Maria Antonietta: "When you think less, you write better." Interview with the singer of "Signorina, buonasera" on music, art and private life

I'm a child of the Italian indie scene, but the pre-Gazzelle and Calcutta kind of indie, the old-school Italian indie. That doesn’t necessarily make it more authentic, but it definitely belongs to a different time. The era of Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, Afterhours, Subsonica, Marta sui Tubi, Teatro degli Orrori, Marlene Kuntz, Ministri, and... Maria Antonietta. What was Maria Antonietta - real name Letizia Cesarini - doing in the middle of all that, alone? Sadly, for years, she was one of the (very) few women I listened to. The only woman (or almost) who made her way into my playlists. For me then, and for me now - who has since unlearned a bit of internalized misogyny and listens to tons of women across genres (from Rihanna to Levante to FKA twigs and Elodie) - I wanted to interview Maria Antonietta, who just released a single with her partner in life and in music, Colombre, a.k.a. Giovanni Imparato. It’s called Signorina, buonasera, and it tells the story of their very first date. Yes, really.

Interview with Maria Antonietta, Icon of Italian Indie Music

In your single with Colombre, “Signorina, Buonasera,” you sing: “We like waves, we don’t like the current.” How autobiographical is that line?

There’s a lot of autobiography in Signorina Buonasera in general. There’s not much fiction, because it tells the story of our first date, more or less exactly as it happened. What I wanted to convey was that feeling of recognition: when you meet the person you’re meant to be with, you recognize something in them that belongs to you, to your deepest self. The line “we like waves, we don’t like the current” is the one I’m most attached to. It means loving challenges, dreams, adventures, even when they might hurt. The current, on the other hand, is something that carries you with it, already going in a set direction. When I met Giovanni, I recognized that restlessness in him and that desire not to be swept away. That’s what draws me to people.

A joint album is a big step. How did the idea to do it together come about?

We wrote Io e te certamente in 2023 and had collaborated often, sharing both home and work. After that song, we said it would be nice to make something explicit and celebrate these years together through music. Then we found an old hard drive with 5–6 tracks we had written during the first week we met, 15 years ago. That gave it all a poetic and artistic meaning: finishing something we had started back then. So we decided to go for it.

Did you write it together? How does your approach to writing change when it’s not just you?

Yes, a lot. When you write with someone else, you feel freer, you set fewer limits for yourself, you let go. Writing with Giovanni was liberating, it felt light. The less you overthink, the better you write.

You’ve been seen as one of the few female voices in Italian songwriting. What was that like for you?

When I started out, there were very few women making music. I was inspired by American Riot Grrrls, Hole, Bikini Kill. I didn’t want to represent anything, but I realized how hard it was for girls to express themselves freely and be taken seriously. I don’t feel like a spokesperson, also because I hate the label "female music". What does that even mean? I’d love for music to be judged as music, not by who makes it. But I get that we’re still transitioning toward that kind of freedom.

What would you say to the Letizia who released her first album?

I’d tell her not to get angry or upset about the things she can’t control. I’d say: “Relax. Be happy about what you’re doing” even though she probably wouldn’t listen. I’ve learned you can’t control everything, and that’s okay.

Besides music, you write and do theater. How do all these creative outlets coexist?

I like doing different things. Poetry came before music. I’ve always been a reader. Books are a solitary passion; music helped me connect with the world, to step outside that bubble. Writing for theater, prose, or hosting a TV show: these are all challenges. Each medium teaches you something, letting you explore the same “inner continent” in different ways. I love expanding my identity through them.

You share a lot of yourself, your private life and your relationship, In your music. Has that ever been difficult?

Sometimes it feels like the line between personal life and work disappears. It’s an intense, powerful experience, but also exhausting. Sometimes I dream of a “normal” job just to keep things separate. Luckily, Giovanni helps me keep things in perspective. But yes, the only real “dark side” is that: feeling like you are what you do.

After the joint album, can we expect a joint tour?

Yes, absolutely! I love performing, and the plan is to merge our bands and go on tour. We’re working on it!