White Circle Project blends progressive pop, acoustic, and classical sounds with a dark, introspective edge in their debut release “Close Your Eyes and See Your Ghosts” (which can be bought here). As frontman Paolo Pagnani puts it, “This is a project that has a lot to do with metal without necessarily using electric guitars and frenzied drumming.”
The album dives into the hidden corners of the human psyche — dreams, shadows, doubles, and fears — urging us to face what lies within. Claudia Liucci makes her debut as singer, bringing a haunting new voice to this evocative journey.
Starting with White Circle Project
Hi Claudia, welcome to Femme Metal Webzine. How are you, and how is this period going?
Very well. It’s an intense time, but a very positive one—I’m really happy.
So, I wanted to ask you: “Close Your Eyes and See the Ghosts” is your first album with the White Circle Project. How did you come into contact with the band?
I’ll tell you the story—it shaped me a lot, because actually, it all happened by chance. I met Paolo Pagnani, the creator of the album, thanks to another Paolo—Paolo Rescigno, who also worked on the release of this album. He’s a sound engineer who supported the production phase. I had worked with him in theater, and he sent me the song “Strange Signal,” which is also on the album and was sung by Nicoletta Rossellini. Nicoletta was part of the band before but became involved in other projects, so they were looking for a female voice.
The start of the new adventure
When I heard the song, I said, “Wow.” I hadn’t heard this kind of music—especially from Italy—with such depth, both musically and lyrically, in a long time. But I was a little hesitant because it’s not a genre I come from. My background is in soul, jazz, blues, pop—basically, black music. So I was unsure, since this style leans more towards metal and rock.
But the song moved me so much that I said, “No, I want to be part of this project. I want to lend my voice to it.” Because this album is a state of mind—as I always say—it’s a journey into introspection. So, I threw myself into it. I did the audition, met Paolo, and started working hard vocally.
Paolo writes mainly for male vocal ranges, so I did a lot of technical work, supported by my vocal coach, Ornella Di Benedetto—we’ve known each other for ten years. I also worked on emotional interpretation. There was immediate synergy with Paolo, and he appreciated what I brought. That’s how our journey on this album began.
Matia Bazar and Antonella Ruggiero
When I listened to the album, the first thing that came to mind—don’t ask me why, I can’t explain it—was the 1980–81 Matia Bazar’s “Elettroshock” period. It gave me that kind of vibe.
Exactly! I’ll let you in on a little spoiler: I listened a lot to Antonella Ruggiero.
She’s so versatile—she can sing sacred music and then something completely different.
Her falsettos, her technique—it was incredible. She used her voice as an instrument, and that’s what I wanted to recreate, too. I didn’t want the voice to stand out, but to blend with the other instruments. That was the goal. Even Paolo and I were trying to recreate that atmosphere. My voice had to serve the music—it wasn’t about being the lead, but being part of the symphony. Each song had to feel like an orchestra.
“The voice is part of the musical texture.”
Exactly—and that’s what I felt, too. The voice is part of the musical texture—it’s not soloistic, it’s woven in.
Absolutely. You can hear it especially in songs like “Cathedral on Fire“, which leans more pop but also has vocalizations that sound almost operatic, more classical. That was intentional, to match the evolving narrative. That’s our concept across the album—we don’t like to confine ourselves to a specific genre. If you asked me, “What genre is the White Circle Project?”—I couldn’t tell you. And we don’t want to define it.
“What genre is the White Circle Project?”
Exactly. We won’t define it. I hear elements of progressive rock, classical, and a lot of rock and metal—but not in a traditional way.
Exactly! It’s melancholic, sweet rock, with classical and lyrical influences. There’s also pop. Take the song “La Maschera“—when I first listened to it, I was deeply moved. The lyrics tell the story of a man in love. There’s a melancholic feel to it, and I knew I had to tell a story. At that moment, I became a storyteller through song—I had to show listeners the images of this puppeteer dreaming of his beloved, dancing together. But there’s no happy ending in their final encounter. Paolo wanted that dark undertone in every track.
The theatrical background of Claudia
So, about “La Maschera”, you said you’re a storyteller. How does it feel to be at the service of a story? It’s beautiful, but also challenging—you have to take a step back and understand what the story needs.
Exactly. I’ve done a lot of theater, and in those moments, I don’t feel like a singer—I feel like an actress. With the mask on, I’m telling a story that emerges from the music itself. “La Maschera” is a waltz, representing this old man dancing with a white mask—a metaphor for his lost love.
Musically, the whole band brought this to life: Alfonso Mocerino on drums, Paolo Pagnani on piano, Roberto Giangrande on bass, and Raffaele Sorrentino on cello—his work in this piece is extraordinary.
My role was to step back and not draw attention to my voice. I had to create a scene for the listener. If they can visualize the story while listening, then we’ve succeeded. My theater background helped here. I even drew inspiration vocally from artists like Milva—our Milva—especially those low tones she used so well.
Claudia’s vocal inspiration
Milva was an incredible singer-actress. Those deep notes—she was a true contralto. Only real contraltos can reach that kind of depth.
Yes, exactly. It’s not natural for most women to sing that low, but it moves me deeply. Lower voices penetrate more emotionally for me than high-pitched ones, though those have their place. But in a song like this, it’s more important to convey the weight of each word.
The album production, together with White Circle Project
The album was released on October 24, 2024. However, when did you officially join the band? And what about the album production?
I met Paolo in February. At the end of January, I started working on “Strange Signal.” So yes, February 2024—almost a year ago now! Yes. “Strange Signal” was already done—I reinterpreted it. The other songs were also composed, but we worked intensely.
It took about six months, from February through July. Roughly a month per song. We paid attention to every detail. As I mentioned, Paolo writes for male vocal ranges, so we had to adapt each track for my voice. That process helped me grow as an artist. Technically, when a song is written for a male tessitura, you either drop or raise it an octave. It’s a challenge, but it expanded my range and expressive capability.
Working on the album
We dedicated almost 1 month per song. That was the rhythm. When we tackled each song, we weren’t just performers—Paolo would send over the melody idea, and I had to internalize it, really understand the lyrics, and adapt everything to my voice. That allowed me to work across my whole range.
At times, I doubted myself. I didn’t feel up to the task—it felt like a big responsibility to interpret songs with such depth. I’ve done a lot of theater, and I’ve sung a lot, but composing or interpreting original material is different from doing covers.
It felt like we were giving birth to something new, and I took that seriously. But Paolo and I were always aligned—we never had a problem, and I felt supported by the whole team.
Would you consider contributing to the songwriting in the future, or do you see yourself mainly as an interpreter?
Why not? I’d love to contribute as a writer, especially lyrically. This album was an introspective journey—just look at the title, “Close Your Eyes and See Your Ghosts”.
I believe music is therapeutic, and I think this album can be, too. I’d love to continue down this path with them, emotionally and musically. The synergy has been incredible. So yes, absolutely—I’d love to be part of the writing process in the future.
The next plans for White Circle Project
I know you had a release event in Naples on December 7—just a few weeks ago. Are there tour plans or upcoming dates?
Yes! We had a show on January 27 in Naples at the Gorky Association—Pianardones. This time, the whole band will be performing. On December 7, we did a voice-and-piano showcase to introduce the songs. That was my first live performance with Paolo.
Now, January 27 was the first time with the full band. I was really excited—the audience response so far has been amazing, and we felt the atmosphere we were aiming to create.
What we want is for people to come away from our shows with a feeling—an emotion. That’s what music is for me. When a song moves me, it’s because it left an emotional mark. After January 27, we do have more dates planned, but we’re not announcing them just yet.
Claudia, thank you so much for the interview—I hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much, I did.