interview with Manuel Bellone

Have any of you played in other bands? All of us (me , Vincent and Mattia) used to play with other bands with totally different kind of music.
How is it that you started playing music? I started when i was a kid (13 years old), playing some tunes on my old classic guitar just to have fun during the parties, year by year it became a passion for me and i started to play my own songs and also play with bands.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you?
My name is Manuel Bellone I'm 28, as solo artist I sing Play guitar , banjo and harmonica.
Vincent Hank is the drummer but he also sings his stuff and play guitar during every show.
Mattia Mari plays bass but the truth is that we are all polistrumentalist.
Did you make music even when you were young? Yes I started to write some songs when I was something like 15 years old, I've always wrote songs in every band i was in.
Where are you from? I'm from Palermo, Italy, the deepest southern part of Europe.
What year did the band form? I started my solo career with my first EP "Lost Every Night Alone" in 2013 but basically i started to play gigs with the album "Light From The Grave" in 2015.
What's your style of genre? My genre is a sort of mix with Folk, Rock, Americana, Country, Alt-Country, Blues .... someone call it Indie Folk i usually call it just Folk-Rock
What inspires you? I'm inspired by life, I write songs that talk bout my life, my feelings and my stories. Of course I'm inspired also by other bands and their music.
How often and where do you rehearse? Before every tour for a couple of weeks, cause we live in different cities, Mattia is from Rome
and me and Vic from Palermo
How have you developed since you started with the music? I think it started listening to the Rolling Stones, I had a Stones tribute when i was young and after that I started to write songs.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? I love to record, I also work as a music producer in Palermo.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? Actually I have a booking agency, but I realized that is very important to have more than one so, yes, I can say that I'm still looking for more booking agencies.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? In the beginning I was looking for it, but time after time I realized that I can manage everything on my own, I mean today labels aren't the same as before, so i think that of course it could be some more helpful but you must learn that all depend from your first.
What made you decide to make this music? It made me feels good, very good,  and i won't  quit as long it will make me feel like this.
What are your songs about? They're about my life, bout what happen to me, about how I feel in that moment.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? I'm the composer and lyricist, that's what a solo artist do, but I also wrote songs with other guys of the band, especially in this brand new album "Split Pot".
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Music, I always start with music and than i get inspirate for lyrics
Do you compose in a certain inviroment? No, it's totally random, but of course there are some places that are more inspiring than other.
Have you done any covers live? Yes, but i always try to do it with my personal taste and style
What language do you sing in? English 
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? I always try to vary, cause , every show is different, every show makes you feel in a different way.
What was your latest gig? Yes, actually it was yesterday in Rome, pretty cool one.
Where have you played live this year? Almost all Europe, Italy, England, France, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland...
Where do you plan to gig the comming year? I'm currently on tour right now for the "Split Pot European Tour 2017" I'll stop in Italy, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, actually Sweden is the country where i'm touring more, this one is the third time, I love to play in Sweden, people give such a good feedback at my shows.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? I have for sale all my discography 
Where can people buy your merchandise?
They can buy my records at my shows or on internet, you can find all in every digital store.
Bandcamp
https://manuelbellone.bandcamp.com/music
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/split-pot/id1229271843
Amazon
https://www.amazon.it/Light-Grave-Manuel-Bellone/dp/B01K3NWOOI
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? I think that the pleasure to have the physical copy for a music lover is different that have just the mp3 on the cellphone.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? Everything is more fast, there all too much stuff and sometimes good staff get lost between the bad stuff,
What do you think of my work? The only thing I can say is, Bless you for your work
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? I think that press, interviews and radios are still the best choices for musician's business.
Do you have any role models or idols? Of course, Keith Richards 
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? I think that depends of what's your background.
What have been your biggest obstacles? The fact that I live in an island (Sicily) very far from whole Europe.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? Just play, play outside your city, where is more hard to get fans, kick ass on stage try to be the best and play as far you can, you can have the best videoclip and the best website but if your not good on stage you're just a clown.
How do you get psyched for a gig? Just try to relax, drink some drinks joke with the band, that's it.
Do you have any new material? Yes, the brand new album Split Pot, that actually is a split album with Vincent Hank, is now available on every digital store and of course at my shows, but more materials is ready for the next album.
How can people reach you? On every social network, just writing my name Manuel Bellone And of course at my shows
What are your plans for the future? Play as long as far as i can.
Do you have something to add?
My brand you videoclip is online, if you're interest to see it here's the link
No Money https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-8Hy4bmOFo  
If you want to come and enjoy the show here there are the gigs for the Split Pot European Tour 2017
18.04 Palermo (IT) - Bolazzi
23.04 Rome (IT) - Shelter Music Club
25.04 Castel Goffredo (IT) - Hey Ho Festival
26.04 Ulm (DE) - Olga Bar
27.04 Halle (DE) - Peißnitzhaus
28.04 Hamburg (DE) - Lehmitz Reeperbahn
29.04 Sylt (DE) - Kulturhaus Sylt e.V.
30.04 Nørreballe (DK) - Lolland
01.05 Skeda Udde (SWE) - Sörgårdens Gästgiveri
03.05 Motala (SWE) - Berggrens Öltapp & Mat
04.05 Gävle (SWE) - CC-Puben Gävle
05.05 Karlstad (SWE) - The Bull Bar
07.05 Karlskoga (SWE) - Lunedet 
10.05 Tranås (SWE) - PlanB 
11.05 Linköping (SWE) - Lorient
12.05 Gotenborg (SWE) - Enoteca Maglia
13.05 Motala (SWE) - Kultur Akademin i Motala
14.05 Söderköping (SWE) - Café Jägmästargården
16.05 Hästveda (SWE) - Lokmästaren Hästveda
17.05 Norrköping (SWE) - NP33
18.05 Stockholm (SWE) - Musikvalvet Baggen
19.05 Jönköping (SWE) - Sjön
20.05 Fengersfors (SWE) - Villa Weidling
21.05 Copenaghen (DK) - Hard Rock Cafe Copenhagen
23.05 Linz (AUT) - CulturCafé Smaragd
24.05 TBA
26.05 Roma (IT) - Inofficina

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