Damiano David of Maneskin is relearning how to trust his intuition
People usually get rid of their fear, but Damiano David brings them with their first solo album.
The 26-year-old Italian singer and Måneskin host hopes to create a manual for others through his first solo effort, Interesting little fearhe delved into the “experience that took me from a very unhappy place to where I am today.” Hollywood Reporter.
While the 14-track album (also includes two songs on Suki Waterhouse and D4VD) provides David with a “bigger window” as a person and artist, he also admits that it is “impossible” for his fans to understand everything about him, but hopefully “some people can see that we are actually more similar than they think.”
Below, David opens up the inspiration behind his new album, and he most looks forward to his upcoming tour, how to balance his personal and public life, whether Måneskin will release more music in the future, and why “will be all courage” from now on.
Can you expand what you mean when describing Interesting little fear As a “handbook for facing fear”?
This album is a storytelling journey, and it’s my point of view on the experience that took me from a very unpleasant place to where I am today. The album is the way it does, it’s the way it heals and develops and goes into the next chapter of my life. Basically, this is my POV, so this is a manual, and hopefully people can see themselves through my experience and reuse it.
What inspiration did you draw from the sound of this solo project and what does this chapter mean for you as an artist?
To find the sound, I don't have a history of a solo artist, so I can do anything, which is fun, I tried a lot of different things, I saw me resonating with me more, making me happier, more fun stuff, etc. I would say that the research and creative parts are always my favorite part, which really makes the music full of my magic, and I'm always full of everything and all with enthusiasm and enthusiasm.
Depending on the singles you discarded before the album was released, can listeners expect to hear and be more moved by the rest of the album?
Yes, absolutely. Every song I want to say talks about a very recent experience, especially if we consider the time of writing the song. So the emotions are fresh. Moreover, most vocals are primitive vocals from writing sessions, so just like I sing for the first time, so there is a primitiveness and emotion that is fresh and belongs to the present. It's a very personal album, so it makes sense to feel emotions.
Do you want Måneskin fans to learn about your new solo journey, do you want them to go with you?
Even like the band’s music, a fan will be able to learn more because they will be able to understand my perspective, what my character is, what I contribute to it. It's like a bigger window for myself, but at the same time, I don't give this album to make me understand and let people really know me because it's impossible, like this is a game you can't win. You will have to spend time with all your fans, which is actually impossible. But I am alone, I have my own experiences and feelings, just like the translation in music. So maybe some people can see that we are actually more similar than they think.
What are you most looking forward to on your solo world tour later this year?
Again, the creative part is my favorite part, so it's already very interesting and meaningful to me even if I have the opportunity to imagine the stage and imagine how the show will go. But if you break down what a trip means from a fan perspective, it means waiting for the ticket to be released, buying tickets, getting on a bus, flying, anything, going to the venue, waiting, waiting, entering the venue, watching the whole show, and driving home. It's so special and ridiculous in a way, but incredibly, some people travel to watch me sing for an hour. I think that's what brings the project back to reality because especially nowadays, we write songs and everything, and it feels very real, and then the songs are done on Spotify and Apple Music, which is digital and it's hard to grasp what the music does, especially in the last few years, streaming has less reliability for feedback. I don't want to really know what's going on, like a good life I don't know (laugh). But when you play, you're in front of you, they scream, they sweat, they have sound, they have smell, you can touch them, like it's real, the music creates a real feeling, it's on your face, it's fun, it's special.
Can you make fun of what fans can expect from the show?
No, because I still don't know what I can expect, like I'm still designing the show (laugh).
Having worked with Måneskin for many years, are you nervous about setting out to do a solo project?
At the beginning, it was very, very stressful. Actually, it was one of my biggest anxiety triggers and had to basically go to a stranger’s house and open myself so that we could write music, which felt so crazy at the beginning, but then I found the right person and it actually became my favorite part.
Damiano David
Valerie Terranova/Getty Images of ABA
It seems that fashion plays a big role for you as a person and as a performer. What was your inspiration in terms of your style?
Honestly, I'm not really looking up to something or someone. For me, it's more about how I'm wearing and feeling, like clothes are an extension of my body, just something I feel good about. So, for me, it wasn't crazy idea to me, it was more like, it looked more like, it looked good, it felt good, and I was swaying.
What is your perfect day like to you?
Now my perfect day looks like I'm packing a box as I just moved into my new apartment (laugh), so we're unboxing all the moving things in the middle. But I'm a very family person, so it's like waking up, having a lazy breakfast, exercising, having a long shower, then having a break, then having a meal, then playing PlayStation or watching a movie, going out, shopping or going to eat, like very simple. I'm a very simple person.
How do you balance your personal and public life, especially with some public relations with Dove Cameron?
Some things are inevitable and they will be exposed. And who you are, like sometimes you can be a bad person, people have a good view of you, you can be a very good person, people have a wrong view of you, and that's what you can't fight. You also have to remember that none of this is true, which means that even if you have a huge hatred for yourself, it is always a small population because in fact, real people like the average person, they don’t interact negatively socially.
Just stick to things in real life and you know that trying to establish your judgment about yourself from people near you, not people on the internet. Don't always read comments, if you want to answer your own comments, please answer them just like you are free to do so. We are free to do anything, and usually, we are in a position where something really hurts, but we can really filter it and don't look at it if we don't want to. Ultimately, we will be very safe unless you do something truly terrible and worthy of hatred.
One of the biggest challenges you can overcome is helping you get to where you are today?
It was a success for me to be able to move to a new city and start a new project by myself for someone who is truly lonely and introduced to new people and new environments. I'm very proud of what I did.
So many people are going to be obsessed with your new album, but are you obsessed with at the moment?
Let's explore some Italian music. This year there is a guy going to Eurovision, whose name is Lucio Corsi, who has just released his album. It's a very, very good album, and I think it's a great window for someone who wants to discover Italian music because in Italy we have a huge tradition like a singer-songwriter, he's a songwriter, he's really that style, so he's like a modern look in traditional Italian, if you want to see, he's a good guy, he's a good guy.
I know music means something different to everyone, but what does the music as a whole mean to you?
How can I say 'because I don't want to say everything (laugh), but that's where I feel like I belong. Like where I am on Earth. For me, this is the best way to know myself, to understand what’s going on in my brain. Then when he can perform, it's the best output of anything, and then when it comes to creativity, it's really sparkling, making you really want to wake up, do things, love life and all of that. You know, it's really fuel in the tank.
Looking ahead, do you want to do more personal projects in the future?
Yes. My goal is to music in a way that makes me feel happy in the first place. So for my future, everything will follow the instinct of that moment, and I do re-educate myself to trust my courage. So that would be all the guts.
Can fans still look forward to more music in the future?
Yes, yes.
If you had to describe what made Damiano David, Damiano David, what would you say?
I learned how to truly base my happiness on my own and how to perceive my work from real-life relationships, so my approach to music now is to be as free as possible. Because I was happy with Måneskin, we received all the beautiful awards that everyone fought for. So my heart is happy with it, and now my music is actually what I say and have fun in that moment, so I hope there is no doubt.