Charlie Risso’s newest release is a four track EP which marks the evolution of the Genoese artist towards new sounds and emotional dimensions with intimate and sincere contents.

The enigmatic singer-songwriter Charlie Risso is a visionary artist with the latest EP clearly showing the ability to experiment with different sounds, making ‘The Light’ a new chapter in her career, which leads to enlightenment within nature. Charlie Risso is currently working on a new album produced by Hugo Race (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), stating that ‘The Light’ is a bridge between ‘Tornado’ and the future album.

‘The Light’ was released on November 4 2022 on all digital platforms worldwide.

<a href="https://charlierisso.bandcamp.com/album/the-light">The Light by Charlie Risso</a>

“The theme of the EP is based on a spiritual journey”

There seems to be quite a step in a different direction on this upcoming EP, ‘The Light.’ What led this decision to move more into the intimate side of music making?

Charlie Risso: I believe it was a kind of natural process. The theme of the EP is based on a spiritual journey towards a sort of redemption and self-acceptance. The music followed naturally. The pre-production I took care of led itself to a slightly soft electronic sound plus the team work with the new producer completed the circle.

The EP consists of four songs, would you like to share the story behind the four tracks?

The first track ‘The Light’ certainly has a strong spiritual and not necessarily religious value. It is an obligatory path in search of affirmation and greater self-awareness.

The second track is titled ‘S.I.N.’ as pity in English but which is actually the acronym for Summer in Norway, the country where I actually wrote the song during a holiday. A song with suspended sounds that tells of how nature can affect our experience and sometimes heal certain wounds. I am deeply conditioned by naturalistic contexts and to me, the simplicity of a walk in the woods, or the company of my animals are elements that in a certain period of my life, they have been a great comfort to me and helped throughout failures.

The third track is called ‘Into the Forest’ and it has something that moves me. It could be because Federico Dragogna, the producer, built this sort of suspense before the track exploded, or because if you would hear it simply acoustic, voice and guitar, it could sound almost a Celtic piece plus with the power of nature blended in it. It’s about facing your own fears and deciding to go through them and to see the light once again at the end of the tunnel.

The fourth track is ‘Landed on Speed.’ It’s about feeling uncomfortable in a particular environment, when everyone is misjudging you and they want to teach you the whole truth.

Would you like to draw some parallels to your previous two albums, like ‘Ruins of Memory’ and ‘Tornado’, and what would be the key difference this time around?

‘Ruins of Memories’ was my first record and most of the tracks sounded very folkish. That’s also because of the influence I had (through the years I’ve collaborated with several bands from the folk/country scene) and the way I used to write only with a guitar and my voice of course. After this album I developed a new way of writing music with the help of a few programs like Logic and GarageBand which I started importing my guitar sessions and after that then also started playing with strings, piano and synths.

This led me to ‘Tornado’ and then these days ‘The Light.’

So the pre-production changed a lot and influenced the production work.

To my understanding, you are also working on a new album with Hugo Race who is taking care of the production. How do you enjoy working with him?

Very much, actually it’s very professional, and he has a beautiful way of relating, very calm and relaxed and profound. I wanted to work with an international musician like Hugo. We both worked also on a couple of tracks, one of which is a very intense duet.

“I wanted ‘The Light’ to be a sort of bridge between ‘Tornado’ and the new future album”

Will any songs from ‘The Light’ EP be part of this upcoming album?

No actually, I wanted ‘The Light’ to be a sort of bridge between ‘Tornado’ and the new future album. An extemporaneous project of collaboration with the producer Federico Dragogna.

How do you usually approach songwriting, and to what degree are you influenced by other artists?

The way I write these days I sit down and write very randomly. It is difficult especially and I believe for different artists to have their own time of inspirations. So I listen to different types of genres and I don’t normally focus on one in particular. I just let go, and I believe it is very psychological the way a song might take shape.

Is there anything you can tell us about your next record?

The next work will be an eleven-tracks album, obviously with the participation of Hugo Race and the internationally renowned violinist H.E.R..

It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Nicola Baronti who also produced several Italian rock and electro Italian bands some of which are quite well known also abroad (Zen Circus, Afterhours, Iosonouncane). Quite a massive production I’d say.