27/9/24
giles-
​so, what's been happening over the summer?
olga-
we’ve been working on new tunes. In the next week, we will drop our new single with Lou Koller, called "Noise For The Silent”. We are very excited, because we are big fans of Sick Of It All. Lou is A legend for us.
diste-
we’d done a tour with Sick Of It All two years ago, so we got to know them and had this idea.
olga-
we chatted about this when we were on tour and so this is how it happened. the message of the song is very, very clear
diste-
it’s about fighting to defend your values and your rights.
olga-
and the power of a gang - in a positive way - a gang as a community with the same shared values
giles-
​I interviewed Alice Nutter, one of the original members of Chumbawamba, a couple of years ago, and she was talking about how they lived in a squat under the principles of anarchy or autonomy.
They cooked together, they ate together, pretty much spent all their time together, all the money from the music or other work went into one kind of pot.
And she said that she had that feeling of being a gang, all with the same values.
And that it was the most powerful thing she’d experienced, especially when they got loads of flak.
diste-
Yes, that’s nice, because when most people talk about gangs, they always make the word sound negative - people stabbing each other and so on.
And sure, there are criminals that work like this, but that's not the kind of gang we’re talking about
olga-
Yeah, it’s a different meaning for us. We use this word, and we choose to use this word differently.
It's our favorite joke: when there is something that we don't like, we take it and we try to change it. We did it the same when we wrote ‘the pussification of punk rock’. That was that we received from the haters when we stopped the tour (with Barb Wire Dolls in 2017) because of the Nazis. People called what we did the pussification of punk rock. So we were like okay, if standing up to them is the pussification of punk rock then we like that, we’re gonna use that {laughs}
giles-
I feel sometimes that some ‘political” bands are choosing which things to talk about and which not to.
I'm interested how you feel about bands that say they are political that have been really quiet on for example, the genocide in Palestine?
olga-
when you choose to play a kind of music, I think that you need to think carefully about the message and about what you want to say.
diste-
Yes, I understand what you mean. If they say something, or they take a position, or express their ideas, maybe they are scared of the reactions. They might say, yes, it's a band, but that's the point. When you decide to express your opinions, you are free to do it, and if someone doesn't like it, you have to say, ‘okay, not everyone is going to like what we say’
olga-
Punk was born for a reason, and that reason is to expose what doesn't work in the world. I mean, you can choose to not speak about everything. You can choose the things that, for you are more important, the things that matter to you. But, if I play punk, I can't stay silent. And this is same as with Palestine. I don't care about a lot of things, but there is a genocide, and my sons are as equal as the Palestinian kids, so I can't understand why people don't talk about this in punk music. You need to talk about this because it's important. It's much too important to ignore it.
giles-
I think even bands that don’t have a traditionally punk sound, but they say ‘we've got the punk attitude’ yet they don't display it when there’s important shit going down. They choose to stay silent. I think they’re scared of losing fans. Musicians have such a great platform and, like you say, when you choose a certain route or way of life, sure you don't have to – you can’t - talk about everything, but fuck, some things are unavoidable. That’s my opinion, others may disagree.
diste-
Yes. Social media is a very good vehicle to expose things that are wrong, or things that you feel strongly about, so yeah it's a shame when it’s not used.
olga-
Yeah, we have the same problem everywhere now, I think that the same things need to happen in Italian punk, because we have a big problem right now. A few days ago, the Meloni government, introduced a new law where any protesting is soon not going to be permitted anymore.
diste-
They are going in this direction step by step. But what they want to do, is to stop any protest.
olga-
Yes, so you won’t be able to manifest a peaceful political protest about Palestine. Right now, you can, but….
diste-
Yes, they’ll have the power to put you in jail.
olga-
They are doing the same in the school. So, if students go to a demonstration or protest or they organize student activist encampments, their grades will be marked down a lot.
diste-
So they cannot go ahead with your studies. They will stop them. They will lose one year exactly.
giles-
If you protest?
diste-
Yes, it is a big problem. We are going in this direction for everything. We are supposedly in a democracy, we have some democratic laws, but they are destroying every good one. Not many people knew about this protest law. They didn't realize this was happening.
olga-
It's terrible because it's in the Italian Constitution that there is the freedom to protest in a peaceful way. But, you know the Instagram post where I'm dressed with the Palestinian flag? So, we received a lot of messages, private messages, most of them coming from the US, saying that we are terrorists.
giles-
What? Really?
diste-
Yeah…and now, I think about my son going on the internet and trying to understand what's going on. It’s a mess and hard to understand anything clearly.
olga-
Yeah, and these people were saying to us “and Hamas?’ I'm a lot of things, but okay, I'm a terrorist now {laughs}. I don't care what they call me
diste-
Yeah, such ignorant people. But you know, there is so much fake news and this is causing lots of confusion in a lot of people. I don't know if this is on purpose
giles-
Personally, I think it is. It helps their objective of dividing people.
Division = weakness, right?
olga-
Yes, I can feel you and I'm worried about this. I have two kids too, so I live with this every day. It's horrible. Everyone. It looks like that, the people that feelings something about other peoples are always less
diste-
People don’t care about other people anymore
olga-
But it’s strange, because we arrived from a period where we talked about yoga, everyone hugs each other and gives their love to everyone. And with covid, everything changed. Everything switched around.
The same people that talked to me about yoga and love and trees, where did they go?! It changed so quickly. It's incredible
giles-
You’re right. I remember thinking that Covid would change everyone for the better. That this was the big reset that the world needed with Trump taking the world down the toilet. But I don't know, I was naïve and wrong. People are more fearful and that’s led to more extremism and individualism
diste-
{laughing} I’m sorry for this, but especially in Springfield because, you know, immigrants are going to eat their pets……
olga-
Wow, wow. {laughing}
diste-
Sorry again, but of all the things that an ex-president running for office again can say….
giles-
So, I guess our world is so uncertain these days. And full of contradictions. How do you plan for the future? Do you look ahead or do you live day by day?
olga-
But, I think that in the music world, the uncertainty is not so bad. Sure, there are a lot of shitty bands and a lot of probably shitty punk bands too, that I don't know about and don’t want to know about - I'm good in this way. But there are a lot of good bands, bands that are very important and talk about political and social things. The Lambrini Girls is one of them. This is important. Because they play good, they are fun, they are strong, but they have a message of fighting for feminism – and they do it in a vibrant way and in a very short period of time. It’s the right moment for them. This is a very good message for other bands too. There are probably a lot of other great bands out there. I’m talking about them because, for me, they are two quite undiscovered younger girls, with values that are the same as mine. I don’t know what label people will put on them, but the mood is punk.
diste-
they are a good thing for the future.
giles-
yeah, I agree, these are important breakthroughs. I remember the Lambrini Girls coming onto the scene around 2021 or 2022 maybe? Like you say, sometimes the time and place needs to be right for it to click. I came across another band from Portugal called the Agressive Girls. It's more electronic, kind of like 1-800-PAIN / HO99O9 / Prodigy electronic, very dark and definitely punk in spirit. I think the younger voices are so important.
olga-
thank you! A new band for us tonight. When the kids go to sleep, we’ll open a beer and listen! Thank you!
giles-
that’s your Friday night sorted! What is the music and cultural scene like in Italy now?
​
diste-
Trap music.
It’s everywhere.
It's mainstream, it's in the underground, it's everywhere.
​
olga-
obviously, after punk music started, it split into different styles with different influences, like post-punk, pop punk, hardcore, crust, many different styles for,
maybe, smaller groups of people, and the same thing happened in trap music and for a period,
it wasn’t always good, but now there is a kind of socially conscious trap so maybe it's a good moment for trap music.
​I mean, there is some…some… - I don’t think in Italy for the moment - but I listen to my son listen to which is English trap and US trap, right? And he noticed that there are more conscious lyrics.
diste-
maybe we will have political trap.
​
olga-
Maybe, yes, because a lot of trappers here are immigrants – Egyptian, Moroccan. A few years ago, it would have been impossible for an immigrant in Italy to get into the mainstream music. Now they are bigger and this is so important. I think that in some way, that this is a rebellion against the way that they have been excluded.
​
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giles-
In terms of your own evolution, where are Svetlanas heading?
diste-
I have no idea {laughs}. I mean, it's always like exploration of what we like, or what comes from our… I don't know. I mean, I don't even know what kind of music we play!
olga-
It's a big question, actually.
​
diste-
We don't really need a label, you know. Magazines need a label, or record labels need a label. But us? I don’t know.
​
olga-
If I had to put a label on it, I’d say the new single is hardcore, but I don't know if other people would see it as hardcore!
giles-
Are you writing new material?
olga-
Yes, I am recording the vocals for another new one. There are a lot of things to talk about. So, we are all writing a lot of material. So, yeah, it's a good time for writing and exposing a lot of things.
We also have a new tour this autumn which will start at the end of October with Total Chaos – a European tour which will be a lot of fun. And after that, we will probably do some international things. And after that, we will come back and then it will be our favorite season of the year – the summer festival season!
giles-
And Rebellion - always a favourite of yours, right?
​
olga-
Oh yeah! Rebellion is one of my favourite festivals! But now, we usually stay just for one day because we are usually on tour. So, it's difficult to stay other days too, but the vibes are always good. I always see a lot of friends, I can meet a lot of bands and meet new people. And the vibes are very family vibes. This year, there were some protests, and they needed all the people inside, but we played on the Sunday, so when we arrived everything was back to normal and always the good vibes. It’s just sad that these racists feel they can come out like that.
giles-
Just thinking again about the single with Lou, you've done quite a few collaborations over the years. What is it about collaborations that you enjoy?
diste-
It's always inspiring and always fun. Now it's easy because of the internet and the tools.
We can record easily with us in Milan and someone else in New York. it gives a new energy.
Also, when it happens live ... it’s just coming to my mind about when we played at the Whiskey A- Gogo in Los Angeles, and Rik Agnew was playing on guitar with us.
That was special.
olga-
And do you remember that time when we had two bass players? Nick Oliveri and Merle Allin?!!
​
diste-
Everyone was on the stage, yeah, it was so much fun..
​
giles-
One of my favorite things is watching a band playing with two drummers.
olga-
Oh yeah, we should do a side project {laughs}
diste-
I saw The Melvins play a couple of times with their two drummers..
giles-
Osees as well…, they have Dan and Paul at the front of the stage.
I love that.
It’s mesmerizing just watching them.
​
diste-
Okay, you gave me ideas for a new collaboration! I will think about it {laughs}
giles-
So what else is coming down the line?
​
diste-
well, we're writing new songs...
​
olga-
and we'll do a new album...
diste-
Now, there is this tendency to release single after single, and this comes from trap music.
And more bands are doing it because it’s what works now.
Those artists changed all the rules.
So many bands now are releasing music single by single, and then they come out with a record at the end
​
olga-
For us, doing that is a totally different way of working. But their impact is so strong that they changed it for everyone.
​
diste-
Yeah, I know. It's the new music business. It's the new model.
Sometimes I say, ‘Why does a new song have to come out on Friday?’ Always, always.
And now they are moving to Wednesday.
So, we did it for the new single, ok let’s do Wednesday {laughs}
​
olga-
Well, this is still a question, because we saw that a lot of people were dropping on Friday again, but some bigger acts start to drop on Wednesday.
So we go ‘Okay, we’ll try Wednesday. But we talked with the others and we chose to drop the single on a Wednesday. We will see what happens without understanding why we're doing it!!
​
diste-
I mean we decided to produce this song by ourselves and to release by ourselves, right? So we're much more in control of release dates.
We also decided to release a super limited edition of a seven inch in one month.
And the profit from this would go to Lou Koller for his treatment.
And, you know, with that label, it was impossible to do something like this, to devolve everything, you know.
​
giles-
That’s a lovely gesture.
The whole singles thing is definitely platform or label led.
For me, it’s another example of these things changing people’s behavior.
When I started my podcast, I was thinking that I had to write my text a certain way, post the content a certain way, blah blah blah…. I realized that what they wanted me to do wasn’t what I wanted to do.
Fortunately, I don't care anymore, but it took me a long time.
​
diste-
You’ve noticed all the photographs are vertical now because of social media, right?
​
giles-
Oh yeah, and that's another thing. DOn't get me started.
{Sarcastically} I'm a happy guy today, full of laughs for you.
​
olga-
You’ve made our little one laugh so much, he’s gone to sleep.
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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED