Singer and artist Dolche releases new single Big Man- a song about embracing diversity and recognising our common humanity. Meet the evocative artist in our conversation below.
1. Who is Dolche?
Dolche simply is the last and most truthful version of me. We all constantly change and evolve as people and I do the same as an artist. The end of my marriage, the discovery of my homosexuality, finding true love, getting pregnant, losing a dear person: all this has shaken my life in the past 5 years and Dolche is the artistic outcome of all those passions. Since I cut my long blond dreadlocks I felt the need to identify with a new stage persona and identified with some symbols strictly related to my origins and personal history. The cow horns and the crowns I wear come from a very ancient tradition of the rural mountain area where I grew up. Cows descended from high mountain summer pastures passing through the tiny villages on the road (mine has 40 inhabitants!) and for the occasion they were and still are adorned with magnificent flower crowns. This was the image of beauty for me as a child. And still is today. My wife always teases me because when we pass some cows while driving I always point at them all excited as if I was spotting a unicorn.
2. Describe your music…
Thanks for this question and sorry if the answer will be weird. My music has been defined in any way: from alternative rock, to lilith pop, from folk to art-pop and world music.
I feel very uncomfortable with tight definitions and identifying with a specific music genre. I feel my music as an adventurous and secret voyage among exotic secluded beaches, lush jungles and melancholic planets spinning alone in a vast black universe. I travel when I compose and travel even more when I perform. It feels a bit like dreams. This is probably why I sing in many different languages too.
I compose and arrange all of my music and lyrics and then I love to play it with as many instruments as I can find. I also love sampling the sounds of nature and incorporating them to the music.
3. Tell us about your latest single āBIG MANāā
Big Man is a monstrous creature. A scary one. Itās all that we, as a society, fear and violently want to get rid of. Big Man is the diversity of skin colour, of religion, of gender, of status quo. Our society is cruel and I wanted to sing an ode, a love declaration to all the Big Men who are excluded, refused, killed, and rejected. I am the Big Man too. I am white, I live in a democratic country and I am part of the privileged but I am lesbian and I come from a place where a lot of people (including my father) work the land or farm animals to survive. I know what exclusion feels like and I see it every day when people around me say things like āgo back to your country!ā to the thousands of desperate refugees who come here in search for safety. I am angry. I am helplessly sad and I will always love the Big Man.
4. Who is your biggest music influence?
I have so many. A big one for sure is Bjork because she is among the few artists who always succeed in surprising me.
5. If you could work with another singer who would that be?
I would love to have the honour to work with David Byrne! The track that I decided to use to introduce Dolche to the world was indeed a cover of Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads. That track still is the most listened and download and played in radios across the world.
6. What else do you love to do that’s not music? I might be predictable: sex.
7. How are you coping with COVID and being in isolation?
Isolation is over here in Italy. But it didnāt change much in my lifestyle since I am locked in my home studio all day anyway. All this experience gave me time to learn and practice with software and new instruments. But I do not believe that we overcame it. We need to get ready to live with the virus for a long time, I fear.
8. What have you got planned for next year?
In my dreams, I would love to tour again! I miss the stage and the alchemy with the public which can only exist if you play live. But we have to see how the situation evolves with the pandemic. One thing I know for sure is that I will begin producing my second album since I am ready to release the first one Exotic Diorama this October. I have already begun working on many new tracks.
9. Where can we find you on Social Media?
You can find all about me here: https://fanlink.to/dolche
And here are my IG, FB and YT
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