FAITHSEDGE – Passion and Faith Bleeding Bright

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Giancarlo Floridia

Faithsedege vocalist Giancarlo Floridia has experienced it all in life so far, playing for the top of the music business crop and eating proverbial bologna and government cheese in the gutter. He’s known wealth, status and privilege along with trips to the welfare office after everything crashed and burned.  Through it all he fought for his life, family and his music to be heard while people in higher places, in multi-platinum towers tried to ruin him.  Through it all he’s kept the faith.

Faithsedge was formed in 2011 and is currently comprised of Floridio on guitar and vocals, Alex De Rosso (Dokken) lead guitar, Tim Gaines (Stryper) bass and Matt Starr (Ace Frehley) on drums.  Although the band isn’t religious per se, their lyrics are positive and uplifting, encouraging the human soul and spirit to fight through any and all adversity.  “To me the name’s progressive,” Floridia says.  “My daughter’s name is Faith.  I thought about our sound, kind of an edgy thing, so I thought Faithsedge.  It sounded good and if you Google it, there’s no other.  I really like it.”

Their music has been very healing for many people helping fans get through their chemo treatment and other medical struggles, “Some guy in the UK said he was sick, couldn’t leave the house often but the album helped him as therapy.”  Floridia’s read up on a lot of psychology and self motivation to help cope. “Growing up in the music business I went through a lot of bad things.  A lot of lyrics are tied into making changes in your life and people are connecting with that.”

Album number four christened Bleed For Passion has a very striking cover by Frozen Crown’s Federico Mondelli after Floridia submitted two drafts for him to work from, with the art conveying two meanings.  “One represents the music industry with illegal downloading and the state of the business.  Fans are dropping out left and right.  I see it all the time.  You really have to love being in the industry if you’re a newer artist trying to make your way in.”

The other part represents himself, “I went through so much to get here, fought through the suffering to make a comeback.  She’s beautiful but burning at the bottom. That’s how I feel about the industry and where my life has been.  It’s been difficult but I’m not a quitter.  That’s a very good representation of who I am as a musician and person.”

Floridia says its way too easy for online keyboard warriors to talk trash about his music, “Everybody can say whatever they want.  Why are they saying this stuff?  Let’s see you do it.” He’s had websites go off on him.  “That’s part of being a musician now. If everyone likes you something is wrong.  I’m a positive person I try to keep things about my fans, family and music.”

The song Angelic has a very Bark at the Moon vibe.  “I wanted to write an ‘80s Ozzy meets an ‘80s non-makeup KISS.” Animalize meets Bark at the Moon.  “I wanted a throwback.  People say, ‘I wish someone would bring the ‘80s back.’  I’m gonna write the ultimate ‘80s song with tons of guitar riffs then throw in some prog metal elements.”

People have tried to take his purpose and career from him and he related to it, “The song [Angelic] is about my cousin who passed away at 16 in a car wreck and I’ve always kinda felt her.  Maybe when someone passes away you feel their energy a little bit.  At that time in my life I was going through some things and it was my way of saying, ‘if you’re really on the other side, I need some help.’  That’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever done too.”

l to r: Time Gaines & Floridia

Faith and Chris from the Restoration album has a very Careless Whisper vibe, “I grew up an ‘80s kid.  Every day after school MTV, George Michael, Richard Marx, Bryan Adams, that was my thing.  If you hear George Michael in there, that’s fantastic.  It just kinda came out that way.  Maybe it’s subconscious. The cool thing about Faith and Chris, it’s got an ‘80s power ballad feel, but it’s more than that with a little bit more emotion and soul.”

For those curious, all the rooms in the Comes Crashing Down video are real, no green screen.  “It was a studio in Orange County.  I really liked that room with the books on one side and the studio and console on the other.  That was our second record.”

Fellow Restoration era video Jennifer carries a lot of symbolism, “It was an idea I had at the time.  It’s a really good concept.  Basically the girl keeps looking at these positive messages, at the end it’s our flyer.  This person’s trying to stop it.  Similar to what’s going on online where people can put out whatever they want.  I believe in setting your goals and going for them.”

Floridia lived through the Sunset Strip ‘80s and the legendary flyer on the pole wars.  “That’s kind of how the industry is.  I wish more people would work together and create something positive instead of negative.  Look at the Stryper thing we just went through.  There was so much fighting and still is.  I just did an interview a few weeks ago, where I said about Michael Sweet, ‘look man let’s try and get along.’  The fans are at each other and there are people who don’t want to listen to me, because they feel I’m your enemy or enemy of the band.  It’s not that way. More artists and bands should work together.  Focus on working with each other’s talent rather than breaking each other down.”

l to r: Tim Gaines, Matt Starr, Giancarlo Floridia & Alex De Rosso

Floridia strives to be cool with everyone, seeing their positives, “I’ve dealt with multi-platinum artists that tried to destroy my life and career.  Someone online is not going to stop me from fulfilling my dream.”

Floridia

The song Back From This has an Italian language section in it spoken by guitarist Alex De Rosso, “We’re gonna hit them with a lyric video for it next month.  That will be the second single.”

He wants to tour Japan possibly doing their thrash metal festival.  “I’m not going to a thrash metal show with my acoustic and opening the show.  It would be a mess,” he jokes.  Though, he adds he would go to a thrash festival with an acoustic if asked.

He compares the creative process to making art. “Doing an album is like painting,” he says. “You look at the whole canvas in a way trying not to go too far out.  I look at the whole album. Every song has to have the same amount of effort until it completes like a picture or puzzle. That’s how I look at songwriting.  I have this blank canvas and start working with ideas.”

Faithsedge will play with anyone, anywhere there’s people. “My dream’s to do something in Japan.  Our drummer got to play there with Mr. Big.  I really wanna go to Disneyland or Universal Studios Japan.”

He’s lived a life of riches to rags and survived to make more music, “I’ve had an interesting life.  I grew up with a lot of money, drove to school in a Ferrari.”  In the ‘80s his family fell into wealth.  “I went from being that kid to being homeless with my son, a single parent, going to the welfare office in Compton.  I learned a lot about life and to appropriate everything.  I went from showcasing for Sony Music at 20, playing these big venues, opening for my favorite acts to no car, taking the bus.”  I wouldn’t talk about it before, a lot of nasty stuff happened in my early 20’s.”  Recently he’s felt comfortable opening up more about his past.

Floridia is grateful for the life he has now, “To me getting a second chance is really humbling.  I honestly thought I was done.  I’m really appreciative of it.”  If his haters read this, it’s that much sweeter.  “They didn’t destroy me.  Don’t let anyone tell you it’s over.”  His perception of rock stars changed after his younger experiences.  “I learned not to put people on a pedestal anymore.”

October 1992

His bucket list includes another album of this caliber and getting people to hear his music while pushing the band forward.  The ultimate victory would be to play Budokan or Tokyo Dome. He’d also love to meet Richard Marx on a song writing level.  “I’d love to co-write a song with Chris Degarmo or Yoshiki from X Japan.”

Floridia says he appreciates being in Screamer Magazine, “When I was 12, I used to have a copy of Screamer with my KISS collection.  I’m sure you still have the image of the Revenge album, in front of a vault.  One of my favorite magazine covers.  From a 12-year-old kid to doing interviews with you guys.  Thanks and keep up the great job.  I’m a long time fan.”

Facebook – www.facebook.com/faithsedge

Website – http://faithsedge-music.com

 

 

 

 

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