Interview & Stage Photo by Steve Foglia
Two-day Scream Rock Fest 2026 took Italy’s City of Flowers, Sanremo by Storm at the end of May, with pure energy dedicated to the best independent and historic bands from the Ligurian and national music scene.
The event’s organizer Steve Foglia conducted an interview with Ligurian indi rockers NOMOREMARIO (formed in 2008), join the chat below.
Eighteen years together, starting from Ventimiglia. In an era of disposable pop projects born on social media, you are a true “band of brothers” formed back in 2008. What is the secret to keeping this chemistry and hunger intact after nearly twenty years?
There is no secret, just a great harmony among us—a balance that is also built on our shared passion for music.
Your sound has been described as “a glass of honey and adrenaline.” Translating this combination into music means making disruptive volumes and extremely delicate melodies coexist. How do you manage, both in the studio and on stage, to keep these two opposite worlds from imploding?
That definition was given to us by a music-loving friend, and we liked it because, in just a few words, it captures the essence of what we do unconsciously. We are driven on one hand by the urge to make some noise, and on the other by the desire to tell gentle stories. Jokingly, we say our formula is “Violence & Love.”
Let’s talk about contrasts. Is there a specific track in your repertoire where you feel this formula—noise pushed to the limit combined with a dreamlike touch—has reached its purest form?
We have many tracks like that, scattered across all our releases. In particular, there’s a really powerful one from 10 years ago called Moon in the Circle, and then there’s Midnight, the last song on the new album, which starts out incredibly gentle and then runs wild.
Your motto is an absolute manifesto: “We Are Dreamers.” In today’s cynical and ultra realistic world, what does it mean to be “dreamers” while strapping on distorted guitars? Is it an act of escape or rebellion?
First and foremost, it’s freedom—an escape from boredom, heavy duties, pedantic people, and suffocating power dynamics. However, this “escape from Alcatraz” of ours is also a gesture of rebellion, just as rock ‘n’ roll has often been since its very beginning.
There is an irresistible innocence in your approach to rock. Alternative rock is often associated with anger or darkness, whereas you seem to preserve an almost childlike purity. Is this a conscious choice, or is it simply your natural way of being?
Thank you for that spot-on observation; it is almost certainly a natural way of being. Even though our musical tastes lean in that direction, we don’t like clichés, and we don’t like locking ourselves into a musical genre that is too defined and codified in its content.
Liguria, and specifically the Ventimiglia area, has a strong aesthetic: the sea, the border, the rugged landscapes. How has this borderland influenced your “dreamlike” sound and your urgency to express yourselves?
That’s a great question, even for us. Perhaps the music we play is more connected to distant horizons, at least as a reference point. Our landscape and climate would typically suggest something much more sunny and lighthearted. On top of that, there’s that provincial boredom—being at the edge of the kingdom—which puts us in a state of musical isolation. And yet, there must be something of our land in there, probably more in the substance than in the language itself.
You have been a backbone of the local rock scene for years. How have you seen the audience and the underground clubs change from 2008 to today? Is there still room for those who want to make the amplifiers screech?
Yes, the change is remarkable. Everything moves way too fast; there’s an overabundance of releases leading to devaluation, a very short attention span, overly advanced production technologies, and all those social media, promotion, and image hassles we all know about. What truly always holds value is THE LIVE SHOW. When that beautiful thing happens—where we make something alive all together and create that shared empathy—it remains the most magical and essential aspect.
If we were to peek into your personal playlists or the back of your tour van, what are the three definitive albums that unite you and have shaped the DNA of NOMOREMARIO?
Each of us has specific and constantly evolving preferences, but we can tell you 3 old songs that might even end up in our setlists: Add It Up by the Violent Femmes, Just Like Heaven in the Dinosaur Jr. version, and Hit the City by Mark Lanegan.
In your tracks, introspective melodies run deep. When you write, does the music start as an acoustic whisper that is later overwhelmed by noise, or is it the electric chaos that inspires the lyrics?
We don’t have a fixed writing formula or method. There’s a lot of randomness, chaos, and hard work in the rehearsal room.
Let’s close by looking ahead. With a solid history behind you and the same passion intact in your veins, what is the next wall of sound that NOMOREMARIO intends to break down?
Beautiful question! The dream is always the same: that dark stage loaded with watts, ready to explode. The silence before the storm, the sound inside the thunder
More info:
https://www.facebook.com/p/NOMOREMARIO-100040408405803/
https://nomoremario.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nomoremario_/
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