Franco126 and his “possible future”: “I opened up to pop”

Jealously jealous of his writing, for the first time in the songs of one of his album Franco126 has opened to collaborations with other authors. And not semi-unknown pens, but Hitmaker of the caliber of Federica Abbate, Davide Petrella, Jacopo Ettorre, namely the Golden Trinity-indeed, of platinum-of the Italian pop of these years, behind the successes of Fedez and J-Ax, Giusy Ferreri and Baby K, Fred de Palma, Elodie, Irama, Mahmood: in short, scientists of the radio and Spacca-Stream Little have to adopt with the intimate and reflective style that has always distinguished the Roman singer -songwriter. It is not the only novelty that characterizes “future possible”, his latest album, just released. In “Single Room”, which in 2019 marked the solo debut of the ex -inno of Carl Brave (by the way, a reunion is to be excluded categorically: “It would not make sense”), there was only one duet, the one with Tommaso Paradiso in the song that gave the title to the album. Only one was also the duet contained in the following “multiplex”, released in 2021, the one with Calcutta on the single “Blue Jeans”. In the thirteen songs of “Future possible” there are even five guests: Coez, Lightning, Ele a, Ketama126 and Giorgio then. The latest novelty concerns the production: the collaboration with Ceri has been exhausted, who has contributed to forge what has been the sound of Franco126 to date, that idea of ​​again (old) sung between ballads à la Claudio Baglioni, funky pieces à la Pino d’Angiò and remained of the rap of the beginning, Federico Bertollini – this is the real name of the artist, born in Pietro. Aka Golden Years, among the most launched producers of the Urban scene (already alongside Coez, Frah Quintale, Psychologists). “With this album I took almost a step back,” he lets himself be escaped, talking about it. From June 5th he will be on tour.

In what, a step back?

“In the songs of” Future possible “I went back to recovering the style of” Polaroid “, the story of the small daily things that characterized the pieces of the beginning. At the center of everything are the texts. Those of “multiplex” were more dreamlike, cinematographic. The disc was born after the end of an important story. It seemed to me that to talk about that finished love needed a more concrete writing, in images, rather than the most sought after “multiplex”. Then everything else came. Starting from the sounds ».

How did the change in the production cabin between Ceri and Golden Years matured?

“When Ceri told me he was tired of pop collaborations and that he wanted to devote himself to his electronic music project, it happened spontaneously and naturally that I found myself working with Golden Years, which I already knew and with whom I had participated in writing sessions for other artists. In the previous two records I had come from Ceri with the already ready album. “Future possible”, however, was born instinctively, built in the race. It is a varied disc from the point of view of sound. There are always echoes of the classic songwriting to which I made myself in “single room” and “multiplex”, but there is also more. In recent years I have returned to listen to the Old School rap, having paid homage to the genre with the Lovegang album “Cristi e Diavoli”, two years ago. “Angelo” is a piece characterized by chill rhythms. The duet with lightning on “Two strangers” looks at Jovanotti ».

And by Davide Petrella (Co-Firma “Still no”), Federica Abbate (“Future possible”) and Jacopo Etorre (his signature returns to four pieces: “Scacciapensieri”, “Two strangers”, “Vampire” and “Pause”) What did you look for, instead?

«Not to repeat myself.

I noticed over the years that my melodic solutions went around the same schemes. I already knew all three, having written with them pieces as an author for other interpreters. I asked him to help me find other ideas, from that point of view. In the pieces of “possible future” I opened up to more pop solutions, which I would never have experienced alone. I think of the song that gives the title to the album: I had the text, but I did not find a melody working. The idea of ​​putting us under a waltz was Federica. With hectorre I recovered certain 80s atmospheres. It was fun ».

Their touch is often heavy and their style is always very recognizable. Here, however, if it were not for the names reported in the credits of the disc, you don’t even notice their presence. What is the secret not to distort itself and to maintain your own identity?

«Having a defined style. And bring an idea. It is different that presenting himself from the authors and asking him to write a song from scratch. I was participating in writing, I led it. If you get guided by them, they inevitably end up taking you to their world. I filtered their ideas with my taste. I am grateful to him because all three managed to bring out the aspects of me unpublished ».

If you have always been very detained on the duets, this time you have subscribed. What value added to the pieces Giorgio then (“night”), Coez (“beautiful move”), lightning (“two strangers”), ketama126 (“vampire”) and Ele a (“naive eyes”)?

«They brought different points of view from mine and helped me get out of my comfort zone. With this album I changed the approach to music, the way to do things, upset the cards on the table. I wanted to play more, be more pop, have peno superstructures and be more free than “single room” and “multiplex” ».

Speaking of the beginnings with Carl Brave at the time of “Polaroid”, in the interviews of “Multisala” you said: «We have left a mark in the new songwriter, but today we are two too distant artistic realities. Between my style and his, much more pop, there are no more contact points ». Three years now, have your styles go back to being compatible with each other?

“Eh. But he has now already moved to sounds other than pop. We chase each other. But there are no extremes to make another album together. We also talked about it, we met. When you only make a record that in one way or another is considered iconic, as “polaroid”, if you try to redo it risks ruining everything. And to do it only to make the grated, as they say in Rome ».

Translated?

“Making cash (laughs)”.

What did you say last summer, when you were pinched together in the backstage of a festival to speak like in the old days?

“Exactly this. It would seem to us to fail to respect fans, with a revival. You have to be honest with the public ».

Is the indie already the subject of nostalgia?

“I would not know. It was a cool moment. Then came the clones and stopped being cool. Like rap today. I feel that a new form of songwriter is returning: Cremonini first in the standings, Olly who wins Sanremo … ».

What did not work in the scene?

«The movement had exhausted the things he had to say. And the people got tired, as they had tired of the talent television pop before the indie and how it has been tired of the rap. There are those with more personality ».

How is it going with caring?

«It is a strange job, because you write many pieces and then every now and then you place one. Now I wrote a piece, “Vento”, for the latest album by Gaia, who engraved together with Toquinho. Last year I signed a very delicate song for Emma, ​​”interval”, inspired by his father’s loss, after listening to his story. I like to write like this, to the old woman, meeting the artists, attending and knowing them well. My model, in this, remains Franco Califano, the “minuet” that cucked on my Martini. To the assembly chains I say no ».