Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1013924
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 AUGUST 2018 THIS WEEK MUSIC Could you tell us a little bit about Mistura's journey? What led you to come together as a band, and how has your sound evolved since? Antonio Olivari: The band started as an acoustic duo with Malcolm and me writing some songs in Maltese and trying to find places where to per- form them. This was 2012, when we participated in a couple of editions of L-Għanja tal-Poplu. We then changed from the original acoustic duo set-up, first to an acoustic band and then to a rock band. It was always the next logi- cal step for us to kind of upgrade the sound until we could play gigs as an electric band. Matthew Agius: When I joined in 2013/4 Mistura's sound was very Pink Floydy. Since then we've shifted into a more proggy direction thanks to the addition of Mark [Andrew Azzopardi] as drummer. I like it, it's more chal- lenging to perform. Mark Andrew Azzopardi: I joined Mistura together with Matthew with the intention of kicking it up a notch with a more electric sound, which was a new sound altogether compared to the first album. As the youngest member of the band, I try to push it in innovative and new directions, spe- cifically adding some progressive ele- ments into the mix. Maltese-language music that appeals to a younger crowd is certainly – and thankfully – not a novelty anymore, but this wasn't always the case. How did this development evolve, in your opinion, and do you think that choosing to sing in either Maltese or English still has In a musical scene populated by bright-eyed young artists keen to garner mainstream exposure, the crusty quartet Mistura go against the chipper grain, with an eclectic sound fusing blues and progressive rock which certainly makes good on their name. TEODOR RELJIC speaks to the band in the wake of the release of their second studio album Regħbus and discovers a simmering pot of glorious anger Against all advice Mistura (left to right): Antonio Olivari, Malcolm Bonnici, Matthew Agius. Back: Mark Andrew Azzopardi