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Donna Maciocia (that’s Ma-cho-cha) is a young Scottish singer/songwriter in her mid-twenties with Italian roots, the frontperson and driving force behind Scottish band Amplifico. With a stunningly unique voice inspired by the bygone-era queens of pop standards, she styles Amplifico's quirky pop theater on her piano & guitar, writing songs about everything from infatuation & addiction, to Rachmaninov, murder, finding her muse, night clubs and science. Donna's musical ambitions developed at an early age through love affairs with the fantastical soundtracks to her favourite movies (think Labyrinth, Wizard of Oz, Beetlejuice), and idolising stars like Michael Jackson, Judy Garland & Stevie Wonder. She had an obsessive taste in music which lead her to study every little nuance in her favourite singers' voices. "Jane Horrocks' character in Little Voice was just like me as a kid" recalls Donna.
Despite only turning to singing & songwriting in 2004, Donna's musical CV is impressive. In addition to playing hundreds of gigs across the UK & Ireland with Amplifico, she provided backing vocals for KT Tunstall throughout her live Acoustic Extravaganza album, sang with KT on her tour in 2006, starred in KT's Another Place To Fall video, and in 2007 joined Rough Trade Records heroes Aberfeldy onstage for backing vocal/keyboard duties.
Firmly in Amplifico’s wings are Donna's co-writers and two best mates from school (Balwearie High in Fife), Dave Brunton and Ross Kilgour on drums and guitar, respectively. "I was about 14 or 15 when we met and I joined their high school band 'Coffee' as keyboardist. We've since played together on and off for over 10 years and have managed to create this amazing, magical, psychic thing when we get in a music room together. Sometimes it actually gives me goosebumps," grins Donna. These new musical accomplices opened her eyes wide to the wonders of artists like Radiohead, Nirvana, Massive Attack, The Prodigy and Bjork as a teenager. Her financially struggling parents could not afford to indulge her need of musical equipment for playing in her first band with Dave & Ross, so she borrowed her granny's credit card to kit herself out with her first proper synths, FX units & amp. "To pay off the bill, I had 4 jobs and school to juggle. At one point my friends used to joke that if I had any spare time I'd get another job!"
Years later and after a degree at art school Donna decided to progress from 'keyboardist' and try her hand at singing & songwriting herself. Taking a sales job to pay the bills, she set up a "wee cubby hole music studio" in her flat in Dundee where she spent months and months honing her writing skills. Soon enough she craved to collaborate with other musicians again, and nervously plucked up the courage to play her new ideas to her former band mates. They were impressed, particularly by Donna's voice, which had developed into an instrument of its own. They got to work straight away.
On top of the world to be making music with each other again, the group blossomed, having never lost their strong musical connection from playing together from a young age. Donna discovered the name 'Amplifico' in a Latin dictionary (it looked pretty) and they soon hit the road playing extensively across the UK, winning the 'Best Scottish Band' title in a national UK competition for unsigned bands, which took them to the lofty stages of Glasgow Carling Academy and London Astoria within a year of forming. During this period, the band recorded and self-produced their first Eps (Hometakes 1 & Hometakes 2), which were released to critical acclaim in Scotland.
Unsigned and unmanaged, but determined to be heard, Amplifico tapped into the power of the internet with a fierce intensity. Podcasting and blogging took them to a massive worldwide audience, eventually leading to national radio play in America. The tight-knit group had honed a distinct sound of their own which drew in thousands of people from around the globe. This growing underground fanbase helped fund the recording of their forthcoming debut album See Heart, See Muscle through individual donation and via a live web-streamed "webathon" fundraiser gig. As a thank you, the album artwork (which was designed by Donna herself) includes photos and handwritten mentions of all of these generous fans. "When we held a finished copy of the album in our hands for the first time it was magic... a real rootsy, earthy, independent feeling - the fact we had all these amazing people around the world who had helped make it happen from the ground up, and then to have their faces smiling back at us from the CD booklet... we were all so chuffed," Donna beams.
See Heart, See Muscle is an eclectic collection of songs that capture the unique Amplifisound: sheer danceability coupled with striking, smart, theatrical pop. The heavy tunes, like the salacious 'Dirt Sleaze', are pure spectacle in the best way - these are "big" songs that could bring an arena crowd to a roar. The muscle of these songs is balanced by delicate, intimate ballads like 'Just to Pause This', whose vulnerable, piercing quiet both cuts your heart and makes it rejoice. Maciocia's singing recalls something that the world has missed for too long - true vocal stylization that evokes memory of the quintessential classic pop standards singers that she gained inspiration from as a girl, while bringing her own contemporary bite - from haughty prowess to fragile vulnerability - into the mix.
Via their own ‘transient’ record label MDM Creations, Amplifico will unleash See Heart, See Muscle into the world on March 3rd 2008, followed by a UK Tour later in the Spring. The album will be available in CD format from www.amplifico.net or digital format from iTunes, 7Digital, Rhapsody, Sony Connect, Napster & eMusic. As a precursor to the album release, the band have recently recorded a free three-track EP entitled Logic Kills the Fire as a thank you to their long-awaiting fans. The EP is now available to download for free after registering at their website, www.amplifico.net.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
email: enquiry@mdmcreations.co.uk tel:
Jemima: on 07789437248
website: www.amplifico.net
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“Ballsy... great track, great band!” RADIO 1

“Donna Maciocia, has simply the most beautiful voice I`ve heard in a long time. She`s almost overwhelmingly talented, in the least affected way.” SKINNY MAGAZINE
"Wonderful - much more interesting than any other Scottish band I've heard this year." ARTS EDITOR, THE SCOTSMAN

"Magni-fico!" THE SUN

“Amplifico are a brilliant band... Donna was amazing… Man, i just adore her voice... I was so glad she was there...Inspiring.” KT TUNSTALL 

"Beautiful vocals and deserves to be bought" THE DAILY RECORD

“A wicked band we've done some magic gigs with them… great songs and donna, well she has a voice to die for.” NIZLOPI

"Gorgeous... smiles not without attitude"
4/5.THE LIST

"A sizzling wonder"
 THE METRO

“Something quite exceptional... it really is impossible not to fall in love with her voice.”
21STCENTURYMUSIC
“She is a star” 
RILEY BRIGGS, ABERFELDY
“Their much discussed album should take the world by storm” IS THIS MUSIC? MAGAZINE
