Interview: Getting to Know Damien McFly

Delicately moving between stunning melody and powerful choruses, Damien McFly returns with his incredible new album ‘for those who care’! A masterclass in songwriting, and a creative evolution for the artist, which is firmly noticed on his triumphant new track ‘Years and Years’! In this interview we get to know him a little better.

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

I come from and live in a small village in the north east of Italy and I’ve been doing music as Damien McFly for more than 10 years now.

Since I was a teenager, I was playing different instruments in rock cover bands, and around 2010 I started a duo called “I Fratelli McFly” with a violinist.

We were making a lot of cover videos on YouTube, and when we split up I kept going with that until some covers got a decent amount of success and I started publishing my own music and I’ve never stopped since then.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

I started making indie folk, then added some electronic elements, and now my music lives between indie folk and indie rock. Some songs are more quiet and dreamy, others are more energetic and upbeat.

3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?

I’ve just finished editing my new video, got some warm-up tour dates in Italy during Christmas, and a UK + European tour planned for Feb/March next year.

All of this is to promote my new album, which came out on Nov 5th and is called for those who care.

4.What is it about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?

It’s the best time for me: the album is out, I’m getting a lot of good reviews, and more and more people are listening to my music. I’ve got a tour planned, so it feels like the planets are aligning.

5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.

I recorded and produced the whole album myself, so it’s been quite a journey.

Some songs were easy to finish while others took me a long time because I wasn’t always sure about the sound.

This album is very special to me because instead of working with other producers, I pushed myself to be braver, take full responsibility, and be conscious of every artistic choice — without caring too much about feedback from other people.

6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?

For me, writing music has always been a kind of therapy, especially when we’re talking about my own songs and not songs I write for other people.

Sometimes I have a good idea and I leave it there until I’m ready to really go deep into my feelings. Once I manage to get everything out and a song is born, it’s one of the best feelings (if it’s a good song).

7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?

The most challenging part for me is reaching the point where I’m happy and satisfied enough with a song’s mix or production.

It can take nothing or it can take months, and the only way to overcome this is to set a deadline and respect it.

8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?

I’ve always been very active in “real life,” playing lots of shows and sometimes also working with other people as a sound engineer. I like creating content and I like being up to date with all the new platforms. I started with YouTube and got some results there, but I learned from some mistakes I made and tried to do things differently.

I think it’s tough to promote your own music, but platforms like TikTok are free, and reaching people for free has become a great privilege now.

9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?

I try to make some content that I know can work for the algorithm, some that works for my fans, and some that is purely artistic.

When I get the right balance of these 3 elements, I get some numbers, ego fulfilment, and my fans are happy too.

10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?

Besides listening to my new album, I’d like them to tell me what they liked or disliked in it. I’d love them to tell me how they interpreted some lyrics and which ones were their favourites. Also, of course, don’t be afraid to leave a comment on whatever I post.

11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?

I like long drives, going on hikes (not hard ones), and walking around new towns.

12. Where can people find you?

For tour dates, the best thing would be going to my website.
For lots of content: TikTok @damien_mcfly
And for a cool version of myself: Instagram @damienmcfly