Fuck 2020 series: Fernando ‘Fella’ Di Cicco (Dreamshade)

We all have been traumatized, more or less, by the pandemic – and it’s OK not to feel OK, as I pointed out in my editorial. Follow our new series „Fuck 2020“ – incl. video interviews – and find out how the art world, namely musicians and bands have been dealing with it. Swiss Metallers Dreamshade have just released their 4th album “A Pale Blue Dot” (our review HERE), and now guitarist and vocalist Fernando ‘Fella’ Di Cicco fills us in:  

What made 2020 most difficult for you, personally and for the whole band – what sucked the most in your opinion?

I would say that being separated from the bandmates, family and friends for a while was the part that sucked the most, honestly. Also, we don’t really like to stay at home all the time, but luckily we had a lot of work to do for the record (their 4th, named
Despite the difficulties we encountered due to the lockdown, we didn’t let ourselves be discouraged and continued to work with enthusiasm.
The approach in songwriting during this pandemic period has led us to discover a new way to compose and work together. Working remotely and not being able to confront each other face to face as usual was certainly a novelty for us. This didn’t negatively affect the way of working, on the contrary, it almost seems to have sped up some processes that perhaps in the past had seemed more cumbersome.
Personally, thanks to this period I was able to put my head and my life in order. This lockdown has somehow recharged my batteries, it has given me a new enthusiasm. I took advantage of this situation to reorganize myself and be ready to start again when the time comes.

How did you deal with the 2020 stress & challenges?
I think I faced it like everyone else, one day at a time. For sure every day was a challenge, I always tried to give my best and I made myself completely available to help my loved ones and others. I learned to appreciate who I am and what I do a little more. There have certainly been ups and downs during this last year, but in the end I’ve always had the drive and the desire to look beyond.

What changes did you have to make in / with the band in 2020, besides a lot of cancellations?
I didn’t actually have to make any major changes. The only thing we have accused is the distance and not being able to be together as in the past. Unfortunately due to some restrictions, we are not always able to meet in the studio to rehearse with the band. It becomes more and more difficult, but we hope for a better evolution of the current situation and to be able to find ourselves together as we did before.

Did you see 2020 also as a chance to try something else to continue as musicians, e.g. Live-streaming, “Zoom-sessions”, music videos?
Surely all these new apps and social platforms can help us and it’s in our interest to learn how to take advantage of this new Era and use everything at our disposal to keep in touch with our fans. I think it’s also a good thing to be able to create this contact with our listeners to promote all the news concerning the band and music in general. We are certainly lucky enough to have more visibility and create a sort of dialogue between us and the fans. We recently did some live sessions with facebook and Instagram with excellent feedback. We will probably do more of that. We have also already considered the possibility of playing a live stream, but let’s see how the situation evolves.

If yes, can you tell us something about this experience, e.g. How was the fan reaction?
Regarding the live session via facebook and Instagram, we have received a lot of positive feedback and I think our intention to get closer to the fans has worked well. It was a very pleasant experience. We gave them the opportunity to ask questions and ask us anything they wanted by having a confrontation thus sharing stories and opinions about everything that revolves around the band. I find it very interesting to look for a connection between us and them and this dialogue means that the bond between us becomes stronger and stronger.

What are the plans for 2021, what are you looking forward to?
Surely Covid-19 has taken away our freedom for various reasons. Not being able to perform live is definitely an aspect that we miss. We are working to promote the album in the best possible way and I must say that so far we have received excellent responses. It is our intention to find all kinds of ways that can help us get our music to as many listeners as possible. We hope to be back playing live soon and see all our fans again and party with them!

Your message to your fans?
We live in a moment where we can’t wait to get back to living our lives in total freedom. Don’t get caught up in the negativity of what’s happening to us. Take care of yourself, your loved ones, other people and the beauty that surrounds us. This is the energy and motivation we need and that will give us the strength to return to the “light” more aware than before of what’s at stake here. Hope to see you guys soon on tour!

Thanks for the interview!

Bandwebsite
photos: Band