Damien McFly

Our new Single Of The Week is from Italian Folk Pop artist Damien McFly.

Damien first came to attention after posting videos of covers on YouTube where after one year of activity and three Cover Collections released he got more than 700.000 views and 6000 subscribers.

‘I Can’t Reply’ is the first single to be released from his new album on the 13th of July.

To find out more about Damien visit www.damienmcfly.com

The video for the new single hasn’t been released yet but here is one of his popular covers. - Black Diamond Radio

Rinascere, sopravvivere, credere sempre in qualcosa. Queste sono prerogative che una persona deve avere, sempre, a maggior ragione quando si è un artista, Damiano Ferrari in arte Damien McFly ci ha concesso questa intervista per l’uscita del suo primo singolo: “New Start”.

Ciao Damien, questa è la seconda intervista per Swift Brains Post, come te la passi?

“Direi molto bene, si registra, si suona molto e si girano tanti video, cosa volere di più?“

Due mesi fa ci parlavi della tua vita, dei tuoi sogni, delle “tuo” folk e dei tuoi obiettivi. Adesso hai presentato il tuo primo singolo, si dice che la prima volta non si scorda mai, è proprio così?

“Non posso assolutamente darti torto. Dopo un anno passato a riarrangiare brani di altri artisti l’uscita di New Start è stata una grande liberazione. Il giorno della release su youtube ero davvero emozionato e grazie ai social si ha subito un riscontro diretto col giudizio del pubblico che devo dire ha accolto molto bene questo primo lavoro. Sicuramente il 10 Dicembre sarà una data che non scorderò.“

Le tue sono qualità eccezionali, hai una voce incredibile, perché ci hai messo così tanto per il tuo primo singolo? non avevi l’ispirazione o volevi fare una “gavetta”?

“Ti ringrazio di cuore. New Start è stata scritta nella primavera del 2013, quando ancora Damien McFly doveva nascere come progetto. Arrivati proprio al 10 Dicembre dello scorso anno abbiamo registrato il pezzo all’interno di villa Pacchierotti Zemella a Padova. Essendo anche tecnico del suono ho voluto sperimentare un po’ utilizzando le riflessioni del salone. Oltre a New Start abbiamo registrato già altri pezzi durante tutto l’anno tutti in posti diversi. É stato molto bello ma molto impegnativo specialmente in termini di tempo.
L’ispirazione non mi manca fortunatamente, ma se per le cover punto molto sul produrne il più possibile per questo singolo ho voluto curare ogni aspetto puntigliosamente.
Sicuramente per me il concetto di gavetta è fondamentale, più suoni più diventi conscio di cosa piace alla gente e soprattutto di cosa ti piace suonare per la gente. La musica che scrivo voglio risulti più diretta e vera possibile, non credo che restando in casa ad esercitarmi ogni giorno con la chitarra riuscirei raggiungerei questo scopo.“

Hai in mente un tour per presentare al pubblico il tuo singolo?
“Direi proprio di si, a Dicembre abbiamo molti concerti in giro per tutto il Veneto, mentre il 3 di Gennaio saremo nei pressi di Francoforte per un concerto.“

I tuoi prossimi progetti?

“La cosa a cui tengo di più è di riuscire a portare i miei brani in giro per tutta l’Europa. Spero di tornare presto negli States, magari la prossima primavera per qualche bel festival Folk.
Il disco di inediti è quasi pronto, vorrei aggiungere un paio di pezzi e sto ancora decidendo dove registrarli.“

Non posso fare a meno di chiedertelo, leggendo il testo mi è venuta questa domanda, hai ricominciato con questa misteriosa ragazza?

“Diciamo che New Start nonostante si presenti come la storia di un riavvicinamento in termini romantici, parla di una voglia di rinascita dopo un periodo difficile in cui molti rapporti si stavano compromettendo ed ero stanco di dover soffocare le mie aspirazioni.“

Grazie a Damien McFly che si è prestato ad un’altra intervista per noi. Gli auguriamo un grandissimo in bocca al lupo, perché quando una persona ha talento si merita qualsiasi bene. Ciao Damien! - Swiftbrainpost

Damien McFly’s “I Can’t Reply” is a folk-pop delight for the ears from start to finish. McFly effortlessly creates a sound which is toe-tappingly catchy, filled with folky goodness whilst also managing to bring in elements of soft rock and that classic singer-songwriter delicacy.

The track begins with a pretty piano section before Damien’s warm, tender vocal comes in and whisks you away with his smooth, soft tone. As his voice picks up in power, so does the track and as the chorus breaks out, the full capacity of the acoustic guitar comes into play to create one hell of a catchy chorus.
Damien McFly’s “I Can’t Reply” is a folk-pop delight for the ears from start to finish. McFly effortlessly creates a sound which is toe-tappingly catchy, filled with folky goodness whilst also managing to bring in elements of soft rock and that classic singer-songwriter delicacy.

The track begins with a pretty piano section before Damien’s warm, tender vocal comes in and whisks you away with his smooth, soft tone. As his voice picks up in power, so does the track and as the chorus breaks out, the full capacity of the acoustic guitar comes into play to create one hell of a catchy chorus.



Although, undeniably, there are elements of Mumford & Sons all over this track, Damien McFly makes it his own with the sheer amount of passion and earnestness he brings to the record. “I Can’t Reply” is a beautifully written and composed track that is out just in time for the Summer and those long, daytime drives.

“I Can’t Reply” is out on July 17th via Ferrari Records.


Although, undeniably, there are elements of Mumford & Sons all over this track, Damien McFly makes it his own with the sheer amount of passion and earnestness he brings to the record. “I Can’t Reply” is a beautifully written and composed track that is out just in time for the Summer and those long, daytime drives.

“I Can’t Reply” is out on July 17th via Ferrari Records. - The Vinyl District

For fans of: Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Noah & The Whale
A multi instrumentalist, a sound engineer and a powerful voice all wrapped up in one, Damien McFly effortlessly blends the acoustic elements of folk with a rock inspired flair for songwriting. Parallel Mirrors is Damien’s debut album, and the follow up to his enchanting single I Can’t Reply.
To celebrate the announcement of Parallel Mirrors, Damien is giving away free album track ‘Losing Myself’. You can stream and download it via the ABoF SoundCloud page.



The video for single I Can’t Reply premiered on GigSlutz

A powerful collection of heartfelt songs, Damien’s debut channels the best of Mumford & Sons and The Lumineerssound, both bands having been a huge influence on him as he developed as a songwriter. Each instrument on the release has been recorded unplugged, utilising the natural ambience and reverb of specific recording locations to pick up the warmth of live performance on microphone, elevating songs such as ‘Losing Myself’, ‘Reflection’ and the aforementioned single I Can’t Reply to dizzying heights as the fullness of Damien’s guitar envelops his smooth vocal delivery. ‘Don’t Steal My Wish’ is an intricate festival of beats and accordion, creating a traveller-folk atmosphere that will have listeners up on their feet, trying to catch the beat.

Damien McFly is the stage name for Damiano Ferrari, a driven, passionate and charismatic singer from Padova, Italy. Dedicated to live performance, he has played over 200 gigs throughout Europe in less than two years and in the summer of 2014 he crossed the Atlantic to play gigs in Chicago, Indianapolis and Nashville. He recently toured France, Belgium, Holland and Germany as well as gracing the Hard Rock Rocks Acoustic Stage in Edinburgh.

With a series of cover albums under his belt, Parallel Mirrors marks Damien’s first opportunity to present listeners with a collection of songs and a sound that he can truly call his own.

Parallel Mirrors is released via Ferrari Records on 28th August 2015. Single I Can’t Reply is out now and available to buy digitally on iTunes. - Circuit Sweet

Damien Mcfly: «Il mio folk da Padova a Nashville»
Chitarra sulle spalle, canzoni in testa e ruote che macinano chilometri: l'artista padovano pubblica il suo primo album di inediti
di Matteo Marcon



PADOVA. Chitarra sulle spalle, canzoni in testa e ruote che macinano chilometri: siano quelle di un camper che gira per l’Europa o di un megabus che affronta le infinite highway d’America, l’importante, alla fine, è ritrovarsi sul palco, con un microfono acceso e il pubblico pronto ad ascoltare. Questo, in estrema sintesi, è l’ultimo anno di Damien Mcfly, al secolo Damiano Ferrari, cantautore padovano che proprio oggi pubblica il suo primo album di inediti, intitolato “Parallel Mirrors”. Sfuggendo a un destino in studio di registrazione (è diplomato al conservatorio in tecnico del suono), ha trascorso gli ultimi mesi macinando concerti (quasi 200) e visualizzazioni Youtube. Il suo è un vero ritorno al futuro a tempo di musica, testimonianza perfetta, a partire dal look, del nuovo filone neofolk. Quelli che stiamo vivendo sono infatti gli anni delle chitarre acustiche, del ritorno dei tre quarti, delle fisarmoniche e dei mandolini, dei Mumford&Sons che conquistano l’Arena di Verona recuperando sonorità del passato. Ma è anche l’era dei social, dei video postati sul web nella speranza di fare il pieno di fan.
Il ventiseienne cantautore padovano è un emblema di entrambe le tendenze. Dal 2011 a oggi il suo canale Youtube, dove posta impeccabili rivisitazioni in chiave folk pop dei grandi successi del momento, conta 13 mila iscritti. Ben lontano dal voler rappresentare solo un fenomeno virtuale, Damien McFly, da buon folk singer, ha deciso di farsi anche le ossa all’estero: «Quest’estate ho suonato, a Londra, poi al Car Fest, fino a Edimburgo, all’Hard Rock Festival» racconta il diretto interessato «ho girato assieme a Scott McWatt, altro cantautore con cui ho stretto amicizia». E l’America? «Mi sono esibito a inizio anno in alcune città: Nashville, patria del country, Indianapolis e Chicago. Sono sempre stato affascinato dagli Stati Uniti. Una mia carissima amica americana si è sposata e mi ha invitato a suonare al suo matrimonio, in Indiana. Nel frattempo ho tempestato di mail i locali e ho trovato alcune date. Suonare nella patria del folk per me è stato un vero test, ho fatto il pieno di esperienze e contatti. Ho partecipato ad un open mic a Nashville, al Commodore Grille, un locale storico». Ma come è stato registrato il nuovo disco? «Per quasi due anni ho registrato cover, in un’ottica live, ma ho sempre scritto canzoni mie. “Parallel Mirrors” contiene 12 inediti. È un disco registrato un po’ on the road, ho scelto location particolari che mi hanno conquistato
con le loro sonorità. Per “Can’t Reply” ad esempio, l’ultimo singolo, ho scelto Villa Ferri a Casalserugo, ha un’acustica particolare, ricca di legno e affreschi, ho usato molti microfoni panoramici». Se dopo Mumford e Lumineers avete ancora spazio nell’ipod, c’è un nome da ricordare. - Il Mattino di Padova

Entertwine: What or who inspires you to create music? Could you tell us about some of the songs you’ve written and released? You record your music in an extremely unconventional manner, correct?
Damien McFly: My music is inspired by artists like Mumford and Sons, Ben Howard, The Lumineers and many more. During the last year I released a lot of cover songs but also two original compositions. One is “The Taste of Rain”, contained in the “Acoustic Autumn” compilation, released by Arkatone Music. It has a very intimate sound and in the lyrics I speak about the rebirth of my hopes that came right after a hard moment of my life.
Last week I released “New Start”, which is my real debut single. The song tells the story of a renewed love between a man and a woman. I thought it was the best way to let people know about my desire of a new beginning, a New Start.
I self-produce all my songs and that’s why I decided to record them in a an unconventional manner. Folk is usually made by real instruments, not with synthesizers or computer virtual stuff, so for me the best way to keep the “acoustic sound” of my music was to use real rooms. Every song of my upcoming album has been recorded in a different place. “New Start”
What was it like growing up in Padova, Italy? What is the music scene of your hometown like?
I live in Cittadella, which is a walled town near Padova, so I was born and raised in the countryside, not in a big city. The music scene here (if we pretend there’s one) is dominated by cover bands, it’s really hard for indie act to get gigs and tour. That’s why I play some cover songs in my live sets, to gain experience and inspiration for my original music.
What was it like traveling to the United States last Summer to perform in Chicago, Illinois and Nashville, Tennessee? Do you plan to tour the states again some time soon?
My trip in the States has been amazing. During high school I was always dreaming about going there to play some shows, so basically my first gig in Chicago was the achievement of a dream. Nashville just amazed me. I loved the city and the people there. You walk on the broadway and you breath music, that is something that I never found anywhere else. Now I’m focused on writing and recording new songs to complete the album but once everything is ready I will jump on a plane as fast as I can to get back there.
What was it like filming the music video for your new single ‘New Start’ with Marco Donazzan in Venice?damien_b_w_low
Shooting the video was great but really hard. I had to learn all the lyrics backwards to obtain the effect you can see in the video. I sing my song while everyone moves in the opposite direction.
Marco Donazzan had great ideas and I just love the result. Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the portrait he made of it is breathtaking.
What experiences and events led to the writing and recording of the song in the first place?
I wrote “New Start” in April 2013. A lot of things were changing in my life and I felt like some people around me were just holding me back.
What does 2015 hold in store for Damien Mcfly?
Next year I will release my full album and I can’t wait.
I can’t stay a lot of time out of the stage, I played more than 100 times this year and I want to play even more in 2015. - EnterWine

Italian singer-songwriter Damien McFly is out with a brand new single, aptly titled “New Start”. This is Damien’s official debut original composition, and it marks an even more improved focus on his sound, production and aesthetics.

The track unfolds starting from the core of the strummed acoustic guitar and Damien’s heartfelt vocals and later onto the beautiful ensemble backing vocals, keys, strings and rhythm sections. Catchy melodies, great hooks and great energy in a minimal and organic package that reminds me of artists such as Mumford and Sons or Ben Howard.

The beautiful music video accompanying the song is a cool portrait of Venice…going backwards! - Paper Wings

Damien McFly is an Italian singer/songwriter with an ear for full bodied, beautiful sounds. His latest single, 'I Can't Reply', is an unplugged multi-instrumental love song capturing that poignant feeling when, overcome by beauty and self doubt, you find yourself lost for words. We decided to catch up with Damien following his single's release.

Hey Damien, can you introduce yourself for us?
Of course, I'm an Italian singer songwriter from Padova. I perform as much as I can and I'm dedicating all my life to music.

Tell us a little bit about your latest single 'I Can't Reply':
"I can't reply" is both a romantic and hopeful song. It's about being brave and not shy not only in love related situations. Sometimes making the first step can create beautiful unexpected reactions in people.

Musically speaking I wanted the song to be simple at the beginning but the sound gets bigger and harmonically richer in the bridge and in the final chorus.

All the instruments are unplugged on the single, what made you decide to create that particular sound?
After playing in many projects in the last few years I decided to give my solo project a very recognizable sound. Unplugged instruments played with a powerful and almost rock attitude.

I recorded the song inside an old Italian Villa in Padova. I love the sound that I've reached. Those old walls made every instrument brighter and "bigger" at the same time.

You're also a sound engineer, how did you get into that field?
As I finished high school I was already playing and engineering some bands live and running my small recording studio. I was not sure I could made a living out of music but I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do in my life. So I attended the sound technician course in the conservatory of Padova and after graduation I followed some bands on tour around Italy. But playing became soon my only wish so in the last two years I've kind of abandoned live engineering and played like 200 gigs.

Can you talk us through your songwriting process?
I usually write music and lyrics separately at the first stage. Every time I jam with the guitar and I find a good riff I record it on my phone, then record a draft version in the studio and put some random lyrics. My "problem" when I write the music part is that I love to produce the song and find the parts for all the instruments. But I think that helps me to find the best words for that song.

About the lyrics part, I usually write notes on my phone. I don't like to start from a topic and write, I don't think it's a natural process. I like music to be the soundtrack of the specific moment I'm leaving, whether it is good or bad.

Who are your main influences?
I think Mumford and Sons had a lot of influence in my writing process, I love their simple and direct sound. I love Ben Howard too cause I feel like he doesn't want to fit in a specific genre or category, he just writes beautiful songs with a personal sound.

How did you get into songwriting?
I started writing music when I was 14. But when I was 16 I wrote a lot of lyrics and started recording songs on my own with my brother computer. 90% of the songs were about my young broken heart and were not that happy, but we need to start from something right?

Where has been your favourite place to perform so far?
I played in many countries in the last two years, in Italy I usually perform with the entire band (mandolin, double bass, drums) but outside of it I performed with just the mandolin player or alone. I have a great memory of my first US performance, at the Reggies Pub in Chicago, I was alone and excited as a child on his first gig.

You've played a huge amount of gigs all over Europe of the past few years, which country would you say has the best crowd?
I made a small European tour on April around France, Belgium Germany and Netherlands. It's a good fight between Dutch and German crowd. I think Holland people surprised me a lot.

What are your plans for the rest of 2015?
I'm playing a few gigs in the UK at the end of July. I'm releasing my first original album in August and I will perform in Slovakia for the first time on August 22nd.

I'm really excited about the album release and I hope many beautiful things will come with it. - Contactmusic

We’re cheating a little this week, as Damien McFly (whose single “I Can’t Reply” was reviewed by our good selves not so long ago) isn’t technically from the UK. Actually, he’s not from the UK at all, hailing from the sunny, wine soaked shores of Italy.

Well, he’s just announced his debut album, Parallel Mirrors (which you can pick up at the end of the month) and to give you all a nice little taste, he’s giving away album track “Losing Myself.”



A huge fan of Mumford & Sons (and you can tell), McFly was born Damiano Ferrari—which in our opinion is just as good a stage name. He’s a whizz at audio engineering, and has tweaked the sound on his album to really let the natural warmth of the instruments shine through—essentially, he’s scrapped the DI box and decided to mic everything up, and it’s really paid off.


For those of you who missed it first time around, and who aren’t satisfied with just a free track (you greedy music fans, you), you can check out the video for his previous single, “I Can’t Reply” to see Damien in action.



Parallel Mirrors is released via Ferrari Records on 28th August 2015. Single “I Can’t Reply” is out now. - Vinyl District

talian multi-instrumentalist Damien McFly will release his new album Parallel Mirrors on 28th August on Ferrari Records.

The singer-songwriter, who recently played at the Hard Rock Festival in Edinburgh, blends folk elements with rock inspired by Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers – two bands he is a massive fan of.

Parallel Mirrors will be the follow-up to his recent single ‘I Can’t Reply’, and the new album will be the first opportunity for Damien McFly to present original material after a series of cover efforts.

Each instrument on the new album has been recorded unplugged to create a natural ambience to pick up the warmth of the live performance – something very noticeable in songs such as ‘Losing Myself’ and ‘Reflection’.

Damien McFly is the stage name for Damiano Ferrari, who originates from Padova, Italy. He has played over 200 gigs throughout Europe in less than two years in countries such as France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, as well as other performances throughout the UK. McFly has also travelled to America, playing in Chicago, Indianapolis and Nashville. - The Edinburgh reporter

Vindo de Padova , Itália, Damien McFly (Damiano Ferrari) é um cantor que busca misturar o antigo e o novo.

Sua abordagem inovadora e pessoal levou a algumas sessões de gravação realmente interessantes. Em vez de reservar tempo em um estúdio convencional , Damien começou a gravar suas músicas em diferentes ambientes, criando uma sonoridade diferente nas canções.

A sua caminhada começou pelo YouTube com vídeos covers, onde depois de 1 ano ele já conseguiu um certo destaque tendo mais de 7 mil inscritos e 800 mil visualizações.

TPJ: Quais são as suas principais influências na música?

Damien McFly: Minha música é influenciada por diversos artistas, como Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, Ben Howard e muitos mais. Mesmo que esses são todos artista popular que eu escuto muito rock e música eletrônica.

TPJ: Ao ouvir suas tampas , percebo uma influência da música folk. Você se considera um cantor folk?

DM: Sim, isso é verdade. Eu definitivamente me considero um cantor folk, pop e rock com influências. Estou usando instrumentos populares para todos os meus covers, que é o que faz o meu estilo.

TPJ: Desde quantos anos você tocar guitarra e ukulele ?

DM: Eu tocava guitarra desde quando eu tinha 6 anos, mas então eu parei e só voltei a tocar com 14. Eu também toco piano e um pouco de bateria. Eu não posso dizer que realmente toco ukulele, é que tenho um estúdio de gravação e um dia um artista que eu estava trabalhando trouxe um lá. Então, eu literalmente roubei o ukelele dele para gravar a meu cover de Rude.



TPJ: Você divulgou a sua primeira musica própria no Youtube a pouco tempo.Você pretende lançar um álbum com apenas músicas próprias?

DM: Sim, eu lancei meu primeiro single chamado New Start no dia 10 de Dezembro, eu tenho um EP pronto para ser lançado, mas que precisa de alguns retoques finais. Um monte de coisas vão acontecer este ano e com certeza minhas músicas serão lançadas.

TPJ: Todos os seus companheiros de banda, também são italianos como você?

DM: Sim, eles são todos da Itália. Todos nós vivemos perto de Pádua.

TPJ: Você tem influência de algum artista ou banda da Itália?

DM: Não, pois eu acho que os italianos que escrevem música folk em Inglês são todos influenciados por artistas internacionais .

TPJ: O que você pensa sobre o Brasil e seus fãs brasileiros Você já esteve em nosso país antes? Ou quer visitar algum dia?

DM: Acho que o Brasil é muito importante agora no mundo da música. Meus fãs brasileiros são grandes e muito gentis comigo. Eu nunca estive lá, mas eu chego lá no próximo ano. Eu tive a oportunidade de trabalhar com um cantor e violonista muito talentoso do Brasil chamado Rodrigo Mello. Seria uma algo grandioso para mim ir lá, eu adoro viajar e esse país é definitivamente um dos que serão minhas próximas viagens

TPJ: Qual é o seu maior sonho ?

DM: Meu maior sonho é tocar para pessoas de todo o mundo, é por isso que eu escrevo músicas em Inglês, e é por isso que eu escrevo música popular, porque é a música do povo.



TPJ: Nosso site além de música, também fala sobre filmes e series .Gostaríamos de saber qual é o seu filme favorito?

DM: Meu filme favorito é, definitivamente, "Na Natureza Selvagem" (Into The Wild). Eu amo ele e eu amo a sua trilha sonora.

TPJ: Por que você escolheu esse apelido de Damien Mcfly?

DM: Eu escolhi o meu apelido, porque eu tinha um duo chamado "I Fratelli McFly", e meu apelido acabou se tornando Damien McFly por conta disso . - TPJ Brazil