Could you please introduce the band Ashram to our readers?

The line up of Ashram is: Luigi Rubino (piano), Sergio Panarella (voice), Alfredo Notarloberti (violin). Ashram was born when Luigi’s and Sergio’s ideas caught up together while composing "For My Sun" in May ‘98. This song was born with only piano and voice not by a choice but a necessity as in that magic moment we were a pianist and a singer with the only clear idea to melt our sensations in music. A few days after we got in touch with Alfredo and the following July we recorded the song on a CD…the line up was completed. We chose the name Ashram either for the enchanting sound of this ancient Indian word either for the sense of spirituality we surely tend to recall by our music. From September ’98 to March ‘99 we wrote other songs with the same naturalness and recorded 11 tracks, taking out 7 for the self-released CD demo "For My Sun" which allowed us to take part to many compilations and to sign a contract with Prikosnovenie for our debut album. Afterwards there was a time of creative inactivity during which we toured shaping our live show in order to have a more direct link with our audience. Finally, in the last year we started the songwriting for our new album and we’re very fond of "Shining Silver Skies"; it’s the record we wanted, more mature and more direct.

Congratulations with your stunning album Shining Silver Skies. The music, vocals and overall atmosphere are absolutely stunning and create the perfect atmosphere to completely relax to. Can you tell us something about the process of writing and recording this album?

The secret of our songwriting is to melt in music an idea that can be born when we’re together as for instance in "5 steps" or in a lonely emotional moment as in "Maria and the violin’s string", "Lady" or "Ultimo carillon". There’s no rule, but surely, as from the beginning, the fusion of soul and emotions is still the basement of our music.

The album has a neo-classical atmosphere as well as delicate pop structures, and it seems the musicians involved are all very talented, what is the musical background of all participating members?

Thanks for your words! Luigi studied classical music and he mostly listens to contemporary music. Also Alfredo comes from the classical studies of Conservatoire and he had experiences in several bands of various musical kinds, from blues to folk, rock to jazz. His favourite musician definitely remains Bach. Sergio never studied singing academically and his effort has always been focused on the uniqueness of both colour and lines enriching his knowledge of vocal technique by books…the last and very interesting one is "The soul in the voice" by Francoise Gottard. He listens to different kinds of music and above all he could mention Bach and Nick Drake.

How come the album got a very light feel over it, in contrast to the neo-classical instrumentation it almost hints towards pop music. Was this intentional ?

Actually the label neo-classical - dark never suited us and we’d rather define our music as deeply emotional. Acoustic instruments have an incredible glow and give a chance to express one’s sensibility in a very pure way. Their dynamic range is very wide and often the instrument becomes the expression of what you really feel without any sort of barrier…Our tracks are made by classical equipment and colours but having a song – structure they get a "pop" attitude never forced but very natural instead…In our views with "Shining Silver Skies" we succeeded in putting ideas together and simplifying them to the audience.

It took Ashram 4 years to come up with this new album, and it surely was worth the waiting, but were these also 4 years of writing and composing or were there some other issues that prevented Ashram from releasing a new album?

We didn’t have any obligation and we didn’t force it, the album has come up when it was meant to be. There are no other recordings made in these 4 years. We started the songwriting for the new album about one year and a half ago and it was recorded in 10 days.

The previous album has been released by Prikosnovenie, while Shining
Silver Skies is released through Equilibrium Music. Why did Ashram change
label for this new album?

We thank Prikosnovenie that gave us the chance to release our debut album, it’s a really good label and they worked constantly hard for us. However, in these last years we met the people of Equilibrium Music during our tours in Portugal and soon we shared a nice feeling both musically with Dwelling, which we often performed on stage with, and moreover personally with a strong friendship, so after a time of reflection we finally chose their label.

Which things in life inspire you to write lyrics and music?

Music comes from moments of life and each sound is an emotion…Regarding the lyrics in this album there have been some changes even if the motivations that touch our souls are basically the same, above all it’s love in its widest meaning. Words are like pearls that make together a text, a necklace of emotions. In "5 steps" for the first time we happened to write in Italian and translate in English, in "All’imbrunire" for the first time we let our own language revealing that magic moment between day and night. And surely a deeper maturity led us to lyrics as those in "For each and every child" talking for the first time about a universally real and cruel matter such as the incredible death of children caused by famine. We demand more respect for life and for the environment that gives us life: "And what will happen in the morning’s eyes when the world will be dead?"

Are the band members involved in Ashram also busy with personal projects or side projects , if so please explain which musical entities exist, beside
Ashram?

At the moment no one of us is involved in personal projects. All of our musical ideas are definitely for Ashram in spite of any solo career. About side projects, it’s more than 10 years that Alfredo has been part of Argine and lately he’s also playing, together with Luigi, in Corde Oblique, a project by Riccardo Prencipe, and many other bands.

Ashram will be touring Portugal during the month of June. What can people
expect of an Ashram concert ?

They know us very well in Portugal!!! It’s our third tour and anytime we come back there is wonderful. Our live show today is more mature and communicative and less static. The songs featuring the acoustic guitar and Alfredo’s intro make it much more dynamic…and then we are the same and we give our souls on stage.

Is there anything you would like to add or say to the readers of Gothtronic.com ?

We thank you and all readers and we hope to come and play in Holland soon!!!!!!!