In this post, we continue our series of interviews about Aldo Leopardi with Curt Sautter, independent record producer and the founder of indie label Delirium Records.
Do you need to have listened to a lot of Australian rock to appreciate Aldo Leopardi’s sound?
I can listen to [Aldo’s] “Villains & Heroes” or “Always Be” and just enjoy them for the emotion, the rhythm, and the lyrics.
But one of the great things about being a fan of a particular musician or a music genre is that you get to experience songs on a lot of different levels. So, I can appreciate something creative that Aldo does with a particular vocal section or a cool guitar solo that I never noticed before.
Also, I think of Aldo’s group as one of the bands influenced by Rose Tattoo and other Australian groups. When I hear his music, I look for these influences and get excited thinking about how he’ll grow from them.
Rose Tattoo has impacted music in a way that some people in the U.S. may not know. What other lesser-known Australian groups?
Yeah, definitely. Aldo’s group is among the many bands influenced by Cold Chisel and probably the Angels…
…That’s Angel City in the U.S.
Right, Angel City. These bands, and all of Aldo’s music, have that unique Australian rock quality. Their songs are fun and they don’t take themselves so seriously that their ego crowds out the music. Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t supposed to be serious anyway. It’s an attitude that you’re going to live life your way, and celebrating that.
Do you think that Aldo has progressed in his music? Or, do you see him as primarily an Australian rocker?
I think there’s a definite evolution from Aldo’s debut self-titled album to Villains & Heroes, and I expect that he’s going to keep evolving.
For example, the self-title album has a blues base to it, which is a similar sound that you get from listening to Rose Tattoo or even The Rolling Stones. Aldo’s follow-up albums keep this bluesy quality, but it’s more subtle and more aligned with the themes he sings about in those more recent songs.
Another example of bands influencing Aldo’s music… Cold Chisel has deep emotional arrangements and vocals. Compare their “Choirgirl” to “Always Be” from Aldo’s debut album, and you hear these similarities.
However, while Aldo’s newer songs retain those powerful, pure vocals, they’re presented in a more modern rock way. I think that’s one of the reasons I like his stuff: he pulls from a big pool of influences without becoming a carbon copy.
Explore Aldo Leopardi’s music. Find his songs through Spotify and Jango.