A Dirty Dozen with FRANCESCO CAVALIERI from WIND ROSE – October 2019

According to a recent press release: “With the singles “Diggy Diggy Hole”, “Drunken Dwarves” and “Wintersaga” already proven as certified favorites in the metal community, WIND ROSE have finally release their fourth studio album Wintersaga via Napalm Records today. The dwarves take the listener on a highly entertaining and unforgettable 50 minutes lasting ride over mountains, snow and ice!” We get singer Francesco to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

This album was loved before its release date for the fun/party aspect, but there are many scenarios where the music get serious and the atmospheres created bring the listeners inside the story and let them see through their fantasy the story that we are telling. Usually we put some references from the previous albums in the new material but, if I’m not wrong, this album is totally brand new as long it is our birth in the professional music business; like saying: “We start from here.”

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

It’s probably crazy to say, but I’ve always felt that the music was the way to follow. I have always been aware of my voice, and a strong passion, the desire to experiment and being ambitious has made it become my profession.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

When I was a child my idols were Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson, but I think that the one who gave me more in my musical growth is Russell Allen.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

One million dollar question. I used to listen a lot of music, from 70’s/80’s, to modern stuff so it’s very hard to mention just 5 influences as long as my music experience seems a long journey to me. If I have to tell it about who I am now, I would say Symphony X, Turisas, Wintersun, Blind Guardian, and Avantasia.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

The first would be Jari Mäenpää because I had to study his moves and realize how can he be so brilliant in composing music. Even Hansi Kürsch is very talented in story telling, so I would learn a lot from him. I would have liked to meet also R.J. Dio also, for his passion for music recorded on tapes.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

When someone who’d never listened us ask, I answer Turisas-alike, but we have just some aspects similar to them; to be honest we are the result of many different influences and I really can’t say a band similiar than us. People talk by stereotypes, we were symphonic from Italy so people compared us to Rhapsody. Then we moved more into folk, and people told Ensiferum or Alestorm (I really don’t know the fuck the have in the ears for the last one). Now we are on tour with Gloryhammer, so they started to compare us to them… Do you even listened to our album before make a comparison like this? With all the maximum respect for all the bands that I’ve named, we are not like them, in music/composing choise and themes, and the fact that people cannot classify us specifically in a spot creates stupid and surreal comparisons.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Be payed for doing what we love at more. It’s not very easy in the modern age!

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I’m usually the chef of the band, the others get the drinks and we spend some time together talking about future projects with the band.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

We became big friends with Ensiferum, after 50+ gigs together, so we had the pleasure to know one of the band that we listened when we were younger.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

I have to rebirth to answer this question, there’s nothing that interest me more than music. Probably I would be a professional Twitch streamer 😀

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

To be honest all the problems we had led us to a solution with a greater awareness, so I’m totally fine with this story.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would choose to record the first album again, because I was young and I wanted to imitate random power metal singers without thinking about who I am for real. But even that brought me here and helped me to realize what’s my real range/parts to work with so it’s ok 😀

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Category: Interviews