ITALY’S MÅNESKIN ARE AN UNLIKELY WORLDWIDE SENSATION. IN THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, GW TRACKS DOWN GUITARIST THOMAS RAGGI AND BASSIST VICTORIA DE ANGELIS TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT MAKES THIS STEAMROLLER ROCK (AND ROLL)
BY JOE BOSSO
HAS THERE BEEN A ROCK BAND FROM anywhere that has completely killed it like Måneskin during the past two years? Since winning the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest in May 2021 with their golden riff-rap-rock blaster “Zitti e Buoni,” the young and impossibly charismatic Italian foursome has become a worldwide sensation, dominating radio and streaming charts with a steady stream of knockout singles.
There was the rip-roaring raunch-o-rama “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” followed by the slinky, sexy and altogether hooky “Supermodel.” But perhaps their biggest — and most improbable — smash so far was their cover of “Beggin’.” A minor hit by the Four Seasons in 1967, Måneskin included their revved-up, emotionally charged funk-rock version of the song on their 2017 EP, Chosen. Finally released as a single last year, it became a global favorite and got to within inches of Billboard’s hallowed Top 10 (almost unheard of in these times for a rock band).
All of which begs the question: How did an Italian rock band manage to do what no other group from their country has ever done before? According to guitarist Thomas Raggi, who formed Måneskin with bassist Victoria De Angelis and singer Damiano David in Rome in 2016, the plan was always the same — to have no plan at all. “We don’t really overthink what we do,” he says. “We’ve always tried to be very true to our instincts and just do what we like. I think once people saw us and heard us, they realized we were simply being ourselves and enjoying what we do.”
For her part, De Angelis agrees. “I think other bands try too hard to do what the industry tells them, but fans can tell it’s fake,” she says. “If we were to even try to go that way, we would know right away we weren’t being genuine. It wouldn’t be satisfying to do what you don’t believe in, so we don’t do it.”
Thus far, Måneskin have released two full-length albums, 2018’s Il ballo della vita and last year’s Teatro d’ira: Vol. I, that demonstrate their rapidly evolving artistic growth in the studio. Complementing Raggi’s fiery array of crunching riffs, velvety rhythms and slippery solos (he name-checks Jimmy Page, Slash, John Frusciante and Jimi Hendrix as major influences) is the powerhouse rhythm section of De Angelis and drummer Ethan Torchi
