[PREMIERE] Carlo Pinchetti: he’s on the beach
This was supposed to be a review of Italian Carlo Pinchetti‘s new video single. But I couldn’t hear his music. It’s rare, but it happens.
Calm down. The reason I open this article admitting this is because there are certain songs that pierce the ears without leaving a trace and settle directly into the heart. And right now my own heart is the one who coordinates everything from here.
Long time ago, especially in my single years, I had a soft spot for Italian music and all the romanticism it exudes. I would look for Italian films just to know the soundtracks. That’s how I met Gigliola Cinquetti, Caterina Caselli, not to mention my idolization of Laura Pausini and Fiorella Mannoia. Even Maneskin today… It has always been very clear to me that Italian composers, regardless of genre, are authorities on the kind of melancholy that pretty often results in memorable melodies.
And as soon as I played “Capelli bianchi” I was automatically teleported to this time, while nostalgia took over my body. Still with influences from Evan Dando (as we will see below) and an Elliott Smith feel, Carlo’s song sounds fresh like the sea breeze from the location where he recorded the video. He’s on the beach, just like that lovely Lemonheads b-side. And how healthy it is to know that there are real artists, who are guided mainly by the organic – and not by technology – when composing. It’s just an acoustic guitar, some tender voice and all the love in the world expressed in simple lyrics.
What else do we need?
Video Premiere: “Capelli bianchi” by Carlo Pinchetti
Carlo: The video was shot on the beach of the “baie des anges” in Nice, France, during two sunsets in the first days of 2025. I love Nice, especially during winter, when I can go and stay on the beach with the kids and the guitar, without running the risk of melting in the sun or disturbing the vacationers!
At forty, you feel a bit halfway, you even believe it is allowed to have social and political opinions. Well, the only thing I think I can say with certainty is that empathy is the way to try to save ourselves, and the only way to apply empathy is to eliminate exploitation between human beings. Utopia? Who knows? The song is about this.
With Evan in heaven
Carlo: The first thing to say, it’s not flattery or anything else, but it’s the pure truth, is that Evan is my favorite musician, one of my most important aspirations in making music and writing songs. This is to make you understand the importance of my opening for his concert in Milan, and the joy when the promoter confirmed it.
Evan is my favorite musician, one of my most important aspirations in making music and writing songs.
Carlo Pinchetti
That evening I was hoping to meet Evan at the soundcheck and maybe have dinner together, I had a vinyl to give him and a thousand questions to ask him. He and Antonia, however, were returning from a long tour up and down Europe, and preferred to arrive only close to the live show time. So my meeting with him was after the end of his (wonderful) concert, when the promoters allowed me, in agreement with him, to join him in the dressing rooms. It was a great emotion for me, Antonia and Evan welcomed me with smiles and immediately offered me a drink (unfortunately there was only non-alcoholic beer left and so I opted for a Coke).
Without wasting any time, Evan invited me to take one of his guitars from the case. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I realized it was his legendary, life-worn J45 that I had seen several times live and in countless photos. Anyway, as soon as I took the guitar I started playing the riff of Thirteen by Big Star and we proceeded together, followed by Androgynous by The Replacements and some other songs that I don’t remember at the moment.
Finally, I gave him my vinyl and in exchange he gifted me a print with a dedication of one of his paintings and a bunch of stickers that are already on my various guitars. A few days later Antonia sent me the backstage video on Whatsapp and invited me to their wedding! Unfortunately, planning a trip to Brazil in December was not feasible, but it is useless to say how happy and surprised I was by the simplicity and kindness of these two people.
They often warn you that it’s better not to meet your idols, so as not to be disappointed. Well, on the contrary, my meeting with Evan went beyond my expectations, crowning the most beautiful musical evening of my life. And since dreaming costs nothing, I would like to convince him to sing one of my songs, or better, write something together, maybe in Italian. “Cazzo di ferro” teaches us that it wouldn’t be anything strange for him!
So, did you enjoy Carlo’s sound? Tell us about in the comments section!