Boy From Home, the new artist’s name of Damien Giudice, previously known as a member of Creatures on Mars, but also active in engraving, illustration, and graphic design, is a multi-faceted artist who devotes himself entirely to his arts, sometimes wisely, sometimes with a rebellious streak. Summerrain, his second album, is a blend of rock'n'roll, punk, folk, and singer-songwriting. An ultra-dynamic album to be listened to attentively while pogo dancing, to be discovered on 26 April at Gudde Wëllen. Interview.

Boy From Home is a solo punk-rock-folk project born in 2023. Yet you're already about to release your second album. Tell us how it all came about.

Boy From Home started at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. I always wanted to compose and play my own songs. So, since everyone was stuck at home, it was the perfect timing for me to create something new. Also, I just came from a breakup, and being alone at home was a horror for me. So, of course, the first songs were about heartbreak, love songs but also a lot about finding inner peace and the togetherness between people and nature. After a year, I had so many songs, but it was never a goal to perform them on stage. But very soon it was clear to me to look for a whole band so I could perform cool and energetic rock’n’roll concerts. I made a call on social media, and very quickly, a lot of people were interested. First the drummer Tun Hirt, who brought a big impact into the rock’n’roll and folky songs, then the guitarist Nik Benoit – also from my previous band Creatures on Mars – and finally Ben Weis, a friend of Tun, on the bass. Those are the best musicians I have ever worked with, and the concerts are so groovy and dancy. It’s like a dream on stage with such a band on my back! So, we can say that it’s a solo project with a live band. I write the songs mostly on my own, and I record very trashy demo versions on garage band. Then we come together to have a rehearsal, and everyone puts their magic into it. We are planning to make the project bigger, so more influences from the other members will be added to the next songs, I guess.

Two albums and 18 songs in a year and a half—that's a lot, especially as you're also an engraver, illustrator, and graphic designer. Do you feel a sense of urgency about writing, composing, and performing?

Everything inspires me. But mostly feelings and experiences. I also like to write about experiences I have had with other people or from shows or movies. Man… 18 songs in such a short time is the craziest thing I could imagine! My past self would have never belied that this could be true once! Also, with all the other stuff I do, I give Lino ingravure workshops at schools, go to creative markets and festivals, do freelance graphic design jobs, and I try to write and work on new songs regularly. It’s a 7 - 7 Job. It’s so hard and sometimes really depressing, since I wish people would get more help financially and more attention. But yeah, I’m diverting. Writing, composing, performing, and designing are really important to me. It’s like therapy, but also hard work.

“Boy From Home is my Brand”

Do these different artistic forms contribute to a unified vision for you, or are they distinct endeavors?

It’s kind of funny. I never thought that one project would lead to another. And I have never thought that I could combine everything together. Boy From Home is my Brand. I want to do more than just music. I want to show and explain to people that I am a multidisciplinary artist. I do my own music; I have a lot to say, and I do the whole branding and concepts on my own. Everything needs to make sense to me.

Your first album, Houseplant, was about personal development and ecology; is there a common thread running through Summerrain too? If so, which one?

The first one was very personal. The second also still is! Summerrain tells nostalgic stories about my past, mostly about my childhood. But I guess I have grown a lot since I wrote the first album. A lot happened in one year. You meet new people, and some people leave. New jobs come, you feel like the greatest, but on another day, you feel like the biggest loser. Everything is a process; it goes up and down. Which is also the link between the albums.

“A lot of loud music, rock’n’roll, maybe pogo dancing, stagediving, singalongs”

The album is mainly punk, but with rock'n'roll and folk atmospheres. Would you say that this describes you artistically? How do you reconcile punk and folk?

Definitely! I love to do it the way I see it. Of course, I'm open to other opinions. But they must be better than mine. How do I reconcile punk and folk? That’s a hard question. I guess give me an acoustic guitar, I sing a campfire song about togetherness, but I add fast drums and broken vocals to it.

Tell us what you have planned for the release party on 26 April.

One thing is planned: A lot of fun. A lot of loud music, rock’n’roll, maybe pogo dancing, stagediving, singalongs. And friends from Trier, Papertones, an Indie Rock Band, come for the first time to Luxembourg. It’s the perfect match for the warmup.

De Gudde Wëllen, Friday April 26.

https://deguddewellen.lu/Agenda/BOY-FROM-HOME-LU-