Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with THE ELEPHANT MAN

THE ELEPHANT MAN - REDEMPTION

If the debut album asked the questions, "Redemption" provides the tumultuous, psychedelic answers. The nine tracks form a cinematic experience, like watching a psychedelic film projected onto a black screen in an open field, surrounded by a swirling storm of sound and light. From the intense opener "I'm Ready (to go)" to the Lynchian unease of "To My Self" and the post-apocalyptic charge of "The Right Way Wrong," the album is a relentless exploration of dark, alternative rock.

Interview with THE ELEPHANT MAN

(•)> How did the concept of "Sister Of War" originate, and why choose chaos as its central theme?

We believe that Art — real Art, with a capital “A” — is always a product of its age. And ours is an age scarred by injustice, where the ideals of peace and fairness are routinely trampled in the name of profit and power. We’re living through years of raw, unfiltered chaos, the kind our generation hoped it would never have to face — especially in a part of the world that liked to think it had “evolved” beyond the mistakes of the past. That sense of chaos is present.

(•)> Max Zanotti’s vocals are raw and intense, how did you capture that emotion in the studio?

I tried to immerse my mind in a situation that, thankfully, is far from our way of life, yet incredibly close on a spiritual level and as a human being who is part of this world. What came out was anger and frustration at feeling powerless in the face of these terrible things.

(•)> Leah Janeczko wrote the lyrics, what was the collaboration process like between her and the band?

With Leah, we’ve found a very natural way of approaching the lyrics for the songs she collaborates on. I send her a melodic line and let her write whatever it inspires in her; I just explain the general theme or feeling I’d like the song to convey. She’s extremely talented at writing.

(•)> "Redemption" follows the dark journey of "Sinners." How does this album expand on that narrative?

We’ve been living for some time now in a deeply distorted world. The human soul is the architect of all this. Exploring these things drags you into a dangerous but necessary place, because that’s the only way to shine a light on it.

At this point, the mad are leading the blind.

The sound of the band has evolved in a completely natural way. We’ve become far more aware of our own territory. In some moments the style cuts deeper and pushes further: the dark side surfaces more fiercely than on Sinners, and a raw, untamed energy breaks through in several tracks. The same is true for the more intimate and vaporous songs, like Dance of the Hollow, where we pushed the idea of silence-as-sound to a new level — stripping the music down until it became a true dance in the void.

(•)> The riffs in "Sister Of War" hit hard, what was the approach to crafting its sound?

The track was born from a repetitive, hypnotic bass groove that grabbed us from the very first moment. Its cadence drags you in, obsessive and circular, until it finally opens up in the chorus — a brief escape route from the track’s relentless, hammering riff. The guitars hit hard yet stay deliberately sculpted, almost in the vein of The Elephant Man. Initially, the synth line belonged to the bass, but we realized that running it through a synth unlocked the exact tone we were chasing. Once again, the music bleeds into the world around us: harsh times and heavy injustices echo through the atmosphere and the lyrics of this song.

(•)> Your visuals have always been striking. How does the imagery for "Redemption" differ from your debut?

Redemption was our first project created together with graphic designer and videomaker Davide Forleo. From the very beginning, there was an incredibly strong connection. His enthusiasm for our music was immediate—right from the first listen.

Everything started with the LP artwork. The symbol of transformation was represented by a butterfly (photo by Simona Gaddi), and that image set the visual direction for the video of ‘I’m Ready (to Go)’.

The videos that followed were born with the same surprising ease. Through these works, Davide managed to unleash an authentic and profound imagination—one that perhaps had not yet found an outlet before. The music and the words of Redemption stirred something in his subconscious, allowing visions and images to surface entirely on their own.

(•)> With singles like "I’m Ready," "Lies Are My Perfect Drug," and "Echoes," each feels distinct. How do they fit together thematically?

Every person you meet carries an entire world inside them.

But what I believe unites us all is the difficulty of understanding which direction we’re actually heading in… different worlds, yet sharing one common element: the distortion of reality, where lies become truths and truths become lies. Dangerous.

(•)> You’ve gained international recognition quickly, how has that affected your creative freedom?

The recognition we’ve gained over the years has never touched our creative freedom. We write far beyond any mainstream expectation — sometimes the chorus arrives two minutes in, which is sheer madness in a world where the “rules” demand a hook within ten seconds. For us, the band is a space of absolute inspiration, a place where we can unleash ourselves without compromise

(•)> After "Redemption" drops, what’s next for THE ELEPHANT MAN on the global stage?

At the moment, our focus is on securing opportunities to bring our live show across the world. We’re continuously exploring new booking agencies and looking for chances to play clubs and festivals wherever our music is welcomed and called for. Once this chapter of live shows unfolds, we’ll dive headfirst into the creative process and begin shaping the writing of our third album.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out THE ELEPHANT MAN on the Pigeon Spins Playlist