Fabio Cicala Shares His Backstory & Inspiration on New Song

Fabio Cicala is a talented Italian guitarist and composer hailing from the picturesque Campania region of Italy. Now residing in London, he has embraced the city’s rich musical landscape, infusing his work with a unique blend of cultural influences. His music beautifully reflects his Italian roots while also drawing inspiration from the diverse and dynamic music scene of the United Kingdom. Through his artistry, Fabio creates a captivating fusion of sounds that resonates with audiences, showcasing the vibrant tapestry of his musical journey.

Tomorrow, he’s dropping an exciting new single called ‘The Words I Didn’t Say,’ and we got the chance to chat about it!

I’m sure fans would be interested in knowing more about your backstory. How did you start your project?

It was after I emigrated to the United Kingdom from Italy a decade ago. While I was working odd jobs, I bought a classical guitar from a charity shop and started to spend more and more time on it, as a way to find through the sound what I had lost leaving my country. It paid back.

I started to play the guitar as a teenager, after listening to Jimi Hendrix, but had never decided to be a professional musician, until I saw a job advertised in an Italian restaurant in Fleet, not far from London. They were looking for a solo guitarist, so I walked in and talked to the manager, who agreed to give me a trial on the coming Saturday. I started to play one night a week, then two, then three, and finally four nights a week, being able to rely on music and other creative jobs as my source of income.

This single is part of “Rude Awakening”, a music project of 9 songs recorded between the Abbey Road Studios and the Soho Sonic Studios in London. I gave it that name, because I started a personal and spiritual journey since I had to adapt to the new path life showed me as an emigrant. I think many people can relate when their reality changes due to several circumstances and they need to embrace the new version of it, to be able to thrive.

But even if it can seem rough at first, the part of us we lose is regained in other ways, like for me a newfound love for the guitar and music, just as when our favorite heroes undergo many challenges before becoming the greatest version of themselves and inspiring us!

What are the elevator pitches for your music that’ll make people have to listen?

In my songs, I harmonized different music genres in minimal and vibrational sounds, at times hypnotic, giving birth to a musical texture that helps the listeners to relax and meditate.

What do you hope listeners take away from ‘The Words I Didn’t Say’?

I hope the listeners can be able to find within themselves the strength to face life’s challenges and to go after the career and the love they want, even if it means having to sacrifice!

Please tell us a bit more about your release, ‘The Words I Didn’t Say’. What is the message you’re trying to convey with this release?

This song is about love, it’s celebrating the one we chose to walk with from a different perspective. I share the idea of love at first sight as a guide to the elements and attitudes missing from our lives at that moment, recognized in the other person, or triggered by them.

Whether we talk about relationships or experiences, I don’t believe the train only passes once, but that we attract a suitable one, as we progress on our journey of personal and spiritual growth. Once we realize who we are and who we want to walk through life with, we should avoid external distractions.

Take me through your sound design process. Does the conception come first or do the songs evolve naturally – do you have a clear idea of what it will be before you start to make it?

Each song is processed differently, but what all have in common is the fact they were born by coincidence or by mistake! Being that I only recorded classical guitar, it was easy to figure out what a song would have sounded like at the end. What I played with was the equalization, to be able to preserve the sound of my chosen guitar, a Cordoba F7 Paco, with D’Addario Pro-Arte strings.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?

In my case, I try to lead a balanced life in terms of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and trying to read books, watch videos, or interact with the people I look up to. This feeds my body, mind, and soul, and keeps the creativity flowing.

I try to discipline my exuberance of wanting to do too many things at the same time, which may be a distraction for me. The strategies vary from person to person, but what I learned is to be consistent with my habits every day.

How do you know when a track is ready? Does it ever become difficult to refine ideas or stop perfecting?

First of all, I have to say I have a visual imagination, since my background in visual arts, and I feel like a man from the Renaissance, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who was famous for his perfectionism and his approach to art and life as changing continuously.

I consider my first music project as a “sound diary”, a collection of melodies giving shape to my style, which I can use for future references. I may take inspiration from them for creating something new, or for cooking the same dish with a different sauce… What I know for sure is when a version of a particular song is complete!

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise, or reading poetry play?

A well-lighted environment, an old library, the sun, and the sea are what I crave to boost my creativity. Furthermore, to connect with my inner child, I watch the cartoons and anime I used to watch when I was a child or a teenager, such as Urusei Yatsura, Transformers, Ulysses 31, Captain Future, Saint Seiya.

Guilty pleasure time. What would you say are some of your current most guilty pleasures? All is fair, food, games, books, video games, whatever floats your boat. Let us have it.

I like chocolate, especially Kinder Bueno and Lindt pralines. Ancient books and their magic smell always do the trick; “shred” guitar is another obsession of mine, and I discover more and more “shredders” from Instagram and YouTube!

To wrap it up, what do you hope to do with your art in the future? I mean, do you have any crazy goals?

I love Frank Zappa’s approach to music and the music business, as someone who explored as many genres as possible, without prejudice. One of the craziest goals is probably getting a song viral worldwide on social media, or having it played at the airport when landing somewhere!

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