New Groove Magazine Presents: Belladonna’s Luana Caraffa

Belladonna’s Luana Caraffa
  1. How did you come up with the band name ?
    First of all thanks for this interview! We liked the semantic versatility of the term Belladonna. As you may know, the term Belladonna can stand for a plant which can be a cure, a venom or a hallucinogen, and it also means “beautiful woman” in Italian. Last but not least, Bella Donna it’s also the title of the first Stevie Nicks solo album. These were the thoughts that the word brought to our mind and we loved them.
  2. Tell us about where you come from and how that reflects in the music.
    The fact that we come from Italy certainly resonates in our melodies which are not structured around the blues scale like almost all rock melodies are.
  3. Tell us about the song-writing process, how do you create your music ?
    The first thing for us born is definitely the melody, something that Dani Macchi (co-writer and co-founder, as well as being the guitarist and the artistic producer of the band) and I feel we are capturing from thin air, as if it were already there somehow… but sometimes we also start with a riff and soon after a melody arrives.
  4. Who has influenced you the most ?
    We have always tried not to be influenced by anyone (at least consciously or intentionally) and to listen only to our inner voice… although it is obvious that everything that surrounds you influences you in some way. And in this process of “influence” we can include also literature, philosophy, cinema and reality itself… all of them (and not only other artists’ music) can influence a songwriter, her/his aesthetics, inner visions, artistry.
  5. What was the first song you or your band ever wrote? Tell us if you performed it, trashed it, etc….
    The very first song I wrote has yet to be recorded … maybe one day!! 🙂
  6. What song are you most connected to or proud of ?
    It’s very difficult to play favorites with your own songs… cliched as it sounds they really are like your children!!
  7. Do you enjoy playing live and what do you enjoy about it ?
    Playing live is always an incredible experience for me and my band. Personally, I believe that the stage is a place of liberation from all fears… there I really feel at home.
  8. What is next for the band ?
    It is difficult to know what the future will be like in this moment of worldwide crisis… we hold on to our own present, day after day, by writing new songs …
  9. Any additional thoughts or comments you would like to add ?
    We’ve always loved being in touch with our friends and fans through our social media and in this difficult period it is even more beautiful to feel united and close. We hope the best for everyone! And for all of you reading this that would like to dig deep into our music, here is the link for our Spotify page: Belladonna on Spotify

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