Interview with The Radaman Song

Italian-born songwriter Pasquale Paz Ferrone explores heartbreak and unconditional affection with "LOVE YOU ANYWAY," the third single from The Radaman Song's forthcoming album WOMEN FIRST. Inspired by Julian Lennon's emotional songwriting, the track revisits a painful romantic experience through a female vocal interpretation. Combining classic pop sensibilities with contemporary AI-assisted production, Ferrone allows his compositions to take on new identities. His background in Italian New Wave and Gothic music adds an interesting dimension to a project that embraces stylistic freedom.

Interview with The Radaman Song

(^)> “LOVE YOU ANYWAY” was inspired by a painful love affair. What made you want to revisit that experience through songwriting?

Well, that's what songwriters do - write about how they feel because ythey can't talk about it. Painful experiences are the best for songwriting.

(^)> You mention Julian Lennon's “Saltwater” as an important influence. What was it about that song's melody or arrangement that inspired you?

It's the way he sings it, most of all. As I was writing the song, I found myself singing ...like him. This can't be right, I thought (lol), that's why at the beginning I wanted to send it to Julian's label as a demo.

(^)> WOMEN FIRST presents your compositions through a female perspective. What inspired that concept, and how does it change the meaning of “LOVE YOU ANYWAY”?

It doesn't - Love is universal, isn't it? I may surprise you, and the readers, but the WOMEN FIRST project was born by sheer chance. There was a song that I could not sing anymore. My voice got to rough in the years, a Tom Waits kind of rough if you know what I mean. So, I used the AI for the first time to try a different voice... long story short - I found out that the song worked fine with a female voice, instead of a male one. Next, the idea of gathering all the songs I wrote which I could not or did not want to sing myself.

Hence, being this my first album ever I thought 'ok, let the women go first'. The title works though, because let people have their own guess.

(^)> The title suggests loving someone despite everything that has happened. Do you see the song as an expression of forgiveness, regret or an inability to let go?

Or more simply - what if loving someone is all we need to know?

(^)> Your album moves between pop, jazz, dance, country and folk. How do you decide which musical style best suits each song?

It's not a decision, really. Not in these terms anyway. You see, when I write a song - which I do by playing the chords and singing some lyrics straight away - I close my eyes and I 'hear' my song as it was already finished and dropped. And sometimes, it's not me singing it!

(^)> You've described the Beatles' White Album as your musical bible. Which song from that record has influenced your own approach to songwriting the most?

It would be easier for me to tell you which one hasn't. (It's "Birthday", but we don't need to mention it, do we?)

(^)> You began your musical journey with Radaman, exploring Italian New Wave and Gothic music. How much of that darker musical background survives in your current work?

Not a lot, to be honest. Maybe the only one that can remind me those days, for the mood, is this very "Love You Anyway".

(^)> The Radaman Song uses virtual performers and AI-assisted production. How do you develop the vocal personalities that interpret your compositions?

I sing it myself first, and then I try over and over again, until I'm satisfied. Sometimes I merge 2 or 3 vocal tracks just to get the result I want.

(^)> Some listeners remain sceptical about AI-assisted music. What do you think they misunderstand about the role of songwriting when technology is involved?

I don't think it's a misunderstanding. It's pure bias. And I cannot even blame them, although this predisposition is penalizing me. Heavily.

You see, there are people like me, who compose the song, write lyrics, then record it and finally ask the 'orchestra' to play it in a certain way (the orchestra, in this case, is non-human).

But there are also people who ask a machine to generate a song from a prompt. Something like "mainstream pop, strings, female singer, etc." for the music and "cheating, jealousy, painful love, etc." for the lyrics. 1-2-3 and the song is ready. 1-2-3 again and they generate the same song in ten different versions or genres.

So - How could people not be skeptical?

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check it out on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist