Since emerging in 1999 as the singular vision of Simone Salvatori, Spiritual Front have carved out a place in the dark music landscape that no other band quite occupies. What began as an experimental neofolk project soon grew into a decadent, genre‑blurring universe where melancholic folk, neoclassical drama, rock, dark country and even tango coexist with disarming ease. The Italians famously describe their work as "catchy ballads for heartbreaker nihilist youth" — a slogan that captures both their romantic fatalism and their sly, self‑aware humour. Over the years, this shapeshifting sound has earned them comparisons to Nick Cave, Swans, Scott Walker and other masters of emotional intensity, while terms like "nihilistic suicide pop" have become part of their mythology. Salvatori's lyrics walk a razor's edge between confession and provocation: identity, sexuality, desire, disillusionment and the bruises left by love — all filtered through sarcasm, existential bite and a cinematic sense of storytelling. Spiritual Front's artistic reach extends far beyond the album format. Their collaborations include Lydia Lunch, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio and numerous others, and their music has appeared in TV series, independent films, theatre productions and modern ballet. In 2023, the band released a deeply personal tribute to one of their greatest influences, The Smiths, through Prophecy Productions — a gesture that revealed both reverence and reinvention. Today, with a new album in the works and fresh creative fire, Spiritual Front continue to evolve. After their outstanding performance at Frantic Fest (you can read our full report HERE), we sat down with Simone Salvatori to talk about the band's past, present and the next chapter of their beautifully twisted musical world.

Interview with: Simone Salvatori
Conducted by:  Tomaz and Jerneja
Edited by: Jerneja

Jerneja: Hello Simone! It feels quite special meeting you in person — especially since yesterday was the very first time Tomaz and I saw Spiritual Front live. I must say, I was genuinely impressed. It was also fascinating to see how the audience — mostly metal fans — responded with such excitement. So what are your thoughts on last night's performance, and did everything unfold the way you had planned?
Simone: Yes, thank you. It was funny, because we also played at the very first edition of this festival ten years ago. Even though this isn't the usual type of festival Spiritual Front normally plays — especially considering the kind of bands performing here — we feel very comfortable here. It's always a challenge to face a different audience, and this audience clearly seemed to appreciate our set.

Jerneja: They even seemed more enthusiastic than they often are at many metal gigs…
Simone: Yes, haha — it seemed that way, right?

Jerneja: You also had a fantastic sound — all the more striking given that some of the earlier bands on the same stage weren't blessed with quite the same luck on the technical side.
Simone: Yeah, the sound was superb. Maybe that's because our sound is cleaner, and we have strong songs, haha. That's the secret.

Jerneja: Your stage presence is remarkably theatrical — everything from your movements to your facial expressions suggests a naturally gifted actor.
Simone: Oh, thank you so much! I act on stage the way I feel the songs. I'm channelling the songs within myself — everything just goes with the flow, you know.

Jerneja: I even had to check whether you weren't also working as a theatre actor…
Simone: Actually, I was into theatre stuff and did some acting classes, but that was many years ago. It obviously influenced my performance on stage.

Jerneja: Was the idea of bringing that theatricality into your music already present when you first began shaping Spiritual Front?
Simone: Not exactly. It's probably something natural, you know. We're Italians, and we play very Italian stuff. We're very influenced by cinema and soundtracks, so it all goes naturally into our music. I try to explain what I'm singing about through my movements, hands, gestures, and expressions. I guess it's just something that came naturally. If you're performing and you don't attract people, they get easily distracted. But if you perform and you look people in the eyes, you can feel it.

Jerneja: Well, it is also quite typical of Italians to gesture a lot with their hands when they speak…
Simone: Simone: Yes, of course. It's a natural instinct.

Jerneja: Okay, that theatricality is certainly one of the things that makes Spiritual Front unique, but it's far from the only one. Musically, you're almost impossible to classify. People describe you as neofolk, post‑industrial, with touches of neoclassical, chamber pop, even tango flourishes here and there — and I would also add chanson.
Simone: That's cool that you mention chanson. I like it.

Jerneja: In the end, all these labels don't really matter — what matters is whether it works. And in your case, it certainly does. And clearly you're not overly concerned with genres; you seem far more interested in conveying something else through your music.
Simone: Well, the first label I would skip is neofolk. We only recorded one EP at the very beginning that could be described as neofolk, but we've never had anything in common with neofolk bands. The attitude, the themes, and the music in general are very different. Maybe it's just because I play acoustic guitar. I like folk music, but not the typical kind of neofolk — I'm absolutely not interested in it. I like to call our music suicide pop, because our songs are pretty easy to listen to, but the topics are very negative and quite dark. Suicide pop fits properly, and it describes the music well. It's pop, but negative pop. Chamber music is okay too, because we like orchestral things and soundtracks.

Jerneja: So, suicide pop? Has anyone ever accused you of trying to lead your listeners towards suicide?
Simone: No, not yet, haha. We're not that suicidal. We do it more in an ironic way.

Jerneja: Your last proper studio album, Amour Braque, came out in March 2018, and then in 2023 you released The Queen Is Not Dead, an album of The Smiths covers. Did you choose to make a tribute album after more than five years simply because you felt you should release something? Were you out of inspiration?
Simone: No, no, it wasn't because of that. After Amour Braque I was very busy with projects like The Lust Syndicate and Morgue Ensemble. I had a lot of new songs for Spiritual Front, but I don't know why — once we had played a couple of The Smiths songs, the label asked us if we could record a few more. So we decided to record an entire album, but we were fucking slow and it took us a lot of time. I can reveal that we're working on a new album. All of the songs are already recorded; I just have to finish the vocal parts and do the graphic stuff. We're so slow when it comes to recording an album, so the long gaps between releases aren't because of a lack of inspiration — we're just very, very slow when it comes to making a new record.

Jerneja: It certainly is better to take things slowly than to push out low‑quality tracks just to please algorithms or keep your name from disappearing. Quality ought to come first.
Simone: No, we're not interested in that. We like to record a new album when we're ready. The graphic design takes a lot of time, the recording process takes a lot of time, and we're busy with our private lives as well. It takes ages to get it done.

Jerneja: Do you handle the graphics and overall art design yourself?
Simone: No, we have a graphic designer who is very slow.

Jerneja: Why The Smiths? What is it about them that fascinates you so much? Very few bands have ever chosen to cover their songs.
Simone: It's my favourite band, and the other guys like The Smiths too. They're probably my main influence, and that's the reason I started playing their songs. But to tell the truth, it was all just a coincidence. Basically, I don't like playing covers.

Jerneja: Last night you played most of the songs from Armageddon Gigolo, which was almost to be expected, given that the album marked its twentieth anniversary this June…
Simone: Actually, we were asked to play some shows for the 20th anniversary of Armageddon Gigolo. We didn't play any new songs — we only played one track from Rotten Roma Casino, some songs from Amour Braque… yeah, it was a mix of all that.

Tomaz: If I'm not mistaken, you signed the previous album, The Queen Is Not Dead, to Prophecy Productions…
Simone: Oh, we signed with them before that. I think that the first album that we released with them was Amour Braque, and then they re-released some of our old albums, like Armageddon Gigolo and Rotten Roma Casino.

Tomaz: Will the upcoming album also be released through them?
Simone: Yes, it will. We get along really well, and we're very satisfied with them and their work.

Tomaz: And how did this collaboration actually start? I'm asking because Spiritual Front aren't exactly a typical band for that label.
Simone: I was already in contact with Stephan back in the early days of Spiritual Front, but at that time we were signed to Trisol Records. After a couple of years, we broke with Trisol, and we decided to join Prophecy Productions. It was a natural step for us, and since then everything has been really good.

Tomaz: If I go back to your show last night — you mentioned Sacred Reich a couple of times. Are you actually good friends, or was that just one of your jokes?
Simone: It was because they were present at our show. We're friends, and I've liked them since I was a kid. I was super happy to have them at the show.

Tomaz: Yeah, I saw them standing near the stage watching the show. So do your influences also come from metal music?
Simone: Musically, no — but metal had a big part in why I started playing music as a kid. I liked the album Ignorance by Sacred Reich so much. It was very important to me when I was young. It's not a big influence on Spiritual Front, but it is for me as a musician.

Tomaz: In 2024 you released the single "Heavy Discipline". Will that track be part of the upcoming album?
Simone: It's just an online single available as a name‑your‑price digital download, and no, it won't be part of the upcoming album.

Tomaz: That year you were supposed to play two shows in Russia, but you cancelled them. What was the story behind that?
Simone: I knew you were going to ask me this. We played in Russia many times before, and we also played in Ukraine many times. We had a tour coming up, and they asked me to play in Russia. I just wanted to play for my fans, and at that point some people accused me of being a supporter of Putin, his favourite singer, and all that bullshit. I just wanted to play, but I received many complaints. So we cancelled the shows, but people kept spreading this bullshit. "Ah, Simone, you're a Putin supporter! Arrrghhh, shame on you!" they kept repeating — but it's just bullshit. We simply wanted to play for our fans. That's it.

Jerneja: I believe that judgement, insults, and all forms of hostility ultimately arise from the frustrations of the person expressing them.
Simone: They're just stupid, and they have a lot of spare time to spend online behind a computer, spreading this kind of bullshit — but they don't know anything. They would have the right to say something if I had ever mentioned that I support the Russian invasion, but I'm not, and I never said anything like that. Russian fans are very passionate; we played there many times and always had a lot of people coming to our shows. We just wanted to play a fucking concert, that's all. We also played many times in Ukraine, where I have a lot of friends. I even spent a holiday in Ukraine once, and I don't have anything against Ukraine at all. I'm critical of the political situation in the world. You know, sometimes it's enough that somebody writes some bullshit — and people believe it.

Tomaz: We're living in strange times. Say one wrong word — even if you didn't mean it that way — and you can be immediately accused of all sorts of things.
Simone: Yes, that's it. For example, if I write something about the Ukrainian flag and simply want to go deeper, to be critical about it, it suddenly means I support the Russian invasion. And if I don't put the Ukrainian flag on my social media profiles, it means the same. No Italian flag, no Russian flag, no Ukrainian flag — but somehow it means I'm pro‑Putin. Ah, fuck off, I don't want to put any flags on my profile. But I'm pro‑Palestine, and I think Israel is doing a lot of bad things. Still, if fans from Israel invite me to play for them, I'll play in Israel. I'm not supporting their government — I would play for the people. It's people and it's music, that's it.

Tomaz: Alright, let's move on… Do you prefer playing shows in clubs or at festivals?
Simone: Clubs — for my people. Festivals are nice because you meet a lot of people and the audience is usually larger, but it's still better to play for those who come just for you.

Tomaz: This year you'll also be playing at Prophecy Fest. We were there two years ago, and it's such a special location — that cave. Every performance feels distinctive in its own way. Will you be preparing something unique just for that show?
Simone: We're always unique, haha. But yes, that place is something special. We don't need any special light show, we don't need fireworks or anything like that — it's just us and our songs. I still believe in songs and in artists. Super‑big shows aren't really for me. I'll keep doing what I'm doing.

Jerneja: Apart from that, do you have any other shows scheduled for this year? Maybe in Slovenia or somewhere nearby?
Simone: There will be some concerts. We've never played in Slovenia, and nothing is planned. We'll play a few more shows in Italy — in Vicenza, Veneto, this December — as well as in Bulgaria (Sofia), Romania (Bucharest) and Greece. I've just received one request from Belgium. We played a lot of concerts last year, and now we want to focus more on finishing the new album.

Jerneja: What about your lyrics? Do they come from imagination, real‑life experience, or from what you observe around you?
Simone: They mostly come from my personal experiences. I usually talk about myself and about the things I'm doing. That's why we're not a political band, even though a couple of lyrics on the new album are inspired by all the shit that's happening in the world. I don't like talking about things I don't know. Everything is very personal.

Tomaz: So, if most of your lyrics come from personal experience — you must know quite a lot about sexuality…
Simone: Yes, I do — haha.

Tomaz: I wanted to ask — what film was playing on the backdrop screen during your show?
Simone: It's Pasolini's film Mamma Roma from 1962.

Tomaz: Earlier we talked about your musical style and the different genres you draw from. We didn't mention country or Americana. Does that influence come from films — like Spaghetti Westerns — or is it a direct influence from country music itself?
Simone: I like some country music, even the new stuff, but yes — you're right — the influence on my music mostly comes from the Spaghetti Western films. But I do like artists such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and similar things.

Tomaz: Some critics also connect your musical style with names like Nick Cave, Editors, and similar artists. There's a touch of post‑punk influence in your work as well, isn't there?
Simone: I grew up with 80s music, so I guess it's a natural influence. Many people mention Nick Cave as a reference for our music, but I've never been a big fan. I like him, of course, but his music was never a major influence on me. Still, I agree — some songs might sound similar.

Tomaz: And what exactly did you have in mind when you chose the name Spiritual Front?
Simone: I really like the contrast in the name. Spiritual means something deep, something that comes from the soul, while front is stronger and harder — something very physical.

Tomaz: Earlier you mentioned that your new album is already on its way, so I'm curious — will it be in the vein of your previous work, or perhaps something entirely different?
Simone: It's more pop‑rock. There are a lot of catchy songs. It's a very nice record with plenty of really good tracks, and I'm sure you'll like it.

Jerneja: And when do you plan to launch the first single?
Simone: I think it'll be in September, October, or November next year.

Tomaz: What's your opinion on the rising presence of AI‑made music and art? It's something we've been asking everyone lately.
Simone: I don't know much about those things because I don't use them. I'm very bad with technology, and it doesn't affect me at all. The only thing I can do is click on the computer and record something. But I know that if you're a lazy bastard, you can ask artificial intelligence to do things for you. They say it even takes at least 50% of your intelligence as well.

Tomaz: It's crazy how much promo material for AI‑made music we've been receiving lately. Some people at least state it openly, but with others you have to check — and that takes extra time.
Simone: It's horrible. But I'm telling you — it will turn against them sooner or later. AI can be good for some practical things, but when it comes to art, it kills it.

Jerneja: I guess that would be all from our side. Thank you for your time, Simone. Would you like to convey anything to your fans before we wrap up
Simone: Don't believe in bullshit. A lot of people suck, and they like to spread hate and shit around. Keep in touch with Spiritual Front — and don't believe in bullshit.

Live photos by Tomaz

Spiritual Front links: Official Website, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Soundcloud