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Joel Martorana Talks New Project Colletto Bianco In Q&A Interview
Musician Joel Martorana is the definition of talented; with his ever growing catalog of work with his bands Endless Heights and Peace Ritual, he now has his newest project Colletto Bianco prove that his creative ability is endless. We got the opportunity to ask Joel some questions and you can read them below.
Firstly, Can you tell us a little about your project Colletto Bianco and about your most recent release “Throne”?
Colletto Bianco is a ‘character project’ and by design is intended to consistently push me (creatively) out of my comfort zone. The project is meant to be cinematic, dramatic and pull the audience into another world. Throne is chapter 2 in the saga for the narrative (and sound), and intended to capture some of Colletto’s inner transformation as he steps up (for better or worse) into a greater position of power and leadership (by force).
You’re an indie god in Peace Ritual and a heavy punk rocker in Endless Heights - so what was the reason to start your solo project, the inspiration behind it and what you hope to achieve?
Thank you! I started Colletto Bianco to creatively re-invent myself and to try and authentically grow in my ability & creativity beyond everything that felt familiar (sonically & visually etc with Endless Heights and the indie/punk world). Everything about Colletto is meant to terrify me, and inspire me to level up and commit to the character, sound or performance. The project is inspired by my love for cinema & ‘world building’ and my Nonno’s (Italian Grandfather’s) shared love for Drama & crime movies.
Is the response so far from your releases “Choke” and “Throne” what you hoped for?
Deep down I have always been hoping to ‘pull off’ the character and world of Colletto - from the reception across Choke & Throne I feel that the audience definitely understands the intention and approach of the project - and this is something I’m very proud of and feel artistically fulfilled in.
Who are some artists that totally inspire you when it comes to making music?
I’m inspired by such a broad range of artists, particularly those who I feel pay such tribute to classic sounds but seem to add their own iconic spin to it. Artists like Orville Peck, Lady Gaga & classics like Elvis Presley inspire me across all levels.
What does your creative process look like when you are creating these songs for this character?
The process is extremely collaborative and typically starts off with an improvisational/playful approach. Elliott Gallart (Producer/Co-writer) will often build a loop/beat based on references (or his own ideas), and I will then vocally ad-lib lyrics (mainly gibberish) and melodies for 3-10 minute takes at a time. Elliott then has an incredible skill in cherry-picking the best moments, and we start to zombie a song together - or often a vocal improvised section will inspire or inform the next section of a song, and Elliott will typically then start to flesh out a song structure. From there imagery and narrative ideas tend to come to mind which inform the lyric writing (which are co-written with Candace Krieger) and the refinement of other sonic elements.
What do you enjoy doing aside from music? Do you have any hobbies?
I am a super beginner at Jiu Jitsu, striking & yoga - and have been really enjoying trying to learn totally new things (for me) as an adult. Outside of that I am genuinely inspired by all things creative arts related - so I really enjoy getting to galleries, watching movies and soaking in as much of the arts as possible.
And lastly, to finish up our questions - Where do you hope to see this project in the future? What's in store for Colletto Bianco in 5 years time?
This is a tough question because I definitely have (tangible) goals, but at the same time still want Colletto Bianco to be pushing me creatively (and technically) in the same way it does now. I love this project, as it inspires such growth across all facets of my abilities and creativity! Dream would be to have Colletto music synced in a movie, or to secure funding/resources to transpose an EP/ALBUM into a feature film in itself.
