We featured Ninni not long ago, on the occasion of his latest release ‘Just the Touch of My Hands’: an acoustically driven, simple gem that we proudly defined as “a playful song, one that you are bound to remember. There’s something special in Ninni’s vocal tone: it speaks directly to your soul, aiding a special connection between his music and your feelings”.
We can only confirm what was said above: Ninni found a winning formula that – making use of few musical elements – manages to draw the listener into a makeshift artistic universe, one where the Neapolitan artist takes care of his listeners with a musically warm hug. Snaps, light percussion, and a guitar: that’s all it takes to create a masterpiece, without forgetting a gritty yet intense vocal tone and refined, witty songwriting.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Ninni to find out more about his artistry and future goals… Interview below!
MESMERIZED: Hey Ninni, how is it going? some of our readers might not be familiar with your project, how would you describe yourself, in a few words?
NINNI: I’m fine, thanks and u? How can I describe myself? Ninni is just a person who enjoys the simple things of life and tries through his music to bring hope during these difficult times we are living in.
MESMERIZED: Your current work is the result of a long journey; What first drew you to making music?
NINNI: I grew up in a musical environment as my brothers played in bands and when they toured Italy, I had the opportunity to follow them and was really lucky to listen to a lot of artists and bands performing their music live. Then I embraced bass guitar and it was love at first sight! I had the chance to play with a lot of Italian rock, punk, folk and ethnic bands and artists and also toured Canada with one of them in 2019. Anyway, I believed and still believe listening is the most important thing for a musician and for a human being.
MESMERIZED: If you had the opportunity to pick any artists in the world for a collaboration, who would be your first choice? (and second choice, perhaps?)
NINNI: If I need to choose, I would say Thom Yorke, Sir Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, Jacob Collier and the Italian composer Nicola Piovani.
MESMERIZED: Your latest release, ‘Just the Touch of My Hands’, contains simple yet effective storytelling, framed into a gentle, bubbly musical background. Is that a style you feel close to your artistry?
NINNI: We are constantly changing as human beings and also the music we listen to and the mood we are in can change! I wrote a bunch of joyful and happy songs along with Just the Touch of My Hands last June but I’m trying to write more experimental stuff now.
MESMERIZED: Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
NINNI: I usually write my songs alone and record them in my bedroom but I would like to have a band, musicians with whom I could exchange ideas and views on my music.
MESMERIZED: What’s your experience of the Italian music scene? Is it welcoming your material, or are you better off looking for an international audience?
NINNI: Very good question to ask! Last year, I was lucky because one of my songs got airplay on a popular Italian radio and I got called to play a few gigs in Italian clubs and festivals. Now I would be really happy to go and play abroad with my new songs and have new experiences!
MESMERIZED: Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
NINNI: Strange as it may seem, home-recording has been a pleasant challenge over the last two years but I wasn’t used to and it took time for me to get familiar with it!
MESMERIZED: What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
NINNI: I’ve been working on songs that are very different from the ones I’ve recorded over the last few months, more electronic stuff: Hope you like them!
