Bar Italia, stylized in lowercase, are a British indie rock band formed in London in 2019.[1] The band consists of members Nina Cristante (vocals), Sam Fenton (vocals, guitar), and Jezmi Tarik Fehmi (vocals, guitar).[2] Their name is derived from the Soho café Bar Italia.[3]
Bar Italia | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Website | https://baritaliaa.com |
Biography
editThe Italian-born Cristante grew up in Rome but moved to London in 2007. Fenton and Fehmi lived in a flat below Cristante in Peckham, where they met. In 2019, they began making music together.[4]
From 2020 onwards, the band released four albums, three EPs and multiple singles through World Music, the record label founded by London musicians Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland.[5][6]
They were noted as a "new act to watch" by The Face magazine and the number one "rising star to look out for in 2023" by The Times.[2][7] Their 2022 EP CDR was placed at number one on Gorilla vs. Bear's list of the best EPs of 2022,[8] and their track "Miracle Crush" was placed at number 13 on Crack's list of the 25 best songs of 2022.[9]
In March 2023, it was announced they had signed with Matador Records.[10] They released Tracey Denim in May 2023, while their second album of the year, The Twits, released in November and was supported by European and North American tour dates.[11] Both albums received "generally favorable" reviews according to rating aggregator Metacritic,[12][13] with French cultural magazine Les Inrocks placing the two projects collectively at number 10 in their list of the best albums of the year.[14] Allmusic called The Twits a reflection of the group's growth "into an increasingly singular, expressive band",[15] and the record debuted at No. 36 on the UK Albums Chart, the band's highest placement as of 2023.[16]
Other projects
editFehmi and Fenton also make music as a duo under the name Double Virgo, a reference to their shared astrological star sign.[3] Since 2020, they have created a number of indie rock and shoegaze records together, produced by Vegyn and released via his label, PLZ Make It Ruins.[17]
Nina Cristante has created lo-fi pop music under the alias Nina (stylized NINA), often collaborating with producer and former label mate, Dean Blunt.[18][19][20]
Members
editCurrent members
- Nina Cristante – vocals (2020–present)
- Sam Fenton – vocals, guitar (2020–present)
- Jezmi Tarik Fehmi – vocals, guitar (2020–present)
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- Quarrel (World Music, 2020)
- Bedhead (World Music, 2021)
- Tracey Denim (Matador, 2023)
- The Twits (Matador, 2023)
EPs
edit- Angelica Pilled (World Music, 2020)
- CDR (self-released, 2022)
- The Tw*ts (Matador, 2024)
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Banks" | 2022 | CDR | World Music |
| "Miracle Crush" | World Music | ||
| "Polly Armour" | self-released | ||
| "Nurse!" | 2023 | Tracey Denim | Matador |
| "Punkt!" | Matador | ||
| "Changer" | Matador | ||
| "My Little Tony" | The Twits | Matador | |
| "Jelsy" | Matador | ||
| "World's Greatest Emoter" | Matador |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Libera Awards | Breakthrough Artist | N/A | Nominated | [21] |
References
edit- ^ Aroesti, Rachel (27 October 2023). "'I'd rather be boring than mysterious': Bar Italia on anonymity, originality and disliking Pulp". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ a b "10 rising music acts we think you'll love". The Face. 5 January 2023.
- ^ a b Ewens, Hannah (8 January 2024). "Cover story: Bar Italia – The Rest Is History". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Welcome to Nina Cristante's world". The Face. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (16 November 2022). "Song You Need: bar italia spin indie rock gold from ambivalence on "Polly Armour"". The FADER.
- ^ "Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland, formerly Hype Williams, launch new label". Fact. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will (20 June 2023). "Best music acts of 2023 — 10 rising stars to listen out for". The Times.
- ^ "gorilla vs bear's EPs of 2022". Gorilla vs. Bear. 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Best songs of 2022: Our top 25 tracks". Crack Magazine.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (9 March 2023). "Bar Italia Sign to Matador, Share New Song "Nurse!"". Pitchfork.
- ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (19 September 2023). "Bar Italia Announce New Album The Twits, Share Video for New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Tracey Denim by bar italia". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "The Twits by bar italia". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Découvrez nos 100 meilleurs albums de 2023 (partie 4/4)". Les Inrocks (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "The Twits". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "BAR ITALIA". Official Charts. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Bar Italia". Beggars Music. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ White, Jessica (20 May 2023). "One to watch: Bar Italia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Cochrane, Key (31 May 2022). "NINA shares new Dean Blunt produced single, grandiosee". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Dawson, Brit (12 December 2023). "Welcome to Nina Cristante's world". The Face. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Grein, Paul (20 March 2024). "Killer Mike, Mitski, Caroline Polachek Among Top Nominees for 2024 Libera Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
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