Potchefstroom Herald’s Wouter Pienaar recently caught up with SA singer/songwriter, Craig Pietropaolo, who released his new single “Secrets” to the world. A mix of rock and metal influences combined with brilliant melodies is just one way to describe this brilliant track. This talented local musician lives for his music and with intricate melodies and hard groove driven beats, is sure to be one of SA’s biggest new rock acts.

1)            Tell us more about Craig Pietropaolo in a nutshell. Where did your love for music come from?

Music – rock and metal in particular – has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid playing around my house, the sounds of Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and the Doors from my dad’s hi-fi were always the soundtracks of my imagination. Quite honestly, my earliest memory is probably the vocal melody from “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath. My two brothers are also much older than me, so when I was a little kid and they were in their late teens, they would show me thousands of tunes by Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Placebo, Deftones and hundreds of others. I cannot remember a time in my life where there was no music. In many ways, music raised me and taught me life lessons. It’s just something that is always there for you no matter what happens. Seeing bands on VHS tapes looked like they were having so much fun and everybody loved them … and because of all these things, I’ve always wanted to be a musician.

2)            What can listeners expect when they listen to your music? Describe your sound?

Basically, they can expect the unexpected. One of the benefits of having a solo project, is that I don’t have to conform to a genre … so I’m free to experiment, try and explore new things … but because of my background, they can definitely expect some degree of a rock foundation and influence throughout. They can expect honest, relatable songs that are written with every piece of my soul in them 100% of the time but they can expect something different as well.

3)            I really like the sound of the new single “Secrets”. It has a harder sound than the previous single “Starting Over”. There seems to be a great focus on instrumentation and rocking riffs. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I see a lot of metal/hard rock influences. Would you say this is the sound that you were going for? Can we expect more of the same on upcoming releases?

Yes, I was definitely aiming for a heavier sound on this one. When I started playing music, my biggest influences were thrash metal bands … fast-paced, chugging, riffy bands like Megadeth and Slayer … so when I was writing Secrets, I wanted to touch on those roots while still maintaining some of the soft rock, melodic elements that worked so well for “Starting Over” and the end result was really cool. I would definitely like to write more songs like it, so you could say it’s an expectation.

4)            “Secrets” has a lot of different parts that give it a layered sound. What was the inspiration behind the song?

Secrets was written about the familiar, frustrating feelings we’ve all gotten from a loved one not communicating with us and keeping things from us, which always results in resentment and doubt and growing apart from each other instead of growing together. Secrets is that pain, that drift, that love that fell apart right in front of you.

5)            What drives you and inspires you as a musician?

I think two main things drive me. The first is that I love the way music allows me to express myself. I’ve always been a quiet sufferer and I’ve never been very good at communicating my feelings, so music is my way of getting things out. The other thing is that music has always been there for me and it understands me; I want to be able to give my listeners the same feelings of comfort and belonging that I get.

6)            You have been in the music industry for a while now and been a part of a number of bands both in English and Afrikaans. Would you say that it is better to be in a band or better to be a solo artist?

They’re both fun in their own ways. I love playing in bands because playing music with people creates a friendship bond unlike any other and it’s a very special feeling doing what you love with your closest friends. But being a solo artist allows for a lot more freedom and security. I don’t have to worry about band politics or clashing interests. I don’t have to worry about a band breaking up and I don’t have to conform to a specific sound that everyone agrees on. I don’t have to worry about band members not liking my ideas. I can basically express myself as broadly as I want to and I can write whatever I want. I also find that I’m a lot more productive this way and it’s an amazing feeling when you’ve recorded a song and you hear the finished product and you can say, “I made that happen all by myself.”

7)            You are also a multi-instrumentalist.  Would you say it is advantageous to be able to play numerous instruments? Is it a necessity in the music industry?

I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity, but it definitely helps you write smarter, because you understand the roll of your specific instrument a lot better when you understand the rolls of the others just as well, but it is crucial in my situation since I play every instrument in my songs, except for the drums which I program.

8)            Goals for the future in music?

To keep on keeping on! I’d like to work towards getting some session musicians behind me and taking my songs to the stage and I’d also like to start working on a full-length album.

9)            Biggest influences as an artist?

Definitely the old school stuff like Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath … my love of music and the way I like to structure songs sometimes come from them. Bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Iron Maiden influenced my technique, the way I play and the way I perform … but my sound and my writing for my solo project has been heavily influenced by alternative bands like the Birds of Tokyo and Chevelle.

10)          Tips for upcoming musicians/ or bands starting out in the rock/metal scene?

Never give up. Keep doing what you love, no matter what. Things will start happening for you if you want it bad enough. Never stop practicing, never stop writing, never stop listening to music so that you always stay inspired and probably most importantly, never stop networking. Don’t be shy and introverted. Go to shows and meet people – make sure that people know who you are. You can be the best musician in the world, but you’ll never have a career if nobody knows.