LUCA GASPERONI
Q What were you thinking when you wrote the “Flashin kindness” lyrics?
The Lyric is an adaptation of a poem that i wrote back in the years between lockdowns, and Ukraine started to be bombed.
I was ( and i still am ) just overwhelmed by human wickedness and fragility.
Q There’s a lot of contrast in the song, between collapse and beauty—how do you write with that kind of tension?
I think that tension is something that belongs to my way of thinking, always been considered sorta a creep for that, but that contrast i believe, might reach someone in the right place at the right time.
Q How do you personally define kindness in the world that you describe in the song?
It’s edgy, but am sorta comforted by the fact, in dark times, some people gets the strenght to become kind, so in a way you need the dark to recognize where the light is.
Q Is accepting what’s going on a form of strength?
I dunno if its a form of strenght or not, i dont even know if its right or wrong, but acceptance in general is something i respect.
Q Were you drawing from your own experiences when you wrote about things like economic failure or cultural exhaustion?
Yea, definetly, its very hard to be 30 in these years, hard to get an house, hard to think about building a family, everything is complicated, and this is extremely frustrated, especially considering we grew from parents who were luckier than us, and that teached us that everything is easy if you work hard enough, but it’s not like that anymore, and we’re discovering it out.
Q Is there a certain percentage of the song that is specifically what goes through your head versus what you see going on around you?
Thats a way of seeing it, yea, haven’t thought about that but i’d say you’re right!
Q How involved is irony with your songwriting process?
Irony is a great tool to arouse curiosity and build tension i believe, it’s a damn communication deadly weapon. I wish i was better at it.
Q Did it take a lot of effort to split sadness and lightness in the lyrics without tilting towards either extreme?
I spend most of my time writing, trying to balance words and moods actually, balance is important.
Q How did being a poet affect the shape or wording of this song?
It was very hard to me to “explode” certain concepts, i write in very synthetic ways, translate few lines into full lyrics has been a challenge, but i have to say, im am quite happy with the results, i hated the process somehow, but in the end, it works!
Q You’re using “we” and “us” throughout the song—why was it necessary that it felt communal and not personal?
This question is so great am scared to answer.
There are times in life in wich you feel misunderstood, i felt it many times, but somehow, through research, i always found the right book, the right song, the right movie to understand i was not the only one, and that was such an amazing feeling, so when i share something, i do that for that kind of people, someone looking for something similar to what they feel, and i write to reach this people, be like, hey, we’re in this together.That has been important to me, and i believe, could be important to somebody else.
Q Do you think there’s worth in beauty in breakdown?
Probably the most valuable one, the one worth looking into.
Q Is “Flashin kindness” a warning, a reflection, or neither?
Its a modern lullaby.
Q What do you hope people will feel when they listen to this song?
Not alone. Inspired to take a stand and speak out. We can be like whales, communicating through distances.
Q Do you feel accepting of the end of things, as you cry out in the lyrics, is a kind of freedom?
The end is liberation.
Q Was there an aha moment or experience that led to the idea for this song?
Probably a good amount of moments, that melted together in my mind, and came out as one.
Q Do writing about these subjects make them more manageable to handle, or does it make them bear more on your mind?
Writing about hard themes in a way makes me feel like i have control on those. I undestand it makes no sense, but its what i feel.
Q What is “kindness flashin'” to you now, after the song is complete?
A syntethis of a very complicated feeling, i managed to give a name to something that is part of me, and since i now know its name, i now can manage that feeling.
