Francesco Cataldo (Perfect View)

Interview By Woody

Hi Francesco, Italy has developed a really positive reputation in recent years for its emerging melodic rock and AOR acts. What’s it like been part of the burgeoning melodic rock scene in Italy?

There are some really interesting bands here in Italy and we are very proud to be considered part of this melodic rock scene! We put a lot of passion in our music and what we do is the result of our long-time musical influences. We play exactly what we are!

What inspired you to write songs in the AOR vein – Italy isn’t known as a hotbed for the genre in the past so how did you get into the genre and be inspired to write in this style?

Writing music means to express your inner voice. We grew up listening hard rock in all its forms and we've absorbed that music very deeply. This is clearly reflected in the way we write music. It's not a matter of where you live but what "musical lesson" you've had in your growth path.

This is the second Perfect View album on the Avenue Of Allies record label do you have a good working relationship with the label?

Absolutely. We were confident of having good new material since we started working on the new songs. Gregor Klee of Avenue Of Allies liked the new tracks from the first time we sent them to him, so we decided to continue our musical collaboration. This time we worked by ourselves also on the artwork and Gregor immediately appreciated and approved the graphic design. Now we hope that this new album could give him (and give us!) a lot of satisfaction!

It’s been four years since your last album has ‘Red Moon Rising’ turned out as you hoped and as you originally envisioned?

Yes. We think that the music in "Red Moon Rising" is more focused. It's definitely an album that has some musical diversity, but it maintains a clearer stylistic identity compared to "Hold Your Dreams". We also believe that "Red Moon Rising" is better written, arranged, played, produced and mixed than the previous album. It's the "logical evolution" of "Hold Your Dreams" from all points of view and this is exactly what we wanted to do when we started to think about a new album.

Can you talk to us about some of the songs on the album any stories or meanings behind the songs?

Each song has a story behind it. Both musically and lyrically. For example, "I will remember" is a ballad that talks about the joy I felt (and still I feel!) when my daughter was born. It's a song that comes straight from my heart. "By my side" talks about an astronaut who is many miles away from home where he left behind disappointing experiences. He has a small wooden box (with some objects inside) next to him, in his spaceship, and now those things (that remind him of happy moments) are enough to make him feel good. "Room 14" talks about something strange that happens in the room number 14 of an eerie hotel... "In a blink of an eye" is about how quickly things can change the life of a soldier in a war scenario. In short, every song tells a story or has a precise meaning.

Do you have any plans for live shows especially here in the UK?

We'd love to play live in the UK! We should start a collaboration with some specialized people to develop a plan for future live shows to promote the new album, and we hope to play also in the UK! We'll keep updated our official site with all of the future live shows, so anyone who is interested in seeing us live can take a look at www.perfectviewtheband.com

What does the future hold for Perfect View and where would you like to see the band going in the coming years?

We hope to reach as many people as possible with our music and to play live in many interesting situations. We'd like to have the opportunity to continue to make albums 'cause we have a lot of new ideas, and we love to make music.