Mario Percudani - Interview

Photo : Carlos Fabian

R'n'R : When did you begin to play guitar ? And what was your first guitar ?

MP : First of all I want to thank you for this interview on Rock'n'Reviews and for your constant support. I played my first chord on a guitar when I was about 8 years old. I started on my own, learning from the songs I loved to sing and listen to. My very first guitar was a very cheap one. An acoustic japanese Sakura which is still on the wall in my studio remembering every day that everything started from that piece of wood.

R'n'R : How did you decide to be a professional musician ?

MP : It was my dream since the first day I started playing, but life didn’t allow me to do it as full time until I turned 30, even if I started recording and writing albums many years before that age.

R'n'R : In the beginning of your career did you want to be a session guitar player or to play in a band ?

MP : Writing and playing my songs in a band has always been my main wish. In the same time I learnt a lot by playing as a session guitar player, meeting and sharing the stage performing the songs of many artists is another important thing that made the musician I am now. Anyway I don’t like to see myself like a traditional session player since I love to give something more in the collaborations, I mean in the arrangements when I work in studio and for sure I really enjoyed when I could help in the songwriting of the projects I’ve been involved.

R'n'R : You play or played with many great musicians (Ted Poley, David Reece, Jessie Galante, Vinnie Appice, Bobby Kimball, Mitch Malloy, Dan Reed...), what did you learn in a human way and in a musical way in those collaborations ?

MP : There are so many little and great things to learn from sharing the stage and from the experience and musical language of other musicians and artists like those you mentioned and also many others I met in these years. I can remember every single show or studio session, each and every moment is a part of my musical background. It’s something that lives inside yourself and helps you in focusing your style and facing every next show or album. Regarding what I learned in a human way, I would really need to talk hours and hours to tell all the stories and the memories. But the most important thing for me is to know that I’m still friend with many of the artists I played with. I think that you can create something magic with the music only when there’s something more than the music.

R'n'R : You are a chairman for the italian label Tanzan Music. Did you create the label ? What is exactly your job in Tanzan Music ?

MP : It was the winter of 2006 when I decided to take over a very small publishing catalogue and I knew that would have been the beginning of a new life for me….. a new day. Two years after I started releasing the first album as a record label and setting up my own recording studio. Today Tanzan Music is the place where I spend most of my time, a place where many musicians come and go every week, also due to a Music Academy with more than 150 students who make every room alive all day long. My job is to manage the academy, the label and to work as a producer in my studio, everything with the precious help of many collaborators and teachers.

Photo : @helloimde

R'n'R : How do you compose ?

MP : That’s a tough one! Well, there are different ways to compose, but I think every songwriter creates his own technique and style along the years. Personally, I love to capture moments from my everyday life. That’s why I always have with me a digital recorder so that I can record ideas during the day and in the most varied situations. That allows me to capture the instinct of the moment and then to finalize the song in a more celebral way. Usually a real good song is the perfect mix of instict and brain. But there are also songs born in 5 minutes…. The truth is that there are no laws in songwriting.

R'n'R : You are a producer too. The fact to be a producer does it help you when you compose ?

MP : Yes, for sure it helps a lot. One of the main reason is about having in your mind the final vision of the song you are writing.

R'n'R : How was born Hungryheart ?

MP : Hungryheart were born in 1997. Me and Josh Zighetti were two small town boys bound by the same passion and so we decided to put together a four piece band in order to play our first songs plus some covers from the bands we loved. So we started playing shows around Northern Italy and doing our first openings for some international bands.

R'n'R : The song A Million Miles Away is wonderful (One Ticket To Paradise, Hungryheart (2010)). Is it a personal and introspective song for you ?

MP : Thanks for your words ! A Million Miles Away is for sure one of the songs I wrote that I love the most. And you’re right, it’s very introspective and so important for me. I wrote it for my father after he passed away.

Video of A Million Miles Away of Hungryheart

R'n'R : Do you think internet changed the world of music ? And if yes, how ?

MP : The way internet changed the music is right before our eyes. The new generation doesn’t see the real difference between the world of music now and before, but musicians from the previous generations really lived this change and sometimes it’s hard to find the right balance to make music and survive. I heard Spotify CEO saying that he saved the music… It’s easy to say these bullshits when you are one of the newcomer richest managers in the world. Spotify keeps on increasing users and revenues but in the same time the financial statement is still negative…. So it means that this is still not the right formula. And this new way of distributing free music cannot sustain any artistic carreer. I like to be positive, I think we are in a kind of limbo where still that balance has to be found. I read an interview of Desmond Child and he reveals the little amount of royalties he received from the digital streaming for a legendary song like Living On A Prayer (Bon Jovi). Today he would have not become that amazing songwriter that we know because this situation doesn’t allow most of the great artists or writers to fully devote their time to their abilities. Therefore the quality of the music, of the songs, gets worst and worst. But i want to believe that something will change, that’s why I go on believing in what I do, every day.

R'n'R : When i listen to some of your songs (Rock Steady for instance), i think to Dann Huff. Is he an influence for you ?

MP : Great to hear you noticed it ! Yes, among the AOR and melodic rock guitarists he’s one of my influences even if it’s not the only one. Regarding Dann Huff, since I’m also a country music lover, I really like many of the productions he made after the Giant era.

Video of Rock Steady of Hungryheart

R'n'R : In 2010 you released out a solo album called New Day. It's very different of your usual work with Hungryheart or even now with Hardline. I feel some Eagles, James Taylor and even country music sounds. Did you write the album thinking to these artists ?

MP : Yes, those artists are my main influence and New Day is the softer and folk side of my personal production. The american singer/songwriters from 70's and the country music is an important part of my musical background.

Video of New Day byMario Percudani

R'n'R : You love the blues and you founded Blueville. Why did you found this band and what do you love in that kind of music and who are your influences in blues ?

MP : Blues is another significant element of my playing and I think is quite evident also in my way of singing. Even before founding Blueville with some great musicians and friends like Marco Tansini, Paolo Apollo Negri and Gianni Grecchi, I always played a lot of blues, from the more classic artists like Muddy Waters, BB King to Robben Ford and Gary Moore.

Official video of Real Good Time of Blueville

R'n'R : You are now a member of Hardline with Johnny Gioeli. You know Johnny for a long time. Was it an evidence for him to call you to join Hardline after the departure of Josh Ramos ? Were you surprised or not ?

MP : I consider Johnny Gioeli as one of the greatest singer out there and an amazing human being too. First time I met him I remember I was playing with the american band Axe at the Sweden Rock Festival and he was there playing with Axel Rudi Pell. But the first collaboration with Johnny was during the making of the album Gioeli/Castronovo in which I played all guitars. When my friend Alessandro Del Vecchio called me to ask me if I wanted to join Hardline I was so happy and honored, not only because I’ve always loved the band, but also because I had the chance to give my songwriting support to the making of the new album Life.

Photo : Joachim Lagesson

R'n'R : Life, the latest Hardline studio album is harder and heavier than the previous Hardline albums. In your opinion what did you  bring to the band ?

MP : Maybe you should ask it to Johnny (Gioeli, vocals), Ale (Alessandro del Vecchio, keyboards), Anna (Portalupi, bass) and Marco (Di Salvia, drums) ! Well, I always tried to be myself from the very beginning of this experience and let my way of playing and writing come out clearly. As we talked before I have some bluesy influences in my background which is also the main influence of most of the american hard rock bands from 80's and 90's, as you can easily find in the debut album Double Eclipse. An album I always loved since I was 17 years old.

R'n'R : You're about to prepare a solo album for 2020. Did you already write for it and what will be the style of music ?

MP : All the songs are ready to be recorded and I’m so excited to start the first sessions in studio next month. It’s an album made of songs written in many places, touring and travelling, and they really are the reflection of who I am today. After ten years this is the perfect sequel of New Day and again I’m doing it thanks to the precious help in the co-production of Marco Tansini and many other friends/musicians that I will reveal later.

Video of Take A Chance of Hardline

R'n'R : Hardline just released out a new live album (Life Live). Why a live album and why now ?

MP : Life Live has been just released few weeks ago on Frontiers Records. We spent our last 2 years touring a lot all over Europe… so many different places, sharing our days together and meeting incredible people. I think this album is a message of gratitude to our fans and in the same time it has the power to show a real band with no tricks, just our energy on the stage.

R'n'R : What about Hungryheart and some new stuff ?

MP : At the moment, me, Josh Zighetti, Paolo Botteschi and Stefano Scola have decided to take a break from touring because we want to focus our time on a new album. Yes we are working on some new stuff and I really can’t wait to make a new release with my bros.

R'n'R : Do you live the life you always wish to ?

MP : Lynyrd Skynyrd said «be a simple kind of man». That’s what I am … and I never forgot where I belong and how hard it was to reach the life I live. I couldn’t ask more….

R'n'R : Why Hardline never plays in France ? We are ready for you !

MP : I really hope the next tour will finally bring us to your beautiful country !

R'n'R : Grazie Mario for answering my questions. I love your guitar playing whether in solo, Blueville, Hungryheart or with Hardline.

MP : It’s been a pleasure to spend some time with you and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your true passion in supporting music.

Video of Page Of Your Life of Hardline