'Autostop', the new album by singer-songwriter Riccardo D'Avino

Frock, ballad, electronic, reggae, urban pop, dance, country and swing, the new album was released on January 12, 2024.

Preceded by the release of the singles “Fancazzista” and “Il guru” (launched as an exclusive preview on La Stampa), “Autostop” is a work that boasts a great variety of sounds and musical influences: there are the ballads “Il prossimo treno” and “Primo febbraio”, the electronic-influenced rock of “Voglia di gridare”, the reggae of “Io non ho niente di speciale”, the swing of “Il guru”, the 80s-style pop song of “Check-out”, the dance-rock of “Fancazzista”, the country-rock of “Cascine Vica” and the urban-influenced ballad “Questo lato di me”.

The album's title reflects its central themes: instability, being "in transit", dissatisfaction. The metaphor of hitchhiking can be found in each song, declined in different topics.

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“It’s definitely the result of the many listenings I’ve done in recent years, as well as my attitude of not wanting to fit into a single, specific sound area. The same continuous change of musical genres can be considered in line with the message of precariousness and instability that pervades the entire album”.

Also participating in “Autostop” with two featuring artists are Roberta Monterosso (vocals in “Questo lato di me”) and Solodiego (vocals in “Primo febbraio”).

“I met Roberta Monterosso at a masterclass of the Lunezia Prize in 2021. I was immediately struck by both her vocal abilities and, above all, her “suffered” way of interpreting love songs. I had written “Questo lato di me” a few months earlier and was looking for a female interpreter to duet with.

With Roberta, also thanks to the experience of the masterclass in which we collaborated for a writing and arrangement exercise, a beautiful harmony was born immediately, both musically and in character. For all these reasons it came naturally to me to propose that she sing this song with me. The text of “Primo febbraio”, on the other hand, had existed for a long time, but it had never convinced me, and I had never managed to find a convincing melody.

Then, one day, Solodiego (aka Diego Stroppiana), a long-time friend and colleague, suggested that we meet at his house to try to write something together. I took the opportunity to propose this song to him, which he immediately became passionate about because of the theme it covered. His input was decisive. He helped me develop the lyrics better and, at that point, the music came out on its own. We recorded a quick demo and said to each other that it would be wonderful to sing this song together. And so it was”.

“Autostop” was recorded by Davide Borri at Full Clip Studio in Sesto San Giovanni (MI) and mixed and mastered by Luca D'Angelo. Artistic production by Davide Borri and Riccardo D'Avino.

Accompanying Riccardo D'Avino (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, programming), Il Metz on keyboards and Simone Arlorio (sax in “Check-out”).