Doomed Confessionary: Leonardo Cigolini (Korbitch)
Korbitch is a four-piece heavy blues/stoner rock band from Montevarchi, Italy. The band released their debut EP »Where The Blue Turns Dark« on August 18th, 2024. Available now on all major streaming platforms!
Korbitch’s current lineup consists of Leonardo Cigolini (guitar, backing vocals), Timothy Maher (drums), Araldo Fiorai (vocals) and Biagio Pianigiani (bass).
Can you say a few words about your band?
Korbitch is a band located in Tuscany, in Montevarchi, it is a town between Arezzo and Florence.
i would like to clear one thing up right away: Korbitch doesn’t have any particular meaning. The drummer thought it sounded good, and since he’s American, nobody contradicted him. For more info, ask him! 😉
The band was born from two friends who played together for years in garage punk rock ‘n’ roll projects. After years away from the rehearsal room, they decided to return around 2019, enriched by their musical experiences over the years, which have shifted decidedly towards slower beats and heavier sounds. For a long time, the project remained limited to two members in a long phase of “research and development,” then three, and the current formation of four.
The ideas were clear from the start, but translating those ideas into a sound and songs was another story. The core idea is to merge a garage attitude with stoner/heavy rock and other similar styles.
After adjusting the setlist and sound multiple times, we are now quite satisfied with our productions. There’s still a lot to do, but we feel we’re on the right track.
For those who love labels and definitions, we could say that the genre we aim to play is heavy psych garage stoner rock.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Being a band with little (record label) support and made up of somewhat older guys,not geezers, but older with various commitments, the biggest challenge has probably been keeping the project alive and maintaining the spark and desire to be part of it. So far, we are succeeding.
What are you most proud of so far?
I’m proud that, as time goes by, we are increasingly satisfied with the productions we create. We have a blast playing them, and we are becoming more aware of what we’re doing. Also, even though our audience numbers are small, it’s great to see our fan base grow with each release, and the response is getting warmer and more enthusiastic.
What has been your biggest regret?
Musically, my biggest regret is that I only got into heavy rock in general shortly before turning 30. As a band, I can’t say we have major regrets. The few opportunities that come our way, we try to make the most of them. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes less so…
Perhaps the regret is for the times it goes less well, but this motivates us to improve and do better in the future.
What has been the best concert/tour so far and why?
As a band, we haven’t had a real tour yet. The best concert will definitely be the next one we play.
What has been the biggest surprise for you in the music scene?
I don’t like surprises.
What’s currently in your heavy rotation?
The bands I’ve been listening to most frequently in the past year are Sleep, Kyuss, and Black Sabbath, which are always in rotation. Then there’s Slomosa, Reignwolf, Uncle Acid, Graveyard, Deap Vally, All Them Witches, and various ’70s heavy rock bands, which are the ones the algorithm suggests to me most often. 😉
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a musician?
I don’t think I’ve ever really been given any advice, but someone (I don’t remember who) once said, “Don’t take advice from anyone about what you love doing”… or something like that. Even though it wasn’t directed at me personally, I’d say it’s good advice.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Disappointing our poor old mothers.
Can you tell us more about the current music scene in Montevarchi / Tuscany?
In the area where we live (between Arezzo and Florence), the punk rock and garage-punk rock ‘n’ roll scene is quite active and supported, thanks to the effort and dedication of a few people. As for the heavy rock scene, unfortunately, the situation is not as good. To see any bands, we often have to travel outside the province or even the region.
The general problem, at least in the region we live in, is the lack of live music venues and the low interest in the underground and original music scene in general.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tour)?
At the moment, we aren’t organizing any live shows because our beloved bassist left the band a few weeks ago (for personal reasons, no drama ;)), so we’re reorganizing to play with a new bassist. We have a show scheduled for mid-December, and we’re trying to be ready for that day with the new lineup. It’s a race against time! Follow us on Instagram for more information.
What are your future plans as a band?
Ideally, we’d like to find a label or booking agency so we don’t have to do everything ourselves anymore. Regardless, we still have songs to record and release, so we’ll be focusing on that, as well as our new bassist.
Of course, playing live is also a priority, so feel free to reach out to us!
How can people best support your band?
Simply by following us on Instagram and supporting us on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Stay active, stay hydrated, and listen to us every now and then!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well