Lionville interview (Stefano Lionetti)

Once again, we have a work by Lionville that does not disappoint, being another album where each song could be a single, as always, the melodic aspect is very outstanding and here the beautiful arrangements of keyboards, guitars and of course enhanced by the beautiful voice stand out. by Lars. It is definitely a recommended album for lovers of the style as the band complies by offering inspired songs. That’s why, we interviewed Stefano Lionetti for the last release “So Close To Heaven”.

Para leer la entrevista en español: Entrevista a Lionville

Metallerium: Welcome to Metallerium Webzine! Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer our questions! We really appreciate it. First of all, how have you been? How is the band?

Lionville: Hi! Thanks for your interview! We’re fine thanks

Metallerium: You are releasing on February 11th your fifth studio album “So Close to Heaven”. How are you feeling about this release compared to the times when you released your debut?

Lionville: First of all, I feel grown and mature, proud of the work we have done so far. The last album is not too far from the debut with reference to the sound and songwriting but I think there are more shades in the arrangements and there’s more attention on the songwriting process now. Also, at this moment Lionville is more like a band, not just a project.

Metallerium: Also, when did you begin to work on this new album?

Lionville: The songwriting process started already after the “Magic Is Alive” release. I changed a few times my view of how it should have become the record, but my last choice was a record much heavier than the previous ones. In fact, you can find more hard rock songs and probably fewer west-coast touches on it.

Once I had my demos ready, I sent them to Lars for recording his vocals. I produced the record and Giulio Dagnino (our bass player) handled the mix and the mastering; we delivered the master in September 2020. It’s always hard to top the last reasonable effort, but I think we did work that we can feel proud of here.

Metallerium: It has been 2 years since this pandemic situation and we are all still facing difficulties due to it. Did it affect the process of composition and recording of the album?

Lionville: Not too much. Actually, in some moments we could say we had more time to devote to the production. It was a bad period here in Italy but thankfully I did not have too many troubles. My thoughts go out to the victims of the coronavirus and their families hoping that the sick will get better soon.

Metallerium: Lars is from Sweden but the band is from Italy. Does it get more complicated when you have to work on a new album? I am curious because the result is outstanding in terms of vocals.

Lionville: You know…nowadays everyone records his part in his own studio, so no problem at all. Also, Lars is a great professional, he adds class and elegance every time and his way of singing meets perfectly my taste.

Metallerium: I had the chance to listen to the new album. I have already written a review for our website. The result is great and congratulations on that! How do you work in order to achieve so many good melodies and beautiful vocals?

Lionville: Thanks! Most of my songs are born from an idea that comes to my mind when I’m walking, when I’m at work, or at the beach: I sing the melody on my phone and then (when I find the time ahaha) I run in the studio and try to arrange the song with guitar or keyboard. It’s really funny for me! Composting and arranging songs is definitely one of the things I love most and often the tunes come out easily, in a few seconds at the most random times and in many different places. But hey, of course, If you want something special and not too formulaic you need to stay in front of the piano or with the guitar in your hands and work hard for some hours! My goal is to create a great melody on a catchy chord progression. But the very special thing is that every musician of the band put in the tracks his personality: a drum fill by Martino, a guitar solo by Michele, a bass passage by Giulio, or some magical piano notes by Fabrizio…everything they did is top-notch! And then the icing on the cake, Lars’s vocals!

Metallerium: In addition, the order of the songs and the singles you released is very important to have a great impact on listeners. How do you choose the order of the songs in an album and the singles to release?

Lionville: The running order is something I think of carefully. Sometimes I receive suggestions from my brother Alessandro. Usually, the first two songs are the strongest. And I put a ballad after around 15 minutes of harder tracks. I often leave the track sung by me or the most particular song at the end. I choose the singles with Frontiers and we’re nearly always in agreement with it.

Metallerium: You have been working with Frontiers Records for a while. How important is the label's support?

Lionville: Thanks to Frontiers we have definitely done a step forward in terms of promotion and support. The new deal with them marks a sort of rebirth for us and we are very proud to be part of the Frontiers family. Now we are working with a professional label that gives the right prominence to the artists.

Metallerium: After releasing the album. What are your plans?

Lionville: Mmm I really don’t know, but I would love to write songs for other artists

Metallerium: Now, let's talk about the Melodic Rock scene. I have found many modern melodic rock bands. Especially in labels like Frontiers Records. How do you see the scene nowadays? Do you still have time to listen to new bands?

Lionville: There are plenty of cool bands nowadays. But I don’t have the time to listen to each one of them also because in this period I listen mostly to guitarists and their solo projects (Andy Timmons, Eric Johnson, Brett Garsed, Steve Lukather, etc…). Anyway, unfortunately, AOR and melodic rock are not so much popular especially here in my country: you’ll never find an AOR or melodic rock song on the charts or in the radio in Italy. And the live gigs are few and with a small crowd. Every year I hope that our genre comes back in vogue but it’s hard.

Metallerium: In general, in many different genres inside the rock and metal scene there has been a revival of 80's sound. Why do you think that this is happening?

Lionville: Because is the best sound!! Ahahah. I don’t know, but I think that everything always comes back, also in music, not only in rock and metal but also in pop music. And maybe because people need to be carried over to the past…The present is not so nice in the last few years…

Metallerium: Also, when you play music inspired by the 80s, there is a risk of becoming a copy-paste band or repeating the same formula too much. What is the key to keeping a fresh sound?

Lionville: Yes, this is not just a risk, it simply happens! My main influences have been Richard Marx (my idol!), Bad English, Boulevard, Chicago, Def Leppard, and many other melodic rock bands, but also some pop artists like Phil Collins, Christopher Cross, Spandau Ballet…Yes, you can easily find their style on my songs here and there but I think Lionville has its own personality. The main aim of an artist is reaching a characteristic sound and songwriting, which makes it immediately identifiable, but we have to admit that in the A.O.R. world it’s hard to create something really new nowadays. I think I will change something in the arrangements and the sound in the next record.

Metallerium: Before we finish, is there anything you want to say to your fans in Latin America? Have you had the chance to listen to bands from this part of the world?

Lionville: Revlin! Good music!

I think we Italians share with people from Latin America the passion for melody and the culture of “moving” music. I really hope that Lionville music will reach more fans there and that you all enjoy our new album “So Close to Heaven”!

Metallerium: Thanks a lot for your time again! Congratulations on the new album and all the best to Lionville.

Lionville: Thanks for the interesting interview and sorry for my rough English ahah! Greetings to you and all the readers of Metallerium!