Robert Vendetta
His Label nicknamed Robert Vendetta the Norwegian mariachi - simply because he's always wanted a mariachi suit. You can tell by the way he dresses. Though he’s born and raised in Norway he’s not a typical Norwegian guy.
Robert Vendetta loves Mexico! And all kinds of music. This has made him into a melting pot of influences, which all shines through in his music and stage performance! Robert Vendetta invented Retropop – or modern old as he sometimes calls it - and carries its flag as a producer, songwriter and an artist.
Robert calls the stage his second – if not first – home. He’s played for the Norwegian royal family several times! His musical heroes are amongst many James Brown, Elvis and Dee Snider. Robert Vendetta is also very conscious about his image. He calls it “the personal Robert” on steroids. Some of them have been seen by a 100k people on facebook. Not bad for an indie artist!
Robert Vendetta’s music has been played on the radio on four different continents. He’s been on TV in both Norway and México, and he did it well. His background as an actor and all the hours he spent in front of the mirror pretending to be on “The Letterman show” has paid off. His popularity and fanbase continues to grow, and the fans are very dedicated. Robert Vendetta tries to communicate with them as much as he can. The fans are very important to him.
All by my handsome self
Heute brachte Robert Vendetta seine Single "All by my handsome self" heraus, ein äußerst gelungenes Stück mit der richtig dosierten Portion Retro. Es erinnert mich ein wenig an die "alten" Singer and Songwriter wo ich mir das in etwa so vorstelle, man sitzt am Klavier und arbeitet den Track komplett aus und danach geht's ans restliche Arrangement. Man "schreibt" ein Lied. In diesem Fall habe ich mich immer wieder ertappt wie ich die Melodie in irgendeiner Form mitsinge oder auch mitsumme. Die absolute Krönung für mich der Chorus, der an die Glanzzeiten der Popmusik vergangener Tage erinnert ohne dabei sein modernes Gewand abzulegen, quasi dosierter Dualismus als Harmonie in vollendeter Form, dargebracht von einem großartigen Entertainer der alten Schule.
Q&A
Robert Vendetta is...?
My label calls me the Norwegian mariachi based on my clothing style and my connection and love for Mexico. Working with the drummer on my first album I stumbled upon the genre "Retropop'' - modern old, a mixture between different genres of the 60s, 70s, and current stuff with a modern sound. And I love being on stage, to entertain. I've been dabbling as an actor and dancer, so I put all of that into my shows. Why not?
Who inspired you to make music in general?
My dad played guitar and sang really well, and he was into Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and The Highwaymen which I still love. That's where it started. In the early 90s I was introduced to Michael Jackson and James Brown and kinda found myself musically. And at that time at the age of 11-12 I knew what I wanted to do - be on stage! Today I get a lot of inspiration from all sorts of artists really, my favorite these days is Selena Gomez. To write, I draw a lot of inspiration from life. Things I or people around me experience. And just having those late evenings all alone by the piano is an inspiration in itself.
...and especially to the song "All by my handsome self"?
It's one of the few songs where I had the title first and knew what sort of a story I wanted to write about. I finally got it down before a Soul Children rehearsal. Soul Children is this Norwegian, teen-gospel movement. Catchy melodies that are easy to sing, with sometimes very hard chords and chord progressions. Rehearsing one of those songs I finally found something new, a new song. And figured this is "All By My Handsome Self!" I added a riff I thought was very Elton John, and I probably had "Dancing Queen" on my mind when I wrote the melody line. The lyrics just came flowing. It's one of those songs that wrote itself.
What is your creative process like?
I tend to work more at it these days, just for a great melody, hook or riff. Before they just came. But it all starts there, with a good idea coming from a place of creativity. Both Melody, chords and lyrics combined. After that the thinking begins, changing chords, making sense of the lyrics and the shape of the song. This album is a blend of new songs, and reshaping old songs. And some of the songs I took to a whole different place than the original version. On this album I looked for songs that would fit the story, since I wanted to make a true concept album, almost like a musical.
What is the most useful talent you have?
I can't give up! My talent is to keep on working and working and never surrender!
What do you prefer, a live gig or a studio session?
A live gig! With my great band and a loving audience, nothing beats that! I love a good studio session as well though, I work as a producer for other artists and bands. And the feeling when everything just clicks, the songs are great, the band is great. My oh my!
If you could change anything in the past, what would it be?
I try not to think like that. Of course I've made huge mistakes, but they're my mistakes. I have to live with them and learn from them. I'm the kind of guy who rather do things I regret than regretting things I didn't do.
How do you feel the Internet (especially Social Media platforms) has impacted the music business?
Well, it's changed the game a lot! In the old days you needed a record company for promotion and such, today you can do a lot of promotion yourself. But at the same time the competition is way bigger and stronger.
What’s next for you?
The album is out on the 30th of september. We have a lot of videos planned for the release, one for each song. And there will be interviews and some podcasts and stuff, which is really fun! And slowly the gigs are coming back, so a tour with my band may happen. They're awesome and so inspiring to be around. We've already begun talking of the next studio album and maybe a live album?
Photo credits:
Marius Martinsen
