Feature: Francesca Monte Decodes “Mistakes”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Mistakes" and the story it tells?
The central theme of "Mistakes" is Abandonment Syndrome. "Mistakes" is born in a sleepless night, when love seems lost, pain and fear take over. Francesca's hands flow on the piano, singing notes of melancholy. Francesca tries to avoid that feeling she calls love, so fragile, which pervades her, and suffocates her until she feels sick, like the high tide that sweeps everything away and leaves you naked, helpless, without escape, without knowing where to go, facing the greatest enemy, itself with its thousand contradictions, mistakes and the fear of losing loved ones, losing herself.
Learning to love yourself is the key to everything. Overcoming your insecurities and nightmares from the past. Because only love can save us, universal love, in all its forms.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "Mistakes" to life?
When the ideas are coming, I don’t stop until the ideas stop because that train doesn’t come along all the time. With my team WE’ve gone 79 hours without sleep, creating. When that flow is going, it’s almost like a high. You don’t want it to stop. You don’t want to go to sleep for fear of missing something.
I think the problem starts when you start to believe that the “vision” is “yours”. This clinging can cause a lot of issues. I think conceiving yourself as a channel for creativity, divinity, some-higher-energy to flow through you will yield more creations. The breadth and depth will also change. If I look at artists, both in the music realm and visual arts realm, the styles, expressions and stories change over the course of their lives and this I find very beautiful.
My tasks: Work fast. Don't get it right; get it down. Don't worry about the details until the content is in place. Stay flexible. Once you've gotten the song started, let it shape the vision as much as the vision shapes the song. Be open to things turning out differently than you had initially envisioned, perhaps very differently. Finish songs. Having finished work creates a radical shift in perspective and facilitates progress.
We finalized our master at the “Air Studios” in London home to exceptional recording and mixing studios created by Sir George Martin, specialises in all formats of analogue and digital mastering.
Magnificently eccentric Grade II Listed Romanesque Church (1884) attributed to the redoubtable Victorian, Alfred Waterhouse and repurposed as the world-renowned and prestigious recording studio in 1991. One of the most magical musical places in the world.
How does "Mistakes" fit into your overall artistic vision and what can listeners expect from you in the future?
I always tried to put in my music my emotional value and authenticity, my sonic identity, offering listeners acceptance and resilience. Exploring our consciousness and all the pain and melancholia that comes with it. There’s an intimate quality as my fingers dance across piano keys, singing melancholic notes into the night. As the tide of emotion builds, urban beats and analogue synths crash over in waves.
What has been the most memorable experience or achievement in your music career so far?
When my concept EP ‘Alièn’ reached the nº 1 position on iTunes’ electronic chart and my short-film premiered at Giffoni Experience. It is a great achievement as an indie artist. When I was 17 I had the privilege to collaborate with the international iconic star Buddy Miles in Dallas, an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of the Electric Flag, a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys, founder and leader of the Buddy Miles Express and later, the Buddy Miles Band. We recorded two songs, “Between us” and “Inside my mind.” He taught me a lot, forever grateful for this amazing experience.
Do you have any memorable on-stage moments or performances that stand out to you?
I performed worldwide in places like the US, the UAE and all over Europe. I participated in “The Voice of Italy”, and the “X Factor 8 Italy” as part of “Komminuet” where I made it to the finale. The most memorable on-stage moment was when I performed with Air on the G String, a musical piece by Johann Sebastian Bach at X Factor Italy. I received an unforgettable standing ovation. My London tour continues, on 9 February 2024 You can see me in concert in Soho at the Spice Of Life.