| Bar Italia | |
| Origin: | London, England |
| Years Active: | 2019–present |
| Current Members: |
|
| Website: | https://baritaliaa.com |
Bar Italia, stylized bar italia, are a British indie rock band formed in London in 2019.[1] The band consists of members Nina Cristante (vocals), Sam Fenton (vocals, guitar), and Jezmi Tarik Fehmi (vocals, guitar).[2] Their name is derived from the Soho café Bar Italia.[3]
From 2020 onwards, the band released two albums, one EP and multiple singles through World Music, the record label founded by London musicians Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland.[4] [5]
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.[6] Their 2022 EP CDR was placed at number one on Gorilla vs. Bears list of the best EPs of 2022,[7] and their track "Miracle Crush" was placed at number 13 on Crack's list of the 25 best songs of 2022.[8]
In March 2023, it was announced they had signed with Matador Records.[9] 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.[10] Both albums received "generally favorable" reviews according to rating aggregator Metacritic,[11] [12] with French cultural magazine Les Inrocks placing the two projects collectively at number 10 in their list of the best albums of the year.[13] Allmusic called The Twits a reflection of the group's growth "into an increasingly singular, expressive band",[14] and the record debuted at No. 36 on the UK Albums Chart, the band's highest placement as of 2023.[15]
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.[16]
Nina Cristante has created lo-fi pop music under the alias Nina (stylized NINA), often collaborating with producer and former label mate, Dean Blunt.[17] [18] [19]
Current members
| Year | Album | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Banks" | 2022 | CDR | World Music | |
| "Miracle Crush" | World Music | |||
| "Polly Armour" | self-released | |||
| "Nurse | " | 2023 | Tracey Denim | Matador |
| "Punkt | " | Matador | ||
| "Changer" | Matador | |||
| "My Little Tony" | The Twits | Matador | ||
| "Jelsy" | Matador | |||
| "World's Greatest Emoter" | Matador |