Indigo Face duo Maxime Obadia and Mariachiara Terragin took the time out of their busy schedule to sit down to have a chat with Chas. They both gave an insight to how they got into music and their biggest influences and much more. So here is the interview for you all to read and find out more about Indigo Face.

Chas - Can you tell the listeners where you’re from?

Max - I’m from Paris, France
Mary - I come from a little town in the North of Italy called Marano Vicentino, but we both moved to London 5 years ago.

Chas - When and how did you first become interested in music?

Max - Since I was born really! My parents were listening to a lot of music, especially during the weekends. My mother was listening to many operas, very loudly, on Sundays morning. My father introduced me very early to The Beatles, Count Basie, Neil Young, Supertramp... He has a big vinyl collection and I was often discovering artists by myself trying different discs.

Mary - I’ve always loved music! My father too had a big vinyl collection and I remember asking him all the time to play something so I could go around the house singing and dancing.

Chas - How long have you been playing music?

Max - Since I was 4, I started playing the piano at that age.
Mary - Since I was 7, when I started playing the violin and sing in the school choir.

Chas - Does anyone in your family play music?

Max - Not professionally, but some of my grandparents were playing the piano and singing for “fun” let’s say.
Mary - No, I’m the only one in the family.

Chas - What are your musical influences?

Max - Many to be honest. Growing up in Paris made me having a lot of different cultures around. There is a strong Malian community there that really inspired me for guitar playing for example. They have such a melodic way to play! Even the rhythmic parts are very melodious. There are also many people from North Africa (in my family too) so I’ve also been surrounded by the melodies and rhythms from Algeria. Then I discovered Blues music (Ry Cooder, Rory Gallagher, Eric Clapton, BB King) at the age of 15 and that’s what really made me want to become a professional musician.

Mary - Mary: When I was a kid I would sing in choirs and the repertoire went from traditional folk Italian songs to sacred music, to gospel. At home, my mother would listen to Michael Jackson and Madonna, and my father to 80s New Wave/Electronic music. In my teenage years I started digging in the past a bit more and I became interested in the psychedelic rock/blues of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and in the moving lyrics of songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez. But at the same time I would also enjoy Alanis Morissette, Oasis, The Cranberries, Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys!

Chas - If you could sing with one artist or band who would it be and why?

Max - I would love to play for Salif Keita. I know he’s getting old but playing guitar by his side would be such an honor!
Mary - I would love to sing with Björk, she’s a legend!

Chas - Where have you performed your music so far?

Max - We played at the Shepherds Bush Empire and Bush Hall thanks to our University BIMM London, and also the Tabernacle for a charity event called Sound For Sight.

Chas - If you could play one venue in the world where it be?

Max - Carnegie Hall, NY.
Mary - Arena di Verona, in Italy.

Chas - What else do you do besides play music?

Max - I love cinema, movies inspire me a lot musically. When I have time out of music, I love reading. Haruki Murakami is my go-to writer at the moment.
Mary - I like going to art exhibitions and I love reading. At the moment I’m obsessed with ‘’Clothes Clothes Clothes, Music Music Music, Boys Boys Boys’’ by Viv Albertine, guitarist of The Slits.

Chas - Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?

Max - The Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper and The Lonely Hearts Club Band” was my first strong musical emotion. I remember discovering it at the age of 6 and I was just playing it again and again. Michael Jackson’s “Bad” is also a masterpiece to me.
Mary - Michael Jackson’s ‘’Dangerous’’, Eurythmics’ ‘’Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” Björk’s “Homogenic”

Chas - Who are your favourite musicians? Groups? CD's?

Max - My favourite musicians are Ry Cooder, Blake Mills, Prince, Lenny Kravitz; I also really love Alabama Shakes, U2...
Mary - I love Annie Lennox, Björk, Lianne La Havas, Christine and the Queens, Alabama Shakes, Portishead...there are so many!

Chas - Do you perform in public? If so where have you played?

Max - Yes we do! We love playing live. We have a back-up band when we perform which features the friends we went to BIMM London with. We’ve been playing together for nearly five years now.

Chas - Do you get nervous before a performance?

Max - Not anymore. I actually can’t wait to play just before a gig. It feels almost itchy.
Mary - I do, but I try to hide it very well! And I usually take off my eyeglasses so I don’t see the people in front of me!

Chas - What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?

Max - Everything’s going to be alright. Try not to focus on what you will play but more on the energy and emotions you will deliver to the crowd. If you smile, if you give them pleasure, they will immediately give it back to you. Music is a language and the way you will pronounce every word will be very often more important than the actual vocabulary.

Chas - How often and for how long do you practice?

Max - I don’t practice scales or chord movements anymore to be honest. I practice by just trying new things everyday on guitar or keyboards, learning new riffs or songs. I really focus on getting my own sound more than getting a faster technique for example.
Mary - I sing whenever and wherever I can. After a good warm up I usually sing my own songs to try to refine my sound, I like finding other ways to interpret them and experiment with words and melodies. When I just want to have fun I find a cover on YouTube and sing my heart out! I also practice my breathing a lot as I tend to breath incorrectly, especially when I’m stressed.

Chas - Where do you hope to be in say 5 years or more?

Max - We hope we will be able to reap the benefits of our work and to be still very prolific. We would also love to write and produce for other people.

Chas - If listeners want to get in touch with you or want to hear more of you music how can they get in touch?

Max - We have a

• website: www.indigofacemusic.com
• Facebook page: facebook.com/indigofacemusic
• Twitter page: twitter.com/indigofacemusic

Chas - Is there anything you would like to say to the wonderful Atlantic Radio Uk listeners?

Max - We hope to see you at one of our next concerts, thank you for reading us!

I would like to thank you *Indigo face* for taking the time to do this interview and everyone at Atlantic Radio Uk and the listeners wish you all the best in the future and we hope to have you back on Atlantic Radio Uk.