Sometimes Christmas and New Year is all about shedding the old, and bringing in the new. With this in mind, as part of our seasonal interview series we introduce a new artist to the music.co.uk family. So please say a big warm welcome to Indie/Rock singer Grace Solero, who with her band is currently making a name for herself on the London music scene.

1.Hi Grace, thank you for taking time out to speak to music.co.uk. What should we all know about you and your music?

Thanks for inviting me. I’m creative and love art in all its forms. I’m fascinated by movement. As a kid I was a gymnast, then I went on to study contemporary dance. My music is a landscape of different moods; the songs are intense whether they are ballads or fast numbers. It’s pretty much autobiographical material, there’s a sense of melancholy, but also a great positive outcome, enhanced through high energy playing, vocals and wide soaring melodies. I would call it passionate and emotional rock.

2.Your bio says you moved to London for music; where do you come from originally, and how would you compare the music scenes in both places?

I come from Italy. I was born on the island of Elba, Tuscany. I was playing music in Rome before moving here. Italy is quite narrow-minded about music that’s not commercial. That makes it hard for artists to express themselves, outside of the usual pop or disco genres. London is a melting pot of different cultures and energies, life and music are much more exciting here than back home. Here there’s more of a chance to share ideas and find like-minded people. I moved to London on my own and met the rest of the band here. We all come from abroad, and came to London for music. Dan (guitar) comes from San Francisco, Bjorn (bass) is from Sweden and Maurizio (drums) is also from Italy. We love it here.

3.Why would your album ‘New Moon’ make a great stocking filler this Christmas?

It’s a genuine labour of love; heartfelt songs that take you on a journey. It’s quite an evocative album with deep lyrics, and maybe Christmas can be a good time to be in touch with your inner self. It’s a bit of an introspective journey.

4.As this is a seasonal interview, what are your views on Christmas music; do you have any favourite Christmas songs or carols, or are you a bit rock and roll for all that?

There are usually some good rock or metal gigs I like to go to over Christmas. But I do have a CD with all the classic Christmas songs sung by Nat King Cole that I usually listen to around Christmas. I also love to go along to Christmas carolling when I have time.

5.Do you have any favourite Christmas traditions that you uphold every year?

There are a few favourite foods that I usually share with family and friends. Most of them are part of the Italian tradition like Pandoro. It’s a tall spaceship shaped cake that we put in the oven to warm up, and enjoy the fragrant aroma spreading throughout the house.

6.Christmas is a great time to drag out the games. What’s your favourite, and who would you like to challenge at it given the chance?

Charades, and I would like to challenge Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam!

7.Do you have any hidden talents/party tricks to impress people with this festive season?

I’m a good dancer, and I can juggle 3 oranges. Is that any good?

8.Do you make New Years Resolutions? If so what will they be for 2010?

I’m not ready for 2010 yet, and I don’t usually make resolutions. I’m a bit of a good witch, so on New Year’s Eve I put my wishes out there, trying to visualize things how I’d like them to happen. On an artistic/work level I’m seeing new exciting collaborations, with various musicians from different backgrounds, with no limitations.

9.If we gave you a blank Christmas Cake to decorate, what would you put on it?

I would cover the cake in dark chocolate, and put real white roses on top.

10.What would you like to achieve next year with your music?

I’d like to share my music with as many people as I can. Given that Dan, the guitarist, is from the US, we would love to play some gigs in America. Also we’d like to start recording songs for the second album. We can’t wait to do that!

11.If you could see your music licensed for anything (advert, type of film, TV program etc) what would it be?

In general my music evokes strong imagery and I could see it matching some movie scenes perfectly. Spirit wise probably something dark and intense. Also TV series such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer would match the suspense of some tracks. When we shot the video for our single “Troops” it proved to be very cinematic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this song was picked up by a movie director. On the other side, songs like Heal Me – the last on our album “New Moon”- is more sensual and could match a love movie.

Finally do you have any festive greetings or messages for the readers who’ll be looking at this interview soon?

Many thanks for reading this interview. I hope you have a chance to listen to the album “New Moon”, and please feel free to get in touch via Myspace or the Website as it’s always a pleasure to hear from fans. My personal message is always do the best you can in life. The best you can is good enough, and always be grateful for what you have. May Christmas bring everyone peace of mind and a warm sense of belonging.

The current Grace Solero album, ‘New Moon’ is available from all good download stores. Grace and her band hope to record their second album in 2010, so look out for details on that and all her other news @ www.myspace.com/gracesolero