Congratulations on the release of your new single "Rio", which appears on your debut album "Confessions". Why did you decide to share this song and when will "Confessions" be released?

Thank you so much! We've decided to share this song mainly because of its beautiful message (a simple one: life is beautiful if you stop for a moment and enjoy the little things) and the super nice vibes. We personally can't stop smiling when listening to this song and we hope it will have the same impact on our listeners :)

“Confessions” will be fully released this summer! Until then, we have more singles coming up.

Tell us about your creative process for the development of the "Rio" song, and from a songwriting standpoint, what its inspiration was.

The lyrics were mainly written during my trip in Rio de Janeiro two years ago. They can be regarded as a "journal" of what I was experiencing on the spot, if I could say so. I was influenced by the love of life of the Carioca people, by the idea of finding happiness in simple things. Some lyrics even get quite literal - for example, fun fact about the lyrics "Neon lights, midnight stop/ Keep on driving there's no stopping for us": I actually wrote them when we were driving through some dangerous parts of Rio at night. It is common not to stop at redlights in those areas, because you might get in trouble. I wrote that down and it turned out to be a cool metaphor about life itself :)

The instrumental also has such a great vibe because it was born during a late jam session with Andrea in the studio. It was totally spontaneous - Andrea started playing the main theme of the song on the guitar and I just went on reading the lyrics I already had on my phone. We really had a great time creating the song and I think it can be felt in the end result.

How initially did you two meet and then decide to form Anaté? Do you both enjoy the same types of music?

We met quite randomly through a common friend and we realised from the start that we hit it off artistically. Andrea was looking for a singer/songwriter for his downtempo project, having a very specific voice in mind. I happened to be exactly that voice that he was looking for, which was clearly an advantage. On top of that, when we started working on a song together and saw how easily the ideas were flowing from one to the other (not to mention that all of this was happening remotely), starting to build together the Anate project was a no brainer. :)

Andrea and I have main core influences that come from our idols back in the days, such as Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. Beyond that, I could say that my influences turn a bit more towards pop, while Andrea keeps the alternative, trip hop influences flowing into our songs. It's an interesting mix and probably also the reason why it is difficult to clearly define a genre for our music.

With the "Rio" single now released, what can we expect next from Anaté musically?

As mentioned, we have some more singles to be released until summer, when the whole album will be out. You can expect the same downtempo, chill vibes that you experienced so far, with lyrics with a message and songs putting you in a contemplative mood let's say. We have some more video material to come, including a live session with the band in the studio, where we will be playing 4 songs of the album and one new cover.

When you are working on a new song, when do you know that it is complete? Do you seek input from outside the duo for their opinions during the creative process?

That's a really good question! For me it's a matter of feeling it - I am personally searching to be moved by the music that I am doing and to convey a message. When I reach that point, I guess I could say the song is 'complete'. Of course we search for feedback as well, but it usually comes after the point where we are both ok with what we have.

Do your life experiences (ie where you've lived, past/current relationships, etc) influence your songwriting and themes of your music?

In my case, absolutely. I am a very contemplative person in general and all that I've ever lived, observed, experienced can somehow be found in my music. Duality for example is a topic that is very personal to me - hence why the whole album is revolving around this concept.

Stream and Share “Rio” on: Apple Music | Deezer | Amazon Music | YouTube | Soundcloud

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