more emotional point of view rather than political.

RP: You are from Marche; how do you judge the scene in your region?
LP: Our area suffers from the lack of events and venues. Until up to 5/6 years ago a variety of venues would give bands that play their original material the chance to play; nowadays it is mostly tribute or cover bands. The people do not seem to care as much as they used to. There are fewer and fewer people showing up which has an impact on the scene as a whole. It is worth mentioning that in the past there were lots of bands playing our genre; there are fewer and fewer currently, it seems as if people do not care for creating something together anymore.

RP: You recently played at the Officina Popolare Jolly Roger HC Night in Civitanova Marche, sharing the stage with Nix and 217. Do you cooperate with bands from your area?
LP: The Jolly Roger night was really great. A lot of cooperation going around. We are few but willing. Also, we love what we do!

RP: What are the biggest hurdles a band coming from the countryside, not from larger cities, like you faces?
LP: The lack of a solid and widespread network of contacts that allows bands, venues and labels to connect; a network that can connect bands with other areas of Italy and beyond. Living in a city, from this point of view, is a massive advantage even though the world is smaller than it used to be thanks to the web and social networks. Anyway, outside of large city centres, isolation is growing.

RP: You interact with the crowd a lot during your concerts. It is as if the people in front of you were old friends. That’s really nice, people really connect with that. Are you happy of the following you have?
LP: It fills us up with joy to see old friends coming to our gigs. It is a sign that people see the dedication we put in our music and it shows that people appreciate what we write and play. However, it is very important for us to engage with a new audience as often as possible.
As far as us talking to each other between ourselves during the show, it comes naturally. We have a lot of fun and we like to banter and pick on each other a bit. We do that during our rehearsals as well! Each performance is unique, it is a moment in which we really feel comfortable, with no limits or barriers; a candid moment where we give it our best.

RP: After the self-titled La Polvere album and Leviathan you are about to release your third EP. What can you tell us about that? Are you happy with how it turned out?
LP: Hindsight is 20/20 and there obviously is something we might want to change but it would be a mistake to do so. The album tells of our thoughts and feelings in that specific moment and this is why we have to keep it as we made it then even if we could have improved on the recording somewhat. Compared to our first 2 EPs, “Iride” came out more candid, honest and pure. Its imperfection describes us perfectly. It represents coherence with what you hear live and what you hear on the record, something we really care about; that was a choice we came to deliberately.

RP: Let’s assume that the people reading this interview want to start listening to you right away. Tell us your most iconic songs.
LP: Lividi. We also shot a video for it which is available on our YouTube channel.

RP: Speaking of social media; where can they reach you?
LP: FACEBOOK – YOUTUBE  

RP: Thanks a lot guys! Want to say Hi to anyone or add something to the interview?
LP: Thanks to you! We take the opportunity to let you know that we will be playing live at Drunk in Public in Morrovalle (MC) on the 15th of February, we will showcase our third album “Iride”. Come, it will be a blast!