Feature: Mardi Gras Decodes ‘Sandcastle’
Can you talk about any specific themes or motifs that run throughout 'Sandcastle?'
Fabrizio Fontanelli: “Sandcastle” is an original story written by Sante Sabbatini, Francesco Braida and Filippo Novelli.
Nicholas and Cecilia Amato are brother and sister living in the Jersey City in the 80's. Being orphans, Nicholas is often bullied, while Cecilia is taking care of him. Everything changes under their uncle Don Nate Caruso's protection. He's a boss of the local mafia and will take care of the siblings. Eventually, Cecilia meets the handsome and charming Sebastian, son of a news magnate, later to discover his narcissistic and dangerous dark side. So there are a lot of themes in the story. We love the fact that “Sandcastle” is now a Graphic Musical too so you can listen to the music while reading the book. It's a very powerful experience.
Liina Rätsep: there are different stories or chapters, linked to the main characters of this so-called graphic musical (in short, a brother and sister and their not-so-easy life and struggles). Without knowing the story of ‘Sandcastle,’ one can find many different meanings behind the songs and I'm sure the songs resonate with people.
How did you approach the arrangement and instrumentation on this album?
Fabrizio Fontanelli: We were writing songs, both lyrically and sonically, reading the whole subject - we wanted to focus more on Sebastian’s hedonistic behaviour, that’s the reason for heavy guitars, a string section, and even a harp. The way he and his gang were acting within their school was so inspirational. But a very moving moment was the dialogue between Lia (Cecilia) and Sebastian in “Lia’s Theme:” Cecilia is in a coma after being hit by a car while running away from Sebastian, and she addresses him as a “Liar....it's time to confess.” Even while being in limbo between life and death, she wants the full story to be told.
Carlo Di Tore Tosti: I just did a little writing for this album, so I was more into the harmonic part of the songs, we took our time to build the perfect sound, no rush, we had plenty of time. It was precious, no pressure on us, so we focused on all the details.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on the album and what makes them special to you?
Liina Rätsep: It is really hard to pick only a couple of standout tracks because the whole album is like one big story and all the songs are connected in a way, even though they are different. I really like “The Dance of the Sand,” “Don't Touch the Sinner,” “Stop the Presses” and “Cinematica.” I like the presence of the strings and how they add to the dramatic soundscape, it makes everything so much more symphonic.
Fabrizio Fontanelli: It is very hard to answer this question. I’d say “The dance of the sand” and “Don't touch the sinner,” two great standout tracks.
It was the very first time we had a string section in the studio so it was a big moment for us. To hear the strings building up the songs was really amazing, but being a concept album I consider it as a whole rather than a collection of songs so it’s really hard to pick one song or two.
Carlo Di Tore Tosti: I’m proud of the whole album, but if I have to pick one song, well “After the fire” is the one.
Can you tell us more about you as a band?
Fabrizio Fontanelli: Mardi Gras is one of the most enduring bands in our hometown (Rome), we started gigging as an acoustic duo in the early 2000's and since then there have been a lot of lineup changes, different singers, and different stories. Now we are a six-piece band and like a “playground”, we love to play with music, that keeps the band alive and has kept us running for more than two decades. When we met Liina from Estonia in 2018, we felt a new chapter was ready to be written and we are writing the best pages for the band. ‘Sandcastle’ is the first full-length album with her and it was so special to record the album with Liina as the singer. We had released some singles with her, even during the lockdown, and she has done a lot of shows with us. She also penned a few Mardi Gras singles, but as we were putting the final touches on ‘Sandcastle’ we were so excited because we felt this record was one of a kind.
Liina Rätsep: Well, I joined the band in 2018 but Mardi Gras has been around for a while and by the time I was asked to become the new singer, they had already published three albums. Together we released some singles (for example “Shoes,” “Tried,” and “From Zero to One” among several others), however, ‘Sandcastle’ is the first album with me as the singer. What I love about Mardi Gras is the fact that we are passionate about what we do. There is always a story behind each song, lyrics have a meaning, and the songs are also different. Even genres change here and there. And at the same time, we have our own sound.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
Liina Rätsep: I love it when people really listen to the music, clap along and live the experience with us. We usually have a really good time on stage and our goal is to play a great show.
Fabrizio Fontanelli: We love putting up the show, doing the setlist, and when we are on stage it is great to see that the audience is really into it, no mobile phones, or chats or whatever, to see them lost in our music is so beautiful!
Carlo Di Tore Tosti: The energy on stage, I love that.
