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Bar Italia (stylized in lowercase) are a British indie rock band formed in London in 2019. The band consists of members Nina Cristante (vocals), Sam Fenton (vocals, guitar), and Jezmi Tarik Fehmi (vocals, guitar). Their name is derived from the Soho café Bar Italia.

Biography

The Italian-born Cristante grew up in Rome but moved to London in 2007. Fenton and Fehmi lived in a flat below Cristante in Peckham, where they met. In 2019, they began making music together.

From 2020 onwards, the band released four albums, three EPs and multiple singles through World Music, the record label founded by London musicians Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland.

They were noted as a "new act to watch" by The Face magazine and the number one "rising star to look out for in 2023" by The Times. Their 2022 EP CDR was placed at number one on Gorilla vs. Bear's list of the best EPs of 2022, and their track "Miracle Crush" was placed at number 13 on Crack's list of the 25 best songs of 2022.

In March 2023, it was announced they had signed with Matador Records. They released Tracey Denim in May 2023, while their second album of the year, The Twits, released in November and was supported by European and North American tour dates. Both albums received "generally favorable" reviews according to rating aggregator Metacritic, with French cultural magazine Les Inrocks placing the two projects collectively at number 10 in their list of the best albums of the year. Allmusic called The Twits a reflection of the group's growth "into an increasingly singular, expressive band", and the record debuted at No. 36 on the UK Albums Chart, the band's highest placement as of 2023.

Other projects

Fehmi and Fenton also make music as a duo under the name Double Virgo, a reference to their shared astrological star sign. Since 2020, they have created a number of indie rock and shoegaze records together, produced by Vegyn and released via his label, PLZ Make It Ruins.

Nina Cristante has created lo-fi pop music under the alias Nina (stylized NINA), often collaborating with producer and former label mate, Dean Blunt.

Members

Current members

• Nina Cristante – vocals (2020–present)
• Sam Fenton – vocals, guitar (2020–present)
• Jezmi Tarik Fehmi – vocals, guitar (2020–present)

Discography

Studio albums

• Quarrel (World Music, 2020)
• Bedhead (World Music, 2021)
• Tracey Denim (Matador, 2023)
• The Twits (Matador, 2023)

EPs

• Angelica Pilled (World Music, 2020)
• CDR (self-released, 2022)
• The Tw*ts (Matador, 2024)

Singles

Awards and nominations

References

1. Aroesti, Rachel (27 October 2023). "'I'd rather be boring than mysterious': Bar Italia on anonymity, originality and disliking Pulp". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
2. ^ "10 rising music acts we think you'll love". The Face. 5 January 2023.
3. ^ Ewens, Hannah (8 January 2024). "Cover story: Bar Italia – The Rest Is History". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
4. "Welcome to Nina Cristante's world". The Face. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
5. Darville, Jordan (16 November 2022). "Song You Need: bar italia spin indie rock gold from ambivalence on "Polly Armour"". The FADER.
6. "Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland, formerly Hype Williams, launch new label". Fact. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
7. Hodgkinson, Will (20 June 2023). "Best music acts of 2023 — 10 rising stars to listen out for". The Times.
8. "gorilla vs bear's EPs of 2022". Gorilla vs. Bear. 12 December 2022.
9. "Best songs of 2022: Our top 25 tracks". Crack Magazine.
10. Minsker, Evan (9 March 2023). "Bar Italia Sign to Matador, Share New Song "Nurse!"". Pitchfork.
11. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (19 September 2023). "Bar Italia Announce New Album The Twits, Share Video for New Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
12. "Tracey Denim by bar italia". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
13. "The Twits by bar italia". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
14. "Découvrez nos 100 meilleurs albums de 2023 (partie 4/4)". Les Inrocks (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2024.
15. Phares, Heather. "The Twits". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
16. "BAR ITALIA". Official Charts. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
17. "Bar Italia". Beggars Music. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
18. White, Jessica (20 May 2023). "One to watch: Bar Italia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
19. Cochrane, Key (31 May 2022). "NINA shares new Dean Blunt produced single, grandiosee". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
20. Dawson, Brit (12 December 2023). "Welcome to Nina Cristante's world". The Face. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
21. Grein, Paul (20 March 2024). "Killer Mike, Mitski, Caroline Polachek Among Top Nominees for 2024 Libera Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 12 April 2024.

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