Antonio Prestieri, better known as MALDESTRO, returns to publish new music with new lyrics, and he does so with a song that marks a return to the origins of his songwriting poetry. “Le chiave di casa”, out Thursday, June 6 for the independent label Arealive, is a folk-pop ballad that intertwines personal and universal memories, transforming melancholy into a hymn of resistance.
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Artistically produced by the singer-songwriter himself, it was recorded by Fabrizio Piccolo at the historic Auditorium Novecento in Naples. “Le chiave di casa” presents itself as an intimate and visceral song, where acoustic atmospheres mix with a text that delves into the artist's childhood.
The song, and all its repertoire, will be presented live on July 08th in Naples during the “Insuperabili Festival” at Villa di Donato.
“I wrote and planned this new work within the walls of my childhood home. A place that needs no explanation, because it knows you before you learn to explain yourself. From there came songs and monologues kneaded with lived life, roots, scars, and truth. It was like always: a roller coaster, a boxing match, a caress after love. A quiet storm. A confrontation with the world and with the mirror. And maybe, those keys, we all have them somewhere in our pockets.” – says Maldestro.
THE GENESIS OF THE PROJECT
To prepare for writing his next album, Maldestro chose to spend several weeks in his childhood home, retracing the places and emotions that marked his growth. A journey through time that gave life to music and lyrics in which memory and present merge.
“Going back there, where it all began, was like rewinding a tape. I found smells, sounds and silences that I thought I had forgotten. And in those rooms I wrote some of the most sincere songs of my career.”
THE ALBUM COMING SOON
“Le chiave di casa” is the first taste of the new album, scheduled for late 2025, which promises to be the most personal and mature work of the artist from Campania. An album that, between folk, pop and acoustic suggestions, will explore themes such as belonging, the passing of time and the search for authenticity.
BIOGRAPHY
Maldestro (alias of Antonio Prestieri, Naples, March 11, 1985) is an Italian singer-songwriter, playwright and director. Since he was a child he approached music by studying piano, but it was the theater that won him over during adolescence. From that moment he dedicated himself body and soul to writing, directing and the stage, signing over fifteen works and collecting prestigious awards. In 2013 he published his first songs, including Sopra al tetto del comune and Dimmi come ti posso amare, which earned him important awards such as the Premio Ciampi, De André, SIAE, AFI, Palco Libero and Musicultura. Those songs will end up in his first album, Non trovo le parole (2015), which came second at the Targa Tenco as best debut. In 2017 he took part in the Sanremo Festival with Canzone per Federica, finishing second among the New Proposals and winning the “Mia Martini” Critics’ Award, the Lunezia Award, the Jannacci Award, the Assomusica Award and the award for Best Video Clip. In the same year he released I muri di Berlino, his second album, containing Abbi cura di te, a song included in the soundtrack of the film Beata ignoring. Produced by arealive and distributed by Warner Music. This was followed by Mia madre odia tutti gli uomini (2018), again produced by arealive and distributed by Warner Music, and EgoSistema (2020). At the same time, Maldestro is increasingly establishing himself in the theater. In 2021 he debuted at the Teatro Bellini in Naples with Io non sono pacifista, a show inspired by the life of Gino Strada, written, directed and performed by him. He joined the cast of Passione, a show created by John Turturro, and directed and performed in Art by Yasmina Reza. Since 2022, she has been part of Dignità autonome di prostituzione, a show that has now become a cult with almost a million active viewers.
In 2023 he also appeared on television as a commentator on the Rai 3 program Avanti Popolo and launched his first podcast, Demons, a journey through the shadows and lights of the human soul with guests such as Luigi De Magistris, Irma Testa, Jorit and Franco Ricciardi. Between 2023 and 2024 he immersed himself in a new musical research, publishing six singles in Neapolitan. In the same period, he created Demons Live Show, an innovative format that merges theater and podcast in a unique experience, between reflection and spectacle. Maldestro continues to move between music, theater and multimedia content with an unmistakable style: direct, profound and without filters.
Article published on 6 June 2025 - 12:00
Video Chronicles
I read the article and it seems interesting how Maldestro revisits his memories. His new song is about things we have all felt. I look forward to hearing the song and seeing how it relates to his story.