Interview with Brigida: the career of an independent singer between Italy and Spain

Photo by Maria Claudia

From Abruzzo to Madrid, Brigida is an Italian singer-songwriter who trained at the Conservatory and at Mogol’s C.E.T., and she is winning over audiences in both Italy and Spain. In this interview, she talks about how she feels living in Madrid, the creative process behind her new song Maggio, and how she transforms the contradictions that inspire her into songs that reflect her world with naturalness and authenticity.

Enjoy the interview!

Your latest song, Maggio, was just released in a live version. How was the creative process, both for the song and the video? What inspired you?

Maggio is a song that comes from a true story, experienced in Madrid during my Erasmus. It talks about a special connection that, unfortunately, never turned into a deeper feeling. I wrote it on a spring afternoon after seeing an elderly couple sitting on a bench, immersed in a sunset. In that moment, I asked myself: “who knows where we would be if, besides the May roses, we were also given the courage to love each other.” I believe that being torn between the constant search for a partner and the difficulty of seriously committing to a stable relationship is an inner conflict typical of many people in our generation.

Sometimes we have gold in our hands and we are not able to take care of it. Other times it’s just idealization, but either way, we’ll never find out, because we give up before diving in. We prefer to stay on the surface, leave everything unresolved, denying ourselves the chance to discover whether a treasure is hidden in those depths. I believe these are very common dynamics in today’s society, where “liquid” love predominates, as the philosopher Bauman aptly describes.

Precisely because of the relevance of the topic, I chose to release Maggio a few months after composing it, without production, just piano and voice as it was born: I wanted the lyrics to be the protagonist while also conveying the magic of the live performance. The video is actually part of a private concert organized to celebrate my first year in Madrid. The videomakers took care of every detail of the location to create an intimate and delicate atmosphere that framed my music, and they perfectly captured the emotion of performing the song for the first time in front of an audience.

You’re Italian but you live in Madrid. What are the main similarities and/or differences you notice between the music scenes in both countries, especially as an independent singer?

Having an experience abroad has always been a dream of mine, and after graduating from the conservatory, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do an Erasmus internship: I was supposed to stay in Madrid for only six months, the fact that this period extended so much was not planned! This city is a constant surprise; it welcomed me with enthusiasm and warmth I never could have imagined.

From the start, I began attending open mics and jam sessions to get to know the vibrant music scene of the capital, and not even two months after my arrival, I gave my first concert on Spanish soil. Curiosity, cultural vibrancy, and openness were a real breath of fresh air for me, something that was always missing in the small town where I grew up and that I went to seek elsewhere. Thanks to these differences, I feel that here even an independent project, with all the associated challenges, has greater growth opportunities; compared to Italy, there are more spaces available to perform live and many more chances to strengthen the sense of community among artists.

On the other hand, I believe the two music scenes are similar in many other ways, both positive and negative: for example, I really like that singer-songwriters pay great attention to lyrics, due to the rich literary tradition shared by both countries. At the same time, I see that here too there is still a long way to go regarding the protection of musicians’ rights.

Has this mix of cultures influenced your music?

I believe it has, and I’m happy about it, because one of the reasons I moved was precisely to discover new music and allow myself to be influenced by new sounds. Since moving, I’ve started listening to many artists from the Spanish and Latin American music scene: the class and elegance of singer-songwriters like Natalia Lafourcade, Silvana Estrada, and Valeria Castro are a huge source of inspiration for me, but I also love the grit and irony of Nathy Peluso. I enjoy the dreamy atmospheres of Bandalos Chinos and the original productions of Juan Pablo Vega and Vic Mirallas. The cultural mix is a great richness!

Which Italian song would you recommend Spanish people listen to, and which Spanish song would you recommend to Italians?

For the Spanish audience, I’d choose to make them dance to Cosmo. For Italians, I would definitely recommend Qué bello es vivir, an anthem to life that I consider one of my absolute favorite songs: incredible how El Kanka manages to transmit joy from the very first notes!

Which artists inspire you the most?

That’s a tough question! I have many, because since I was little I’ve fed on a lot of music, and just like at the table, I like to vary. I grew up with Elisa Toffoli and Adele, my great references from the start. Over time, I discovered Italian singer-songwriters, falling in love with Dalla, Tenco, Pino Daniele, Vecchioni… Among contemporary artists, Niccolò Fabi and Daniele Silvestri are my favorites. Studying jazz also made me passionate about soul and R&B, and I have immense admiration for artists like Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, and Raye, who managed to bring these sounds into mainstream pop.

As a woman, have you ever noticed differences in the music industry?

There is certainly a gender gap in the more technical side of music, like production, but I find the female singer-songwriter scene to be wide and full of talent. Unfortunately, I notice that women have always faced more pressure: it’s not just about how good you are at what you do, but also about how you look. Compared to male colleagues, aesthetics are much more important. I also notice that it’s harder for us to gain visibility; often, there are prejudices against female singer-songwriters, assuming their music is boring, overly sweet, or classic at best.

If you had to suggest a place or situation to listen to your music, what would it be and why?

I would choose a beach at sunset, because it suits the different moods of my songs: it could be the perfect atmosphere to dance with a beer in hand around a bonfire to the more upbeat tracks, or to contemplate the sea while letting the more melancholic songs evoke feelings and memories in that special setting.

Which of your songs would you recommend to someone who has never listened to you before?

I’d recommend La La Land, a romantic ballad about the nostalgia evoked by an unexpected encounter. The first part of the lyrics is full of melancholy; in the second part, gratitude for having experienced an authentic feeling and the hope of leaving a beautiful memory with the other person prevail—those memories that break your voice with emotion and draw a smile… Just like the final scene of the movie with the same name. I’m especially attached to this song because writing it allowed me to find a constructive perspective on a painful situation, and I believe music always manages to bring a bit of light, even in dark moments.

What are your future projects?

Writing, producing, and performing concerts! 2026 will probably be the year of my first EP, and I want as many people as possible to hear it, both here in Spain and in Italy. Live performances have always been my favorite moment because in that context, any overstructure falls away; numbers don’t matter, and the artist exposes their soul on stage. I love being able to look into the eyes of the people listening to feel the emotions that the music evokes, to tell the story behind a song, and to laugh, joke, and get emotional together. And speaking of concerts, I take this opportunity to invite you to my next show on Friday, December 5 at Libertad8 in Chueca! I’ll perform the songs that will be part of the EP, some freshly composed tracks, and there will be special guests to make the event even more unique. I can’t wait to see you!

You can follow Brigida here and listen to her here: