Interview: Edoardo Mariotti

Our BA Creative Musicianship alumnus Edoardo Mariotti has enjoyed a busy and diverse musical career since completing his studies with us.

As a drummer and general musical lynchpin, he's at the creative heart of two bands, the brilliant Tarantola and newer outfit, All Runs Red. At the same time, he's worked as a session drummer for hire and also provides musical lessons.

Recently, Edo found himself recording at the legendary Abbey Road Studios so we caught up with him to find out more and how he's sustained his musical adventures... 

Congratulations on your recent recording at Abbey Road - who were you working with and what led you to this? 

Thank you! I worked with a Belgian artist together with a bunch of fantastic musicians based in London. My very good friend Quentin (an amazing guitarist and bandmate in All Runs Red) was organising the session and reached out to me earlier in July to offer me the gig so I made sure I prepared myself the best I could. The project featured seven original songs and two covers, spanning across different styles including classic rock, folk and country. We only met twice in the rehearsal room before the recording session in October. 

How did you find working at the studios itself? 

It was my very first time there so just walking into the building felt extremely exciting! We had the famous Studio 2 booked for two days and the first day was the most intense as we tracked all nine songs. I found the whole process really smooth and with the level of professionalism, you would expect from such an iconic place in the global music industry. I felt blessed by being able to play the instrument I love inside that (huge) room; but above all, I found myself at ease. I had come prepared, plus the combination of the magic that Studio 2 holds and the quality of the vibe between us, these elements really inspired and pushed me further. 

How did you find your time at ICMP? 

I studied on the BACM course and graduated in 2017. I definitely had a great time, particularly in the third year. I remember finishing at my secondary school in my hometown Perugia, Italy and wanting to move to London to study music. 

ICMP was always my only choice to study. It seemed to me like the perfect place to fully immerse myself in music by studying, practicing, discovering new concepts and connecting with fellow students and tutors."

What were the most important things you learned while at ICMP? 

From the course point of view, I would certainly mention music business and music production. My knowledge in music production prior to ICMP was very small so the classes I attended throughout the three years really sparked an interest in recording and mixing techniques as well as how to produce a song. Together with the knowledge, I acquired about the workings of the industry, these skills are crucial to me in my day-to-day musical life. 

Could you talk about working across a range of different projects? How hard/challenging is it for musicians to sustain this kind of portfolio careers?

I have plenty of projects I follow pretty much every day. I have two original acts, Tarantola and the brand new All Runs Red - in both bands, I am the drummer and co-producer and at the same time, I have my own career, Edoardo Mariotti Drums. As a professional drummer, I follow multiple activities: I teach drums, I record drums for other artists and I am always ready for any other opportunity, whether it’s function gigs or a video shoot!

With all this going on, I also endeavour to dedicate time to daily practice on the drum kit as well as to create content and videos for my social media profiles. It’s very hard to follow everything with the same commitment and mental energy and on some occasions, it’s frustrating because progress is not always measurable. It’s essential though to keep cultivating a passion for music and to stay confident/motivated: hard work pays off (in a way or another, sooner or later!). 

What is happening with Tarantola? Are you still pursuing musical projects? 

Yes, our brand new single called 'You Always On Mi Mind' has just been released and it’s our 10th official release as well as our first ballad. It’s a special song for us, definitely one of my favourites so far and I had the opportunity to challenge myself as I curated the final stages of the production and post-production. You can check it out here:

All Runs Red has just released its first single called 'What Good Would That Do' that you can check out below. 

This is a new project Quentin and I started in August this year and I’m very excited about it: it’s a hybrid rock and metal combination that will feature guest musicians from all over the world. We are working on a new song to be released in January 2021.

Have you any tips for any ICMP students looking to succeed as remote session players?

It’s hard to say as I’m still trying to succeed myself but I believe one needs to be resilient. It’s really important to keep practicing and stay hungry for more knowledge: exploring new concepts and pushing the boundaries of your skills on the instrument. In the same way, as this an extremely competitive business, you should try to find your own voice, your own sound and flair in order to be unique among many others.

It’s essential to connect with other fellow musicians, producers and artists so to expand your network as you never know what opportunities you might find. Be ambitious, persistent and humble; don’t be afraid to ask about things you don’t know or don’t understand yet and always look up to those who are one or two steps above you."

What is the most essential piece of musical kit you own?

Ah! Well, this varies I think. During the first lockdown with no doubt it’s been my electronic drumset that allowed me to keep teaching via Zoom/Skype and to keep my practice routine. I am also very fond of my in-ears that I bring with me on every musical adventure I undertake. Other than these two, I would say my main acoustic drumset is quite an essential piece as I have spent an insane amount of hours on it practicing, getting better and preparing for my career. 

Who is your favourite drummer and why? 

This is probably the most difficult question here as I still have not found the answer. I must mention John Bonham for his pioneering drumming that has inspired me and many other drummers that eventually influenced me, such as Lars Ulrich and Vinnie Paul. I would also mention Matt Halpern from Periphery, Thomas Lang, Phil Collins and Anika Niles. Many more names pop in mind right now but it’s hard to choose because I have always listened to bands more than individual musicians and my listening tastes really varies: I would mention here The Police (Stewart Copeland), Gojira (Mario Duplantier), AC/DC (Phil Rudd and Chris Slade). 

What does your musical future have in store for you? 

We are going through a long and painful period in the music industry and I sincerely hope that 2021 will see the rebirth of live music all around the world. I don’t know what the future has in store for me but I know I am eager to become a better drummer and musician; I wish both my original projects can return to the live scene soon and that longevity will pay off. My dream is to become a touring drummer (with my original acts and for other artists) and to nourish a parallel UK-based session drummer career.

Visit edoardomariottidrums.com for more information. Listen to the All Runs Red track, 'What Good Would That Do' , below: