- country:Italy
- style(s):Rock
- label:Mescal
- artist posted by:Mescal International
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AFTERHOURS - Biography
With endorsement from the likes of REM and Mercury Rev, it is easy to see why AFTERHOURS are set to be Italy’s biggest export.
Over the last decade, AFTERHOURS’ loyalty to emotionally driven performances and powerful song-writing, has won them the respect of critics and audiences alike. From what initially began as a word of mouth following, AFTERHOURS soon started to attract the attention and acclaim of the music industry receiving countless awards, notably in 1997, with inclusion of only their second album in the influential Italian music magazine Mucchio Selvaggio’s ‘Top 10 Italian albums of all time’ award, and later in 2002 as they took the prestigious Italian Music Award’s prize for best song-writing. Remarkably however, while their reputation became established and their shows began to sell out, AFTERHOURS always retained a close relationship to their craft, concentrating evermore so on their impassioned blend of music, never afraid to return to and reinvent their own special approach to song-writing.
Central to this unique approach is front man Manuel Agnelli’s presence, not only as a musician, but also as a respected writer and producer in Italy. Agnelli’s involvement with both music and literary festivals throughout the country, has earned him high regard as a valued member of the Italian artistic community, constantly engaging himself with the works of others, John Parish (PJ Harvey’s writing partner) and Hugo Race (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), to name two among many. It is within this artistic need for exchange and influence that AFTERHOURS’ innovative sound finds its place.
Probably the most important, and celebrated, of Agnelli’s collaborative partnerships came early in 2004 when Greg Dulli’s, The Twilight Singers, joined AFTERHOURS in Italy for a five date co-headline tour. The concerts sparked a relationship which, over the next year, saw the two contributing greatly to each others work, with Agnelli playing guitar on The Twilight Singers’ esteemed 2004 album She Loves You and Dulli acting as a catalyst for new AFTERHOURS’ material written around the same time. What began as a relationship based on a mutual belief in music, found its full maturity early in 2005 when One Little Indian Records (home of The Twilight Singers) signed AFTERHOURS to release their new album.
With five critically acclaimed albums released in their native language, AFTERHOURS are now set to reach beyond their borders, recording their sixth album Ballads For Little Hyenas (One Little Indian) in both English and Italian.
BFLH, tells a story of absence and loss; “Wrap your arms around the one thing you can never touch” sings Manuel Agnelli in the album’s title track, but always, it seems, with a hold on what remains and where that leads: “Soon you’ll fade away/ Life has just begun for you”. BFLH searches for and implores understanding, but never acceptance.
AFTHERHOURS won’t come to you - you will come to them.
Album releases
Germi (Mescal) 1995
Hai Paura del Buio? (Mescal) 1997
Non è Per Sempre (Mescal) 1999
Siam Tre Piccoli Porcellini, live (Mescal) 2001
Quello che non c’è (Mescal) 2002
Ballate per piccole iene (Mescal) 2005
EP and Singles releases
Male di Miele (Mescal) 1998
Sui Giovani d’Oggi ci Scatarro Su (Mescal) 1998
La Verità che Ricordavo (Mescal) 2000
Bianca (Mescal) 2000
Sulle Labbra (Mescal) 2002
La Gente Sta Male (Mescal) 2003
Gioia e Rivoluzione (Mescal) 2004
Ballata per la mia piccola iena (Mescal) 2005
For contacts/info:
Mescal International – Roberta Accettulli
Tel./fax +39 02 474451 – Mob. +39 335 316695
e-mail roberta@mescal.it
Booking in Italy:
Mescal Live – Alessandro Ceccarelli
Tel./fax +39 051 5878905 – Mob. +39 335 7169140
e-mail cecca@mescal.it
International Booking:
Mescal Live – Emanuele Roveri
Tel./fax +39 051 5878905 – Mob. +39 335 5736656
e-mail lele@mescal.it