Face to Face with… Meanwhile

Ok dudes, present yourself and the band to the readers of Behind Mag!
Hello there, Mik from Meanwhile speaking! We’re an Italian alternative rock band, doing our thing since 1996.

After 4 years you are back with a new album, “Daylight”… Talk to me about the differences of this album and your idea of music.
Yeah it’s quite a long time and many things changed during this period, so the final sound of the album is absolutely different from “A Second to Fly”! But you know, we think of music as something that has to come straight out of your heart and brain, so we try and write the music we like without ever thinking of a genre or stuff like that!”

Was it very hard back after so many years?
Not at all! We gigged, we wrote songs and spent time together, so nothing ever stopped during these years…simply, it took quite a long time to be completely satisfied with our new songs (and new sound!), and we finally went to the recording studio when we felt sure that “Daylight” was the album we always looked for in shops…and could never find before!

Talk to me about the new album. How long did it take for “Daylight” (in totally)?
Well, it took a couple of years…but you gotta know we changed half of our lineup, so we composed the songs in a completely new way and mood! Ah, and unfortunately we spent quite a long time with italian burocracy before we could release the album. But now it’s ready, so who cares!

Which is your first impression when you’ve listen the complete album?
Oh my God!!I mean we expected to like it, but the fact is that we love it!

Was it very hard compose the music parts of this album? If yes, why?!
No it wasn’t, most of the ideas were composed at home before we rehearsed together and so they came to the band as something that already sounded good. We just had to arrange for each instrument and add some good vocals …and that was the funniest part!

After years with music labels, finally you’re independent. Why did you choose this way for the new album? DIY approach is the only solution for alternative bands today?
I really don’t know if it is the only approach that works right now, some labels are still doing good even in this period, but we thought it was the only way we could be satisfied with: I mean, you can find us on any internet site about music, so if you like our music just let us know and we’ll send you the album and everything else you could want from us! It works.

Talk to me about the lyrics of the album. Where’s the concept?
The concept of the whole album is, as the title says, the daylight. We wanted to show ourselves metaphorically naked to the audience by telling stories that we personally lived or that represent a part of us.

I’ve see the booklet and wow, is fantastic! Photos and words are perfect for the mood of the album. Talk to me about the concept!
Thank you for appreciating it so much! The visual concept is still the daylight, colours and shapes you can only see in the bright light of the sun! Isn’t that love?!

How much important is the image for Meanwhile?
I have to say that we really care for the image of the band, but it’s kind of a natural thing…we don’t force ourselves to wear clothes we don’t want to wear or to behave in a certain way or stuff, we just do what we like to do and I guess the image we give is a result of this.

Which is your favourite song of the album? And why?
I have to say I’m not sure about this, ‘cause I really like many of them… But if I can pick just one, I’m going with “Diamonds”! I mean, the big vocal choir that comes out in the bridge part, followed by the melodic chorus… Still impresses me after at least 1,000 listenings!

My favourite song is “End of time”. Talk to me about this song!
Good choice! It’s kind of a cross between a ballad and a rock song, with pianos and strings on it and a couple of nice guests: Francesco Megha (9mm,Autoreverse) with some vocal parts and Andrea Lo Verde on the keyboards. We’re so glad they accepted to record with us, and they really gave a special touch to the song!

Which is your projects for the next months?
Playing, playing, playing, writing some cool new stuff (we alredy have a couple of new songs) , and playing again! We’d love to travel through Europe, and why not the US and Japan promoting our new album.

What’s the most ridicolous rumor you’ve read about the band?
Well strange news do appear sometimes, but I think the best one I is when we read that Bassa had been busted for obscene acts… I mean he never spent a single day in a jail, but sometimes we still think that something really happened because when you ask him about that, he just answers “that’s rock’n’roll guys, rock’n’roll!

Advise me 5 album!
I feel kinda oldfashioned… But I’d Go With “X&Y” – Coldplay, “Axis:Bold As Love” – Jimi Hendrix, “The Colour And The Shape” – Foo Fighters, “Only By The Night” – Kings Of Leon, and anything that comes to your mind that has been recorded by The Beatles! You gotta know your parents, to be a good son hahah!