Have you ever listened to a song and was enraptured by the feel of it more than the lyrics themselves? To me, An Early Bird exudes an emotion. The feeling is upbeat but subdued; wistful yet hopeful. You find yourself singing along but unsure of the full lyrics - you fill in the blanks and find your own feelings bubbling to the surface. It draws out what’s in you in a stream of consciousness sort of way. And then you read the lyrics and it all makes sense… it clicks… and you find that you weren’t too far off in your own interpretation. I love those sort of songs, and that’s what drew me towards Stefano De Stefano’s work.

As a teenager, Stefano started playing the blues with a piano he had in his home out of a need to feel something beyond the ordinary. Then he discovered the Britpop movement and learned to play the guitar. He had his first band experiences, started making albums, and began touring. He moved to Milano, the band split up - and “An Early Bird” was born.  

His new release, “Lights Off” was actually written eleven years ago. “I was totally into the Ryan Adams music. At that time he was releasing the 2nd solo album so I wanted to go back to his roots and discovered a band called Whiskeytown. I love a song by them, ‘Yesterday's News’ and the first demo of ‘Lights Off’ took some inspiration from there.” Aside from Ryan Adams, Stefano also finds inspiration from artists such as Glen Hansard, Noel Gallagher, Paul McCartney, Band Of Horses, and Travis.

To me, Stefano’s new release “Lights Off” is about the feeling we have as a young adult, and finding others in your life that bring a larger meaning. The chorus exclaims, “I wait for something bright, And you break into the night”. It could be a love song, but I think it may be more about ourselves, or rather … finding ourselves. I felt something quite universal in the song. It speaks to our uncertainty that lies ahead and our longing for connection. The melody and vocals are smooth and rhythmic. His signature falsetto is other worldly and alluring.

This will be the second single off his upcoming fourth album to be released on December 30th this year. De Stefano collaborated with Marti West on the production of “Lights Off”. About Marti, De Stefano told me “I really love for his whispery vocals and gentle songwriting. Marti did a great job on the recording and I feel very proud to have such a great artist performing my music.” He adds, “Stefano Bruno, a former member of my previous band, worked on the track: he's now a great producer and has also produced my 3rd album Diviner out last year.” An Early Bird has three shows scheduled in Berlin in early October, November, and December. Beyond that, he will be performing in Italy and France from mid-January and is planning a new tour in Portugal. What lies beyond? “I’m very close to the start of my 5th album sessions. If I have good music to share, why should I wait?” But while WE wait, you can check out the video for his newest release above! 

I for one look forward to his upcoming releases later this year. I’ve become quite a fan not only of his music, but in talking with him have come to appreciate his soulful spirit and count him as one of my own musical influences for what comes next. So if you haven’t already done so, please make sure you follow “An Early Bird” and listen to all his music on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get yours.

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