[On why they formed the band Måneskin]

David: “To have fun and fill up our afternoons.”

David: “Our generation doesn’t feel the urge to label everything. They just want to enjoy your music, enjoy your journey and follow you in whatever you do. Harry Styles is the perfect example. He had the biggest fanbase with a boyband, and now is one of the most respected and worshipped artists in the world. He deserves it because he has been able to make that happen for himself. It’s literally what an artist should do: be true to yourself.”

David: “We have a very raw show, we just try to keep the focus on the music and ourselves. We don’t really use many effects or pyrotechnics.” 

David: “For me, it just makes no sense to expect us to behave like the Stones or Queen. It already happened and peaked. They f*cking created a legacy and nobody can touch it. It’s so stupid and pointless to expect a band of 20-year-olds to replicate what was happening in the ’70s and ’80s. We’re in f*cking 2022, so we’re just trying to do something new that makes us feel satisfied and happy. I really enjoy seeing people say, ‘Oh, they’re not Led Zeppelin’. I know! We never will be. I’m not Robert Plant; I wish I was! I have to do my own sh*t.”

[On addressing the rumor that he did a line of cocaine off a table in a green room]

David: “I f*cking regret my decision to shut it down! I should have left it. Imagine if nobody knew if I did a line of blow in front of 80 million people or not. That would have been a f*cking legend! This year, I’d have done it again – in front of every f*cking camera!”

David: “We’ve been to pretty much all of Europe and over the U.S. as well. It’s great to have had the opportunity to travel and to visit new cities that otherwise we wouldn’t have had the chance to go to. It’s also cool to have feedback from different people and different cultures and to interact with all those people. It’s very inspiring and it’s very cool.”

David: “Nobody is ‘keeping rock’n’roll alive’. It’s just impossible to kill. In my head what we’re doing is very different to what MGK is doing, which is very far from what Yungblud is doing, which is very far from what Willow Smith is doing, but a lot of artists are bringing back that kind of sound and energy: distorted guitars and real drums, to fucking play with a band with real analogue sounds, stage-diving – all the rock’n’roll shit. Music is just developing. Everything is colliding and mixing in a good way.”

David: “The main thing for us is interacting with the audience. It’s really rough and we try to use as much energy as possible, but we don’t use much production.”

[On dealing with fame]

David: "I think it's hard and every everybody reacts in a different way. I struggled a bit because I'm a home guy. and I'm very chilled and I don't really like to stay away from home for too long. But of course you have to deal with it and find some ways to to feel like you're at home, even if you're not. So I learned some tricks that helped me stay focused and healthy."

David: “We’ve had so many of our fans telling us that we helped with their sexuality or coming out, or even just boys just saying, ‘Thanks to you I now feel safe to wear make-up and nail polish’. Something that can seem small can be very big to someone who might be afraid or insecure. Suddenly they have something to gain strength from.”

David: “We’re not new in that thousands of bands have played as good as us or even better, but nowadays it’s unexpected to see a band break globally.”

David: “We’re aware that it’s tough and that you have to be mentally prepared and mentally strong, and not everybody is capable of living this kind of life. But I would say that we are [capable] because we’ve prepared ourselves for five years. We’ve been friends since we were really young. We know each other very well. We know the best parts of us. We’re able to help each other every time something feels like it’s too heavy or too stressful or something. I feel like you have to be able to understand your limits and set boundaries when you need to rest and disappear for a little bit and focus on your personal life.”

[On being an Italian band during a time where solo acts are primarily popular]

David: “People are fascinated by that, and Americans are obsessed with Italians. That adds some spice.”

David: "The success of Beggin' was very surprising because it happened with no promotion at all. It just went viral on Tik Tok and exploded globally. At the beginning we were kind of hacked off because we thought, 'Why is it a cover version that's streaming that much?' But then we saw the numbers and we were like, 'Okay. I might like it, I might like it!'"

[On why they entered the Italian X-Factor]

David: “Basically, we were sick of carrying instruments and amplifiers on our f*cking shoulders, we saw an opportunity and we just jumped on the train.”

[On others telling them they weren't gonna make it with their music]

David: : "It was not right at start [of our career], it was a point in the middle. Everything started well, and then all of a sudden, people started trying to stop us from doing what we thought was the best thing for us. That kind of music with that aesthetic, communicating that way and people weren't agreeing with us. But we kept believing in it and, at the end, they said we were right."