MINDFEELS

“Influence is a starting point, never an arrival point.”

“Our voice was already there – it just hadn’t yet found the right space to emerge.”

“For us, intensity is about dynamics and space, not volume.”

“Silence – or a well-placed pause – can be more powerful than any crescendo.”

“Sincerity is one of the few things that can truly distinguish a work today.”

“Modern doesn’t mean chasing trends. It means being authentic in the present.”

“Music is not just a product. It’s narrative and shared memory.”

“We never wanted to sound like someone else. We wanted to sound like ourselves – clearly.”

“Music should feel lived, not manufactured.”

“A song must breathe. If it suffocates under its own arrangement, it’s no longer honest.”

“If a melody stays with you the next morning, we’ve done our job.”

More than three decades after their beginnings, Italian AOR outfit Mindfeels return not as revivalists, but as craftsmen of melody and restraint.
In this exclusive interview with Davide Gilardino (vocals), conducted by Fok ‘bs‘, the band’s journey from Toto tribute origins to the refined, self-aware sound of ‘2WO‘ unfolds as a story of patience, identity, and artistic maturity.
Gilardino speaks candidly about influence without imitation, the value of silence in arrangement, and why sincerity may be the boldest statement a band can make in a cynical age.
Mindfeels were born as a Toto tribute band in the mid-’90s.
When did admiration turn into the confidence to speak with your own voice as songwriters?
“There was never a clear, almost ‘revolutionary’ moment when we decided to stop looking at a model and start speaking with our own voice. It was a natural, gradual process. The ‘Dejanira’ project, first as an instrumental fusion trio and later as a Toto tribute band, always remained alive and active, but already in the second half of the ’90s we had begun writing original material. At first it was instrumental music shaped by our fusion and prog influences. In the early 2000s we even completed an entire AOR album that, due to various circumstances, was never released. In a sense, our voice was already there – it just hadn’t yet found the right space to emerge. The real turning point came with meeting the label and realizing that ‘XXenty’ could become something concrete and shared with a real audience. That’s when we understood it was no longer just admiration for a genre or a reference band, but the desire to build our own identity – with our melodies, emotional nuances, and personal and musical journey.”
The name Mindfeels clearly recalls ‘Mindfields‘, yet your music never feels like imitation. How do you maintain such a strong influence without being trapped by it?
“Influences are part of our musical DNA, but they’ve never been a cage. Toto are certainly an important source of inspiration, but not the only one. We grew up listening to Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, and also a lot of instrumental fusion like UZEB and Los Lobotomys. Each of us brings a different background, and that inevitably makes the final result personal. When you write sincerely, without forcing a style, influence becomes a starting point, not an arrival point. We’ve never aimed to replicate a sound or formula. We’re more interested in absorbing a spirit – a way of conceiving melody and arrangement – and then reworking it through our own sensibility.”
More than thirty years after your beginnings, ‘2WO‘ arrives as a new chapter rather than a nostalgic exercise.
What still drives you to create new music today?
“The main drive is expressive necessity. We’ve never experienced music as nostalgia, but as a living language. Each album represents a precise moment in our path. There’s also the desire not to repeat ourselves, to explore new shades, to improve technically and compositionally. In a world where everything moves fast and music risks being consumed superficially, continuing to create means deeply believing in what you do. Feeling that a song reaches someone and is listened to carefully is a powerful motivation.”
Compared to ‘XXenty‘, this album feels more confident and refined.
How was time your greatest collaborator on ‘2WO‘?
“Time gave us awareness. It allowed us to better understand our strengths and where we could grow. We worked more carefully on melodies, structures, and especially arrangements. Recording drums in our own studio, without the pressure of external studio costs and schedules, allowed us to experiment more and search for the right sound from the very first microphone placement. We chose an ‘old style’ approach, shaping the sound at the source without relying on quantization or artificial correction. That made the result more natural and probably more mature.”
AOR and Westcoast often rely on subtlety rather than aggression.
How do you maintain emotional intensity without increasing volume or speed?
“For us, intensity is about dynamics and space, not volume. The most delicate phase is often arrangement: it’s easy to fall into the temptation of adding layers that end up suffocating the song. Creating the right sonic spaces, choosing timbres carefully, and controlling interventions allows you to build emotional tension even in a seemingly delicate track. Sometimes silence – or a well-placed pause – can be more intense than any crescendo.”
The production of ‘2WO‘ is warm, detailed, and elegant.
How involved were you in defining the final sonic character together with Roberto Priori?
“The album was produced by Luca, who has always been the starting point of our compositional ideas, but every member contributed significantly to arrangements and sonic choices. Entrusting the mix to Roberto Priori came after hearing his work on a track recorded in the same sessions. His natural, crystal-clear approach matched exactly what we had in mind: a present, defined sound, but not artificial. The collaboration was close, always respecting our identity. We didn’t want to distort our sound, but enhance it.”
Songs like ‘Something New‘ speak of idealized love and emotional refuge.
In a cynical modern world, do you consider sincerity itself a strong artistic statement?
“We believe sincerity is one of the few things that can truly distinguish a work today. Music is often the place where you can say what daily life leaves unspoken. Speaking of love, loss, and emotional refuge isn’t naïve – it’s authentic. If a song creates a space of recognition for the listener, it has already made a powerful statement.”
Mindfeels have always balanced technical refinement with accessibility.
How do you decide when a song needs complexity and when restraint serves it better?
“It’s a matter of listening and sensitivity. Technique is part of our background, but it must never become an end in itself. Often the song itself suggests the direction. If a section takes away breath, it’s too much. If a passage needs elaboration to express the musical idea better, complexity finds its natural space. Balance is always the goal.”
Having liner notes written by Marco Garavelli ties the album to Italian rock radio tradition.
How important is this cultural continuity for you as an Italian band?
“It’s very meaningful. Music never exists in a cultural vacuum – it’s always part of a shared history and language. Having Marco Garavelli write the liner notes consciously places us within a tradition of Italian rock radio built on passion and authentic communication. AOR and Westcoast aren’t mainstream in Italy, which is precisely why building cultural bridges matters. In an era of fragmentation, maintaining a link to attentive listening and contextual storytelling reflects our idea of music – not just as a product, but as narrative and shared memory.”
Your music clearly speaks to longtime AOR listeners without sounding dated.
What does ‘modern‘ mean for Mindfeels without abandoning classic values?
“For us, ‘modern’ doesn’t mean chasing trends but being authentic in the present. We use real instruments, avoid forced quantization, and shape the sound at its source. That may seem countercultural, but musical honesty is always contemporary. The classic AOR values – melody at the center, harmonic care, balance between technique and emotion – don’t age when lived with present awareness.”
Over the years you’ve collaborated selectively rather than frequently.
What do you look for in a collaborator to strengthen rather than dilute your identity?
“We look for artistic and human affinity. Our collaborations with Michael Kratz and Kasper Viinberg grew from relationships built over time through shared experiences. When someone adds value while respecting the soul of the song, collaboration becomes natural. It’s not about adding a big name, but creating authentic musical dialogue.”
Releasing an album today is very different from the ’90s or even 2017.
How has your relationship with the audience and expectations changed in the streaming era?
“Music travels faster today but risks being heard more superficially. Streaming has expanded potential audiences but changed how albums are consumed. That’s why professional and passionate support is essential. The relationship with the audience may be less physical, but potentially more international. Knowing our music can reach listeners outside Italy is a great opportunity.”
When listeners reach the end of ‘2WO‘, what emotion or musical truth do you hope remains long after the last note fades?
“We hope they feel they’ve listened to something authentic and crafted with passion. If a melody, a harmonic passage, or an atmosphere stays with them, then we’ve left a small mark. Ultimately, that’s the point: sharing a fragment of our art and letting it live through those who listen.”
With ‘2WO‘, Mindfeels prove that longevity does not require reinvention at all costs, but clarity of purpose.
Davide Gilardino makes it clear that the band’s strength lies not in nostalgia, but in balance – between melody and restraint, refinement and emotion, tradition and presence.
If anything lingers after the final note, it is the quiet confidence of a band that has finally found – and fully embraced – its own voice.
by Fok ‘bs‘