ALLUME interview

 Hi and welcome to Iron Backstage! Before we start the interview, could you introduce yourself to our readers and briefly tell us the story of ALLUME?

We’re an Italian band. We live between Arezzo, Perugia and Bologna.

Until 2019, we were a trio. Then, during the pandemic, we became a four-piece and worked incredibly hard to complete our second album, Ex Luto, which was released on September 18th.

How would you describe your music, and which bands have influenced you the most?

It’s a hybrid of many different influences. Each of us has our own musical tastes. We’re very different from one another, and what comes out of the meeting (and sometimes the clash ) between these differences is what we do.

We believe that this heterogeneity, and the difficulty of holding everything together, is precisely what produces the best results. If that weren’t the case, if we all thought in the same way, the result would probably be quite banal at best.

How many albums or demos has ALLUME released so far, and which ones are your favorites?

Before Ex Luto, in 2019, we released O.D.E. (an acronym for Orizzonte Degli Eventi), a ten-track album that takes a somewhat different approach compared to our latest work.

It’s difficult to talk about a favorite album. The latest thing we’ve made is the one that feels closest to the way we currently experience the band and, from that perspective, I’d say our favorite is the one that will come next!

Has ALLUME’s music evolved over the years? If so, how?

We’ve grown up (and grown older). Marco joining us on vocals changed our approach to songwriting quite a lot, both thematically and stylistically. This also affected the arrangements in general and, gradually, allowed the band’s original core to blend together more effectively and to understand how to make things work between us.

Not to mention that musical evolution is also reflected in our personal experiences, in the things that happen to you throughout your life — and quite a lot has happened over these nine years.

How long does it usually take ALLUME to record an album?

It depends. O.D.E. had a two-year gestation period. Ex Luto took a full six years, but you have to consider the pandemic, with all the difficulties that came with it, as well as the lineup change, which brought about a period of getting to know each other and finding a new balance.

The creative process became much more complicated, but we believe these complexities are also at the heart of the sound that eventually emerged.

Could you tell us a little more about your latest album, Ex Luto?

Ex Luto means “from the mud” in Latin. It perfectly represents the difficulties we had to deal with during the period from 2020 to 2026. These have been difficult years for everyone.

We’ve struggled through the mud from several different perspectives, and you can hear that in the record and in the lyrics. But mud is made of earth and water, and life can emerge from both. We believe this work essentially has two souls: one darker and more expansive, the other more direct and cutting.

Both are searching for an unstable balance between the difficulties represented by this mud — which also covers the sound of the album — and its generative potential. These possibilities are always present at the same time, and from one moment to the next they can be used in one way or another.

What are ALLUME’s next projects? Are you working on new music? If so, can you give us any details?

Keeping a project like this going at our age isn’t easy: we all work in fields outside music that take up a large part of our time. So managing our own booking is very demanding.

At the moment, we’re focusing on this aspect, taking Ex Luto on the road and making sure as many people as possible get to hear it. At the same time, we want to get back to writing and pick up where we left off.

The whole process is already in motion, and we believe we’ve reached a pivotal point in the band’s creative journey.

Do you have any tours or concerts planned to promote your latest album? Are there any plans for ALLUME to perform in Europe or the United States in the future?

For now, we’re focusing on finding dates in Italy, but we’re not ruling anything out. We’ll see how the album launch goes and wait to see if anything interesting comes up, perhaps in Europe.

Have you ever supported any famous or highly successful bands? If so, when and where?

Probably the best-known one was Fuzz Orchestra, a great band. We played with them at Circolo Onda d’Urto in Arezzo in 2019. It was a beautiful night.

I’d also add that over the years we’ve had the chance to share the stage with incredibly valuable bands and people who may not be in the spotlight. These kinds of relationships are essential to the circuit we’re part of.

Let’s say they’re the generative side of the mud that the underground is immersed in!

What’s your opinion of the post-stoner rock scene in your city/area?

Great question! The answer, however, isn’t limited to the musical genre and, besides, it would be strange if it were in 2026.

There’s an incredible underground scene of extremely talented bands. The problem is finding places to play, along with policies that tend not to support these kinds of situations and the people who work in music in general.

It’s a very broad issue involving different economic and social layers: from the widespread closure of social centres (historic driving forces behind Italy’s music and cultural scenes) to more ordinary neighbourhood committees opposing nighttime noise.

Italy is also a country where, unless you’re a cover band, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to play live.

That’s why physical presence at shows, in venues, clubs and events is so important.

Do you have any message for our readers?

Support live music. Support small and independent scenes. There is so much to discover, and so much gets lost simply because it never manages to find a voice or the space it deserves.

If we rediscover patience, entire worlds open up before our eyes (and ears).

Listen, and make yourselves heard. Play who you are, and don’t give a damn about sounding like the people you admire. Do your own thing. Someone will hear you, and they’ll do their own thing too.

https://www.facebook.com/allumeband/