“Scarabocchi” is much more than an album: it is a deep and intimate journey in the soul of Chiello, a mosaic of raw and authentic emotions that wind between melancholy melodies and dreamlike images.
The disc explores the inner chaos of the singer -songwriter, giving voice to a universe suspended between dream and reality, where every trace is a fragment of life, a small scribble of soul.
In this interview, Chiello guides us behind the scenes of a job that merges text and visual art, revealing his creative processes and anxieties that have given shape to such a visceral and personal album.
Chiello-Artwork-Disco-Inter_2025
The interview
Let's talk a little about the album. There is a particular verse that captures the human condition of “scarabocchi”. You talk about thinking about the end of your days, but not for this reason condemning life. What does this verse mean to you?
I am fascinated by death, I don't know if for pure curiosity to find out what's after.
However, not for this condemns life, indeed I am also fascinated by life.
I want to live every moment, every emotion. The only certainty we have is death, and on this we do not escape. It is an aspect that is part of me, of my thoughts.
Is there a specific experience that prompted you to write this album or is it something deeper?
There have been events that have triggered something within me, but in general it is always the same mechanism: sometimes I don't write for months, but then the moment comes when I feel the need to write and I have to spit out everything I have inside. It is a natural process for me. It's a part of me!
Have you had particular influences or people who stimulated you to write?
Certainly the artists who are next to me, such as Tommaso Ottomano and Fausto Cigarini. They stimulate me with their artistic vision, they inspire me.
The writing of the album seems almost cinematographic, with strong and suggestive images. Have you thought about a movie while you wrote the songs, or is there an image that particularly impressed you?
I don't think so much in terms of images, but an image that I like very much is that of the insect that you can enjoy the rain until the last drop. It is a metaphor that contains my way of life a little, to savor every moment.
Your album has a mix of very different influences, including guitars that would not expect today. Where do you get inspiration from?
I am very passionate about the Genoese school, such as Gino Paoli, Tenco and also Piero Ciampi. I really like music in general, from classic to Bossanova to the most modern music.
In this period I am listening to Jeff Buckley a lot, which I find incredible. Elliot Smith is incredible is my absolute idol. He stabbed the heart alone is a crazy unleashed !!!
Has the writing of the album changed over time? There is a melancholy figure that emerges, which seems to be more recent.
I learned it over time. But it is still a spontaneous process. I never set a specific goal when I write. It's all very natural, I never think of a result, but I let emotions flow.
Speaking of images, is there a particular image that binds a song in a special way to the album?
Yes, as I said before, the image of the insect enjoying the rain. It is a metaphor that represents me, and I believe that it reflects my approach to music and life in general.
How would you describe the moment you are experiencing artistically, if I had to do it in an image?
It is a difficult question. Scarabocchi are born when you are not thinking about something specific, when the mind is elsewhere. This is how my songs are also born: spontaneous, without a precise plan.
In your album Scarabocchi, the collaboration with Rose Villain emerges as one of the most significant meetings. How was this project born together?
With Rose an immediate, almost natural harmony was born. He is an incredibly authentic person, with an artistic vision very similar to mine. The collaboration born in Sanremo was spontaneous, without forcing. In my creative process, every sound, every word, must find its place, and with Rose it was like this: everything came out with great naturalness.
Musically, we found ourselves on a common ground, where our influences mixed perfectly, creating a unique dimension.
His presence has certainly given a new depth to the project, with a sensitivity that enriched the album and conferred that nuance of delicacy and intensity that was missing me. It was a meeting that gave birth to something very special. “
What is the song that represents you most in this album?
I don't know, they are all a bit like children for me. But if I had to choose one, I would say “insects”. It seems to me that it contains a lot of me, of my world view.
The cover of the disc is very special. Can you tell us how it was born and who did it?
The cover made Agata Ferrari, a very good Italian painter. I went to Tommaso Ottoman's house. He at home has a demon-shaped pulp. I liked it very much and we involved it in this project. It represents well the songs and its imagination.
Is there anyone who dedicated this album to?
There is no specific person, but I believe that the album represents my world and the experiences that have formed me. It is dedicated to my vision of life, to all the people who influenced me.
You are originally from Venosa, a small town in Basilicata. How much did this environment influence your writing and approach to music?
I think he has influenced a lot. Growing in close contact with nature, I developed a deep bond with it. My musical approach is also linked to the people of my country, like the drummer Ignazio who taught me to play. There I found many influences that formed me.
And how are you now in Milan, after five years of life here?
At the beginning it was difficult, it took me a while to adapt. I felt like a fish out of water. I saw everything so big, huge buildings … but now I feel at home, I got used to it.
The tracklist (read the review)
1. Insects
2. Sparks
3. Stupid soul
4. Limone
5. My eyes were your feat. Rose Villain
6. I will curs
7. Stretted friends
8. Ananas juice feat. Achille Lauro
9. My love
10. Room 107
11. Malibu
12. Pirates
13. Nobody believes you
The tour
The singer -songwriter for the first time will rise on the stages of the main Italian clubs with the unmissable “Chiello Live 2025”: eight dates charged with emotion, intensity and the expressive force that makes his music unique.
May 4 – Mamamia – Senigallia (new date) – Zero Date
May 6 – Music House – Naples
May 7 – Atlantico Live – Rome
May 11 – Alcatraz – Milan
May 14 – Cartiere Carrara Theater – Florence
May 16 – Vox Club – Nonantola (MO)
May 18 – Gran Teatro Geox – Padua
May 19 – Concordia Theater – Venaria Reale (TO)
Click to buy tickets on Ticketone
Web & Social
https://www.instagram.com/chiello_fsk/
https://www.tiktok.com/@roccomodello99
PH: Chiello Ph_francisdelacroix
