Amor vincit omnia, love conquers all for the Sicilian band Miqrà

Solitude as wealth, a way to look inside and discover one’s weaknesses but also one’s resources: a starting point for new ways of being in the world. This is the meaning of the hymn to life contained in the new Miqrà album which, not surprisingly, is called “Amor vincit omnia”. Indeed, love conquers all, it conquers the darkness and the difficulties that can be encountered before reaching the desired destination: this was the case for the band from Catania that returned to the scene, to talk about hopes and rebirths, after a long absence.

After months spent in a small studio at the foot of Etna, the Sicilian quartet, composed of Giovanni Timpanaro (vocals), Gaetano Santagati (barges and lap steel, also artistic producer), Mario Giuffrida (bass) and Alberto Mirabella (drums), finally arrives at the second album produced by Jonio Culture entitled “Amor vincit omnia” released last April 6th and preceded by the single “La catastrophe in me”.

A record to listen to alone to get to know yourself and be reborn

The Sicilian band produces an album with indie rock sounds that consists of 11 tracks (Fuori tempo, To make you sleep, The catastrophe in me, An infinity less, Last fragment, Nothing, Alice, Giorni invisibili, Ossa, Stranizza d’amuri, Calicanto), to keep together his stories, which are also those of others, the result of a singular and powerful musical journey.

«Writing and recording this album was a long journey, changing our sounds as we changed with the passing of the seasons. We have come to terms with our fears, trying to make them human and trying to live with them. In every song on the album we tried to put all our love for music and for the stories we have always tried to tell”, declares the frontman, Giovanni Timpanaro.

For the first time in its lyrics they are accompanied by a long intertwining of electric sounds, electronic cues and moments of classical orchestration, yet the Sicilian group manages to remain faithful to itself and to its alternative imprint centered on loops and acid sounds that mix with songwriting.

“Amor vincit omnia” is a record to listen to alone, «maybe in the evening in the car when you return home, but being alone is not a bad thing. It can also be a way of approaching one’s own weaknesses, one’s fragility and learning to be reborn.” It is no coincidence that the final message of the Miqrà is one of hope: «This work of ours speaks of love, the feeling that conquers everything, even darkness. Therefore, in the end, we chose this title.”

The band born from the Sicilian independent scene in 2012

Miqrà was born from the independent music scene of Eastern Sicily in 2012. In August 2017, after long live sessions, they entered the studio supported by the artistic production of Carlo Barbagallo to record their first album “Ultimo piano senza elevato”, the result of a long journey whose roots are immersed in the world of songwriting but with electronic references full of indie rock.

In September 2019 they participated in the sixteenth edition of the Lennon Festival in collaboration with the singer-songwriter Cyrano: the song in competition, entitled “Futuro”, received critical acclaim, winning the jury prize for the best text and the recording prize awarded by the Jonio Culture record label. It was with this last label that they began a collaboration and the single “Ti wokerò in Aprile” was produced.

After drummer Alberto Mirabella joined the lineup, in September 2022, they presented the unreleased song entitled “Aretusa” at the National Festival of the city of Leonforte, winning the award for best text.

Miqrà then enter the studio to make a new album, this time with the artistic production of Gaetano Santagati: “Amor Vincit Omnia” (April 2024) hosts many musicians, a feature that gives this recording project the sense of the work of a “collective musical” rather than band.