Rob Sieracki, bassist for Dis-, interviewed the members of Uzeda. The interview took place just prior to the launch of Uzeda's first American tour, on which they opened for Shellac and Dis-.


Rob: It would seem that living in Catania, Sicily, wouldn't afford you very much exposure to rock music as we Americans know it. Could you tell us how you came to sound the way you do? For that matter, how would you describe the sound of Uzeda? Along those lines, what groups have been inspirational or influential on the music of Uzeda?

Uzeda: Sicily is one of the last "stations" of Europe and not easy to be rejointed. People go to Sicily only for holidays (good food and nice weather), or only if they have a precise reason to go. The way we sound is the amount of different ingredients; the way we feel our life; the land where we live (Catania); the tradition (our city has a very long rock culture); the great passion we feel to approach different people with different cultures, looking for genuine dialogue, never competition; the way we try to grow up in our life, as normal people first of all.
Influential or inspirational? Very difficult to be exactly pointed. We can just talk about the things we like, from Led Zepplin to the Fall, from Big Black to a lot of classical music, from 30's, 40's, 50's jazz to Bastro, from experimental sound musicians like the sax player Harry Chapin or guitarist Derek Bailey, to Shellac, through whatever and whoever have worked to produce a fracture in the standard sound opening new frontiers to listen to, to understand and to produce the "sound".

Rob: Why do you choose to have lyrics in English instead of Italian? What inspires the lyrics of Uzeda?

Uzeda: First of all, because we like it and because it is an element of experiment very important for Giovanna and for the band. Giovanna writes all the lyrics. Life is the only inspirational element of Uzeda's lyrics.

Rob: Your upcoming tour with Shellac and Dis- will be your first on American soil. What areas of the world have witnessed Uzeda's live show? Where is your favourite place to play?

Uzeda: We've played all over Italy. We've played in Belgium, Germany and England. Our favourite place to play is wherever is possible to create an energy flow between the people and the band; wherever we have the chance to meet new people or to reinforce old friendships. Wherever the band is required to contribute to the social evolution of the place, like small villages in the mountains where the people call Uzeda to play and where bands don't usually care to go because there is not enough of a money buget or because it wouldn't serve promotional interest.

Rob: Previous to Uzeda's new Touch and Go record 4, Uzeda was a five-piece band with two guitarists. Now you are a four-piece with one guitarist. How has the adjustment gone for you and how do you like the new band format? Does it affect songwriting?

Uzeda: What we did in five person band was all great for us and we had a very good time doing a lot of new experiences. The change has happened because of the different directions taken by four members and one member. So it was a natural and democratic evolution in the band. We love the format we are and it gives to each one more responsibility, so it requires the band more carefulness and more precision...and we love it!
About songwriting, we do the same as we used to do before. We still compose our songs all together in sessions from the beginning, rehearsing and practicing in a garage. So the new format didn't affect songwriting.

Rob: Uzeda has done several Peel sessions and seems to be a favourite of John Peel. How did these sessions come about and what was it like to perform in that context?

Uzeda: John Peel had our Waters album through a couple of British friends. He loved the music and then he offered Uzeda to go play at the BBC in London in a session for his program at Radio One. It was on May '94. After the performance John suggested to Strange Fruit to put out the Uzeda Peel session on record. That was in October '94. In the same period Peel launched by radio a public, official invitation to Uzeda to come back for a second session that was done on November '94. To perform in that context has been for Uzeda a great opportunity to propose our music to a different audience with a different culture. We were so excited and so grateful to be in those studios where a lot of bands were before. Part of the history of rock music goes through the Peel sessions at the BBC Radio One...and we were there, Uzeda, a band from Catania, Sicily, so far, from thousands of miles away. Sorry, maybe it's a little bit romantic!

Rob: Is there an active rock music scene in Italy today? We understand that members of Uzeda have set up shows in Catania for other bands (such as Fugazi). Any good anecdotes related to this?

Uzeda: There are a lot of bands all over, as remarkable from the national rock music magazines. We know a little bit more about what's bubbling under the Etna volcano. In Catania we know more than 20 bands rounding out our friendships. 13 of those bands recorded a compilation (not out yet) in February '95 in Catania with the help of Don Zientra from Washington and Joey P. Picuri from New York state. Also there are many classical musicians (in the city we have a beautiful theater of classical performances called Teatro Bellini). Also, there are a lot of jazz musicians and folk artists. Catania has a long and old history about arts. Agostino and Giovanna own a little agency in Catania called Cooperative Prospective Indigene-Indigena Management. Through it they booked a show for local and foreign bands; the concrete possibility of the social renewal and evolution through a pacific and humane cultural revolution. On June 18 Fugazi played in Catania in front of more than 8500 people. The show was amazing and free for everybody. No tickets!! Uzeda opened for them. Fugazi are a great band and all of them are very nice people. They explained to us about a "strange" American dice game called Koriki; also they gave away as a gift their money budget as financial contribution for the record release of the compilation recorded by the 13 bands as mentioned above. They were so kind and so generous! The 13 bands were completely shocked by this unbelievable, spontaneous help.

Rob: On Uzeda album one finds the proclamation, "THIS ALBUM IS DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO STRUGGLE TO CONSERVE THE RIGHT TO BE THEMSELVES". Can you elaborate on the philosophy and feeling that goes behind that statement?

Uzeda: Since our first Out of Colors album in 1990, we wrote this proclamation on our records. It is very difficult to keep at the same idea for long time, especially because we feel the life strongly depends on our interior vital state. When things go well, then it is very easy to be superficially optimist (sometimes becoming arrogant also), but what about when things go bad in a bunch of problems? The first reaction that comes is to renounce and give up or decide that what we are doing is a waste of time and a waste of energy that could be better employed in something else. "To conserve the right to be themselves" only depends on ourselves through the constant struggle, instant after instant, to rejoint our objectives. So that, every progress, step by step becomes a conquest that we'll appreciate because we understand the true value of our results through the coherent strain we have done, never renouncing, never giving up. By this little-big happiness, every goal becomes a starting point for a new experience, a new adventure to face. The proclamation is a way to encourage ourselves (and whoever is in the same wavelength) to go on to make our dreams become true.

Rob: What do you think is important that people know about Uzeda?

Uzeda: Uzeda are people who struggle to conserve the right to be themselves!


Published in the Milwaukee Milk Magazine, 1995.