What’re your highlights of the year so far?Rick Maria Barchiesi (Lead Singer) – This is our first year of official activity as a published band, so I’m still holding my breath, waiting to see what’s coming. Releasing an album like The Long Lasting Dusk makes me feel both excited and scared. Over the past year, we managed not only to find the perfect line-up but also to get all the tracks recorded and mastered. We were also lucky enough to be chosen by Diotima Music Management to join their roster — so fingers crossed. It’s been tough so far, fun but tough; and we know the most challenging part is yet to come. What can I say? We’ve never been more ready!
What are your goals for the rest of the year?RMB - When November 28th kicks in, we’ll be touring around Milan, playing in some of its most historic pubs to promote our music. Then it’ll be time to prepare for our European tour. I guess we’ll be making a lot of calls and video interviews with our management and PR agency to set everything up properly and be ready to hit the road in 2026.
Which new bands/artists are you into right now?RMB - Let’s say I’ll answer in three steps. New-ish band: The Struts. Man, I love their way of making music — those catchy choruses and hooks, Spiller’s voice, their live sound… everything. Kind of new: Messa. I love ranging across different genres, and within Italy’s doom/metal niche, they’re a revelation — raging vocals with that hint of psychedelia I love. I hope to see them back in Italy soon after their show at Metalitalia Festival last September! Fresh new: The Leaf. You’re going to hear a lot about them. I love their imagery, and their first (and so far only) album is a real gem — a piece of art that we at Will O’Dusk hope to share the charts with one day!
What was the band or artist that got you into music or inspired you to be a musician?RMB - That’s the easiest question I’ll ever get: Freddie Mercury and Queen, forever my one and only. I grew up with them, dreaming of living in those mythical times. I’d never even try to emulate them, but I’m happy to be inspired by the best — even if I can only do it humbly and imperfectly.
AI has become a bone of contention among creators. What’s your view of it?RMB – Consciousness and soul can’t be written into algorithms — of that I’m sure. As long as writers and musicians treat art as just a job, a mechanical process designed for likes, shares, and money, we’re doomed — because AI is getting better and better at doing exactly that, and one day it’ll be unbeatable. But if we see art as an expression of consciousness and soul, then we’re the best, and we’ll always be. It’s all about what we want to create and consume: mere methadone pills, or bright, fertile teardrops.
What was your wildest show so far, and why?RMB – Man, we’re just warming up — I think our wildest show is still ahead of us, and I can’t wait to get there! For now, we’re having a great time touring around Milan and Italy, playing for friends while making new ones. Every show is wild in its own way. That’s us — that’s how we want to play.
What inspired the lyrical themes behind the record?
RMB – Life — more specifically, its hardest parts, and the need to analyze them so they don’t destroy us. For us, the only way to get through tough times is to find the good in the bad and the bad in the good. It’s an old and worn idea, but it’s true, and that’s the duality we want to give voice to through our music — not by talking philosophy, but through everyday things and experiences. We want to tell everyone’s story, not just ours.
What’s the story behind the artwork for “The Long Lasting Dusk”?RMB – We wanted something simple, yet capable of conveying what our music is about. We chose the hues of dusk — obviously, right? Nothing more, just colors fading from the darkest night to the brightest dawn. Like the music on that album, the cover represents a transition, a journey with no rest. Ever-changing, yet true to itself.
Where is the furthest across the globe you’ve played so far?RMB – Not very far yet, as Will O’Dusk. One day we’ll look down at our feet, fearing the next step — only because it’ll be the furthest we’ve ever gone as the band we are now. I can’t wait for that moment.
