GattoToro x NOVE
GattoToro and NOVE are the yin and yang of the Milano punk scene. The Prince and The Pauper of Milano Nord and Milano Sud decided to share the metaphysical two sides of what would be a 45. Freakier and further band connections have been made in the history of the split album format, but GattoToro x NOVE is a rightful heir born out of stage-sharing experiences that brought together two artists who solidified this bond into a shared project.
Album cover art via IG @gattotoro and @nove.pank © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
GattoToro is the first solo project of Gabriele Tura, lead singer of the Italian Punk Rock Band and X-Factor Italia 2021competitor, Le Endrigo. His side of the split album hosts his first experiments with just an acoustic guitar and a few chords combined with sincere and silly lyrics meant to be yelled by a crowd.
NOVE is Marco Manini: singer, songwriter, and drummer in different music projects like Materazi Future Club, Les Enfants, and the Bello Figo Band. He brought to this EP table songs born out of restlessness and claustrophobia.
We had a chat with them to learn more about the project and its future outcomes, to understand where the paths of GattoToro and NOVE come from, and why they decided to come together for this EP.
"Actually, we had never crossed paths, despite moving in similar circles. There was a coincidence of timing and a shared desire to jump into this adventure. No one choked the other, and we took turns at the wheel—a success."
GattoToro x NOVE is a split album, a format popular in the punk genre where a few songs by each artist come together. It could sound strange but sometimes is actually a winning choice.
"The funny thing is that the idea actually came to us after two intense weeks of concerts. One night, we couldn’t use both guitars, so we started passing one back and forth, taking turns song by song. We realized it worked really well and that we complemented each other. We’re the Paola and Chiara no one asked for."
The EP doesn’t have a homogeneous style, but its tone is set off by the acoustic, humorous honesty of “Ecco sì, quella lì è stata una cosa stupida” and the roguish nursery rhyme “Otto Piccole Bugie (e Due Grandi)”.
GattoToro: "I wrote the record in a week when I couldn’t stop myself from writing about a series of messes that happened to me in the last few months. These and all the others you’ll hear in the future talk about different people fused into one big misfortune: having met me."
Finally, “Stare” and “Clochard” are the "Mr. Hyde" of the EP: more irreverent and dealing with an apparent "mal de vivre."
NOVE: "They’re songs I wrote a few years ago. Stare Male is about a period, during COVID/post-COVID, when I was really struggling, like many people. I discovered I had a kind of claustrophobia. I was used to being out all the time, and I struggled psychologically with being stuck in my room. This issue, along with others, made me feel physically unwell, and eventually, I realized I had to accept the situation, ‘surrender’ to myself, and simply wait for the storm to pass. Clochard talks about my actual state, which is also the state of many people living in Milan—low wages, sky-high rent, and almost no chance of living decently unless you take on crappy jobs. The song also speaks to the beauty of losing yourself in madness, without a destination, without a plan."
After this EP, where are GattoToro and NOVE’s paths headed?
"A few concerts together, many more not together (that way it’s nicer to see each other again), and maybe finally a song written with four hands—why not?"
