Latest news with #FunnyLittleFears
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Q&A: Damiano David Opens Up On Stunning Solo Debut
SANREMO, ITALY - FEBRUARY 12: Damiano David attends the 75th Sanremo Music Festival 2025 at Teatro ... More Ariston on February 12, 2025 in Sanremo, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/) If you only know Damiano David as the lead singer of Italian glam rock band Maneskin, then you don't know David. On his solo debut, Funny Little Fears, David showcases a whole other side of himself. Theatrical, vulnerable, eclectic and compelling, Funny Little Fears is an impressive introduction to the singer/songwriter side of David. I spoke with him in a revealing conversation about being an introvert, why the initial success of Maneskin caught him by surprise, songwriting and much more. Steve Baltin: Congratulations on the record. I was just looking at your Instagram. I've talked about this with so many artists. When you do a solo record as opposed to being in a band, it does feel like because it's under your name, it's much more personal. It feels like this one was more internal. Was that the case? Damiano David: Yeah, I think, especially the last record with my band Maneskin, it's a lot about what I was seeing externally while this record is a lot about the effects that all that I've seen had on me. Baltin: I'm always a big believer in writing being subconscious. So, when you started doing this and started putting all this into song, were there things that you were surprised about on the record? David: Yeah, it was actually quite accurate. It's really my experience. I feel like everything that happened with the band happened so fast that I never really had the chance to absorb it and understand the effects that it was having on me. I was so moved by this boost of energy and enthusiasm that all the problems were going into the back of my brain. But you can delay stuff for only for as long as possible, at one point it's going to come out. And this was the time for me. Baltin: Were there specific songs that really surprised you when you went back and listened to the lyrics? David: I think that pretty much with every song, what happens to me it's like after I wrote it I read back the lyrics, and I realize that I didn't even know that I was feeling that so strongly or that like that was the source of my problem. This is really generalized to pretty much every song I write. In general, in the record I was surprised by the level of honesty and vulnerability and disconnects, also with the level of connection that I managed to have with all the producers and songwriters I worked with. It was surprising for me as a very internal person. I don't share much. So, it was surprising for me the level of understanding and the level of confidence that I can see in the songs. Baltin: That's interesting. I've talked to so many people about this; music becomes your way of communicating. So, did you have to share this to express your feelings? David: Yeah, definitely. The word that I was searching for was introverted. But yeah, for me, it's like opening the lid of a bottle and letting everything come out, because I'm not a great talker. So, music, that's the trick for me. Baltin: That's so interesting to me because Chris Cornell was a friend and Chris was one of the greatest frontmen ever. He told me he was an outcast as a kid and became a musician because music becomes his way of communicating and fitting it with the world. David: I think especially for songwriters, but I think it applies to musicians in general, many times it starts as a way to be seen or understood. I feel like a very common sentiment is wanting to say something or to show something and maybe not having the platform or not having the confidence or coming from an environment that doesn't really let you do it. So, music works as this kind of counterattack, where you're like, 'I'll put myself on a stage. So, you have to listen to me.' Then when you grow older and you're not that mad and instinctive anymore, you understand that it's actually your way to communicate strong feelings that can be overwhelming most of the time. When you have the safety of a stage, which seems counterintuitive, but a stage makes me feel makes me and I think a lot of colleagues feel safer. You have the strength to talk about these things. Baltin: Because you consider yourself an introvert, when Maneskin started to become this huge behemoth that everybody responded to was there a feeling of disconnect, like this didn't make sense? David: If you think about it, it feels weird because if you break it down, it's always weird to think there's that amount of people giving attention to you. I think it will never get normal for me. But I think that for me it felt a lot like I was right, like, I had something to say, and I thought it was worth listening to. This was finally the evidence that I was right. Baltin: That then gives you the confidence to do a solo record that is more vulnerable because all these people are responding, all these people love it. The other thing of course that happens is you just get older. And as you get older, you just get more confident, you start to care less about what others think. David: Yeah, I would say it's definitely true. I think it happened during the process of the record, I felt like I needed to communicate something and the only way possible to do it was to make a solo project. Then of course after that all the fears and self -doubting and the thinking about what people would think came about but I would say it lasted very few days because I was really paying attention to how writing this music made me feel. It was extremely positive for me. Baltin: What was the first song written for this record? David: I started with the purpose of doing a solo project. I knew that a very defining song was 'Born With A Broken Heart' because it's the type of sound that I didn't imagine for myself at the beginning of the process. Then it ended up being the one I feel more comfortable with right now and most represented by. That was really like a breaking point for me. It was like, 'Okay, I think we just found the sound of the record.' Baltin: What was it about this sound that spoke to you? David: I felt like it would allow me to be many different things at the same time, which is what I feel like I am and what I want to show the people. I feel like before I'm a songwriter, an artist, a performer or whatever, I'm a person. I'm a human being and people are made of many different layers and many different levels of emotions and experiences. I felt like this type of sound, which is very influenced by theater and musicals, would really give me the chance to explore a huge amount of emotions and dynamics and would allow me to dance if I wanted to dance and be very serious if I wanted to be serious, be very cinematic. I feel like it has such a wide range of emotions, and my main goal is to have fun with music. I felt like this would allow me to really have fun.
Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Damiano David on life after Eurovision: ‘An apology would be nice'
'Shall we go and see the Pope?' I ask Italy's biggest pop star, Damiano David, the frontman of the heavily kohled and leather-clad 2021 Eurovision winners Maneskin. He laughs, blowing cigarette smoke out before letting me down: 'I don't think so.' I'm sort of joking. I know he has listening events with fans and journalists for his debut solo album, Funny Little Fears, after our interview. It would be a special kind of diva behaviour to abandon that for some papal devotion. But Leo XIV is giving his first Sunday address at the same time as our interview, just two miles to the west of the hotel balcony where we're sitting in Rome. Plus, Harry Styles was spotted in St Peter's Square last week
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
We've had mainstream success, won awards & had a million streams but this album is for me, says Maneskin's Damiano David
Find out why Damiano nearly walked away from music — and what changed his mind MANE MAN We've had mainstream success, won awards & had a million streams but this album is for me, says Maneskin's Damiano David FOR Maneskin's Damiano David, it feels like the right moment to release a solo album. And the Italian singer reveals a more personal, previously hidden, side of himself on the record. Advertisement 6 Maneskin's Damiano David bares all on his new solo album Funny Little Fears Credit: Damon Baker 6 David says he is grateful for the success that he has enjoyed with Maneskin since their Eurovision breakthrough with song Zitti e buoni Credit: Rex David — who found fame when his band won the Eurovision Song Contest for Italy in 2021 — admits: 'For a long time I felt misunderstood as a public figure. In terms of confidence, being in the public eye took a lot away from me.' Chatting on a video call from his Los Angeles home, he adds: 'For years, I felt like I was being watched all the time, that wherever I went there might be someone taking a picture, filming a video. 'So even going out to do the groceries was a challenge for me, not because of people asking for pictures, but because it caused a lot of anxiety.' It's a busy time for David when we speak as he is about to move house. Advertisement 'It's a little chaotic because I'm trying to keep track of everything, but it's exciting too,' he says. 'There were different stages making this album. The first part was terrifying and extremely stressful because I had to force myself to face my fears. It was like a huge, scary monster. 'I had to face things that scare me, like going to the studio, having to introduce myself and adapt to the room. 'Just writing a song, I had to open up somehow.' Advertisement That process of confronting fear also forced the singer to confront his identity. 'People only knew a part of me through my role in the band,' he explains. Top 17 Shocking Eurovision Controversies That Rocked the Stage 'Top tier of pop' 'I wanted to show who I really am — and not be afraid. 'Our generation is over cringe culture [mocking online], because people are allowed to be goofy, to be normal, to be fallible and make mistakes. Advertisement 'But my brain was still focused on projecting perfection — yet I am convinced that perfection is the number one enemy of art and happiness. I don't aim for perfection, I aim for greatness, to be good. So I have a constant fight in my brain about this. 'But I had a goal and so, after a demanding month which I found extremely hard, things got easier.' On David's first solo record, called Funny Little Fears, there are no hidden layers at all. He says: 'The spotlight is on me, and it's my full personality — when I'm confident and secure and when I'm vulnerable and scared. It's the full thing. Advertisement 'But it's changed everything for me, and I'm open to things. 'Someone mentioned acting. If the right thing comes, why not? Sometimes artists cross over and it looks forced. I wouldn't like that, but if the right project came along and it was organic, then why not?' My favourite song is Tango, which might be the fastest of the whole record. It's very fast, very funny and the lyrics are almost making fun of myself. David says he is grateful for the success that he has enjoyed with Maneskin since their Eurovision breakthrough with song Zitti e buoni. He adds proudly: 'I have achieved a lot with Maneskin. We've had mainstream success and won a bunch of awards and have our million streams or whatever. Advertisement "So this album is for me. And I was able to experience making it in a healthy, free and joyful way.' Funny Little Fears is a less rocky sound than Maneskin, and David has been inspired by the likes of Keane, early Killers and even Billy Joel's Piano Man. 'The top tier of pop music inspired this,' he says. 'I tried to steal something from Elton John too. And I hope you can hear that. 'It's a different sound. Even as a singer, I sound different. I have more range on here. Some of the songs are extremely fun to sing. Advertisement 'My favourite song is Tango, which might be the fastest of the whole record. It's very fast, very funny and the lyrics are almost making fun of myself. 'So it's very dark but, at the same time, extremely happy with this dance vibe. It's great to sing — a little cheeky, a little funny and inspired by a relationship that I had. It's a cool song.' The first single is an irresistibly gorgeous number called Silverlines, which David made with Labrinth, the London producer/singer known for Beneath Your Beautiful. 'Dark places' Other collaborations include with actress and model Suki Waterhouse and American singer songwriter d4vd known for TikTok hit Romantic Homicide. Advertisement 'Labrinth is great,' says David. 'How did it happen? I still don't know, as it happened all so fast. 6 David admits he has had to overcome some dark times Credit: Damon Baker 6 Maneskin were Eurovision winners at the contest in 2021 Credit: Splash 'Sarah Hudson, who I wrote the song Next Summer with, writes with him and asked me about getting him to add something to it. Advertisement 'So this opportunity came from the sky as I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right moment.' And writing that song was deeply therapeutic for David. 'It's a song about getting out of dark places or dark moments, which is what this album did for me,' he says. 'I was in a very unhappy and unsatisfied place. 'And I'm aware this life gives me so many privileges, but at the same time I am very sensitive, and this work involves many emotions and there's lots of loneliness.' Advertisement At his lowest, he even considered walking away from music. 'Maybe quitting would have been extreme,' he admits. 'But a two-year hiatus was knocking at the door. 'But through the writing process, something shifted. When I write music, I get access to parts of my brain that I don't normally have access to. Advertisement I was in a really dark place, deeply unhappy, and I knew I had to do something about it, fast. 'It's like a stream of consciousness — I don't always know what I'm writing about until I read it back. But it gives me clarity. 'It's like putting the problem on paper, or what's making me happy in that moment. 'At times, I thought that music itself was the problem — that maybe I wasn't cut out for it, or that it had lost its sparkle for me. 'But then I realised it was exactly the opposite. It was the one thing I could hold on to. Advertisement 'Making this record helped rebuild me and gave me the good life I have now.' The hardest part for David was coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't happy. 'It took the longest to admit,' he explains. Starting the record felt like a train wreck. 'I was in a really dark place, deeply unhappy, and I knew I had to do something about it, fast.' Advertisement One of the standout tracks, the hauntingly beautiful ballad Sick Of Myself, captures the raw emotion of that difficult period. 'That could have been the album title,' he tells me. 'But then I thought it was too dark, and it took out the positive part — because the album is a journey from darkness to light.' That journey also brought a new understanding of connection and vulnerability. 'I realised I need people,' he says. 'I've always been convinced I could do everything on my own. Advertisement "Now I see how central and meaningful real connections are. I used to think happiness came from job satisfaction and status — and it doesn't. 'I've grown and matured enough to see that there's always someone who can bring light back into your life, even when everything seems like it's falling apart.' The First Line is an upbeat love song about his girlfriend, American actress and singer Dove Cameron. He lights up: 'Now that's a very special one and my girlfriend loves the song because it's about her. She loves the whole record.' Advertisement 'Crazy journey' Their relationship, like the album, attracts plenty of attention — and with that comes scrutiny. So how does he cope? 'We take whatever comes with it,' he says. 'We're very happy and have a strong connection, so there's not much noise that can upset us.' Everything I've been through making this record has changed and inspired me. It's a new chapter and I'm ready for it. David began his music career at the age of 15. By 17, he had co-founded Maneskin with Victoria De Angelis and Thomas Raggi, later joined by Ethan Torchio. Advertisement They started performing as buskers on the streets of Rome before becoming famous when they finished second on the Italian X Factor in 2017. The singer has previously said he missed out on being a teenager. Today he adds that if he had started his career later he would have a stage name. 'I regret not having one,' he says. 'It helps separate your everyday life and your stage life. But then if the 15-year-old me could see me in LA making this record, he would be amazed. It's been a crazy journey.' And on the topic of Maneskin, how is their relationship today? Advertisement 'We are still friends. I recently had dinner with Thomas here in LA. We're all still good. We message each other and they've heard the album.' 6 Ethan Torchio, Victoria De Angelis, Damiano David and Thomas Raggi of Maneskin attend The Brit Awards in 2022 Credit: Getty The start of June sees David embark on a mammoth world tour, including two shows at London's Roundhouse in September. 'We're designing the stage and working on the set,' he tells me. 'I have a bunch of ideas that I hope I'm going to be able to pull off. Advertisement 'I know it's going to be very long and demanding, but I'm going to have the right amount of sleep and I'm working out and eating well. That really helps and not just on a physical level. 'It's about being smart, working out the schedule, having little rests, and having people come around to make it feel less lonely and less like you're travelling around the world out of a suitcase. 'Everything I've been through making this record has changed and inspired me. It's a new chapter and I'm ready for it.' 6 David's Funny Little Fears is out today Credit: supplied Advertisement DAMIANO DAVID Funny Little Fears
The Irish Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
We've had mainstream success, won awards & had a million streams but this album is for me, says Maneskin's Damiano David
FOR Maneskin's Damiano David, it feels like the right moment to release a solo album. And the Italian singer reveals a more personal, previously hidden, side of himself on the record. 6 Maneskin's Damiano David bares all on his new solo album Funny Little Fears Credit: Damon Baker 6 David says he is grateful for the success that he has enjoyed with Maneskin since their Eurovision breakthrough with song Zitti e buoni Credit: Rex David — who found fame when his band won the Eurovision Song Contest for Italy in 2021 — admits: 'For a long time I felt misunderstood as a public figure. In terms of confidence, being in the public eye took a lot away from me.' Chatting on a video call from his Los Angeles home, he adds: 'For years, I felt like I was being watched all the time, that wherever I went there might be someone taking a picture, filming a video. 'So even going out to do the groceries was a challenge for me, not because of people asking for pictures, but because it caused a lot of anxiety.' It's a busy time for READ MORE MUSIC NEWS 'It's a little chaotic because I'm trying to keep track of everything, but it's exciting too,' he says. 'There were different stages making this album. The first part was terrifying and extremely stressful because I had to force myself to face my fears. It was like a huge, scary monster. 'I had to face things that scare me, like going to the studio, having to introduce myself and adapt to the room. 'Just writing a song, I had to open up somehow.' Most read in Music That process of confronting fear also forced the singer to confront his identity. 'People only knew a part of me through my role in the band,' he explains. Top 17 Shocking Eurovision Controversies That Rocked the Stage 'Top tier of pop' 'I wanted to show who I really am — and not be afraid. 'Our generation is over cringe culture [mocking online], because people are allowed to be goofy, to be normal, to be fallible and make mistakes. 'But my brain was still focused on projecting perfection — yet I am convinced that perfection is the number one enemy of art and happiness. I don't aim for perfection, I aim for greatness, to be good. So I have a constant fight in my brain about this. 'But I had a goal and so, after a demanding month which I found extremely hard, things got easier.' On David's first solo record, called Funny Little Fears, there are no hidden layers at all. He says: 'The spotlight is on me, and it's my full personality — when I'm confident and secure and when I'm vulnerable and scared. It's the full thing. 'But it's changed everything for me, and I'm open to things. 'Someone mentioned acting. If the right thing comes, why not? Sometimes artists cross over and it looks forced. I wouldn't like that, but if the right project came along and it was organic, then why not?' My favourite song is Tango, which might be the fastest of the whole record. It's very fast, very funny and the lyrics are almost making fun of myself. David says he is grateful for the success that he has enjoyed with He adds proudly: 'I have achieved a lot with Maneskin. We've had mainstream success and won a bunch of awards and have our million streams or whatever. "So this album is for me. And I was able to experience making it in a healthy, free and joyful way.' Funny Little Fears is a less rocky sound than Maneskin, and David has been inspired by the likes of Keane, early 'The top tier of pop music inspired this,' he says. 'I tried to steal something from 'It's a different sound. Even as a singer, I sound different. I have more range on here. Some of the songs are extremely fun to sing. 'My favourite song is Tango, which might be the fastest of the whole record. It's very fast, very funny and the lyrics are almost making fun of myself. 'So it's very dark but, at the same time, extremely happy with this dance vibe. It's great to sing — a little cheeky, a little funny and inspired by a relationship that I had. It's a cool song.' The first single is an irresistibly gorgeous number called Silverlines, which David made with Labrinth, the London producer/singer known for Beneath Your Beautiful. 'Dark places' Other collaborations include with actress and model Suki Waterhouse and American singer songwriter d4vd known for TikTok hit Romantic Homicide. 'Labrinth is great,' says David. 'How did it happen? I still don't know, as it happened all so fast. 6 David admits he has had to overcome some dark times Credit: Damon Baker 6 Maneskin were Eurovision winners at the contest in 2021 Credit: Splash 'Sarah Hudson, who I wrote the song Next Summer with, writes with him and asked me about getting him to add something to it. 'So this opportunity came from the sky as I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right moment.' And writing that song was deeply therapeutic for David. 'It's a song about getting out of dark places or dark moments, which is what this album did for me,' he says. 'I was in a very unhappy and unsatisfied place. 'And I'm aware this life gives me so many privileges, but at the same time I am very sensitive, and this work involves many emotions and there's lots of loneliness.' At his lowest, he even considered walking away from music. 'Maybe quitting would have been extreme,' he admits. 'But a two-year hiatus was knocking at the door. 'But through the writing process, something shifted. When I write music, I get access to parts of my brain that I don't normally have access to. I was in a really dark place, deeply unhappy, and I knew I had to do something about it, fast. 'It's like a stream of consciousness — I don't always know what I'm writing about until I read it back. But it gives me clarity. 'It's like putting the problem on paper, or what's making me happy in that moment. 'At times, I thought that music itself was the problem — that maybe I wasn't cut out for it, or that it had lost its sparkle for me. 'But then I realised it was exactly the opposite. It was the one thing I could hold on to. 'Making this record helped rebuild me and gave me the good life I have now.' The hardest part for David was coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't happy. 'It took the longest to admit,' he explains. Starting the record felt like a train wreck. 'I was in a really dark place, deeply unhappy, and I knew I had to do something about it, fast.' One of the standout tracks, the hauntingly beautiful ballad Sick Of Myself, captures the raw emotion of that difficult period. 'That could have been the album title,' he tells me. 'But then I thought it was too dark, and it took out the positive part — because the album is a journey from darkness to light.' That journey also brought a new understanding of connection and vulnerability. 'I realised I need people,' he says. 'I've always been convinced I could do everything on my own. "Now I see how central and meaningful real connections are. I used to think happiness came from job satisfaction and status — and it doesn't. 'I've grown and matured enough to see that there's always someone who can bring light back into your life, even when everything seems like it's falling apart.' The First Line is an upbeat love song about his girlfriend, American actress and singer Dove Cameron. He lights up: 'Now that's a very special one and my girlfriend loves the song because it's about her. She loves the whole record.' 'Crazy journey' Their relationship, like the album, attracts plenty of attention — and with that comes scrutiny. So how does he cope? 'We take whatever comes with it,' he says. 'We're very happy and have a strong connection, so there's not much noise that can upset us.' Everything I've been through making this record has changed and inspired me. It's a new chapter and I'm ready for it. David began his music career at the age of 15. By 17, They started performing as buskers on the streets of Rome before becoming famous when they finished second on the Italian X Factor in 2017. The singer has previously said he missed out on being a teenager. Today he adds that if he had started his career later he would have a stage name. 'I regret not having one,' he says. 'It helps separate your everyday life and your stage life. But then if the 15-year-old me could see me in LA making this record, he would be amazed. It's been a crazy journey.' And on the topic of Maneskin, how is their relationship today? 'We are still friends. I recently had dinner with Thomas here in LA. We're all still good. We message each other and they've heard the album.' 6 Ethan Torchio, Victoria De Angelis, Damiano David and Thomas Raggi of Maneskin attend The Brit Awards in 2022 Credit: Getty The start of June sees David embark on a mammoth world tour, including two shows at London's Roundhouse in September. 'We're designing the stage and working on the set,' he tells me. 'I have a bunch of ideas that I hope I'm going to be able to pull off. 'I know it's going to be very long and demanding, but I'm going to have the right amount of sleep and I'm working out and eating well. That really helps and not just on a physical level. 'It's about being smart, working out the schedule, having little rests, and having people come around to make it feel less lonely and less like you're travelling around the world out of a suitcase. 'Everything I've been through making this record has changed and inspired me. It's a new chapter and I'm ready for it.' 6 David's Funny Little Fears is out today Credit: supplied DAMIANO DAVID Funny Little Fears ★★★★☆
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
Singer Damiano David bares his soul on debut solo album, 'Funny Little Fears'
ABC News' Eva Pilgrim spoke with vocal powerhouse Damiano David to discuss his debut solo album, "Funny Little Fears," and his adjustment to the spotlight outside his Grammy-nominated band Måneskin.
