ABOUt
Ten years ago António Mão de Ferro released his first album, Karma Train, his career that’s encompassed three more albums, several singles, a slew of soundtrack compilations and arresting live performances fronting a variety of ensembles.
António Mão de Ferro is still having fun all these years later — and with his fourth album, LUNATIC, maybe more fun than ever.
“Fun is a trite word. I kind of hate to use it — but at the same time, I don’t know how else to say it,” António Mão de Ferro says of the 10-song set, which was produced by him and recorded at his studio in Oporto. “It was just an enjoyable process. These songs reflect just my joy of songwriting, what I enjoy about writing songs. they feel free to me. I didn’t have to go searching around through cupboards to find the missing pieces; all the puzzle bits would just sort of burst to life in front of me. I just grabbed them and pieced them together and then would be surprised at what was in front of me”
“It’s an experience unlike any other I’ve had making a record, and I cannot forget all the support given by my friend Bernardo Fesch on lyrics” and thanks to Kiko on lyrics on “On the Road”.
LUNATIC indeed bursts with a spirited and a rocking, technicolor-tinged energy that’s different from its four predecessors. The title track and first single is a grooving, Nuggets-style burst of neo-psychedelia in which António´s high register sounds hoarse with pleasure over the explosive power.
LUANTIC´s epic, from its martial cadence to its airy ambience and lush keyboard textures.
“I know I was hearing certain different instrumentation — a sharper sound, a broader sound,” explains António, who for the first time ever put together detailedfully-rendered.
Coming off the success of 2010′s KARMA TRAIN’, António´s returned to his home ready to get to work on what would come next. His work ethic had been honed since his earliest days as a songwriter.
“I think that was sort of a turning point. I just kind of turned off the inner critic and got out of my own way and started making music.”
António Mão de Ferro began breaking some of his established rules, too. Rather than slavishly finishing off whatever he started, he allowed himself to be open to the muses that took him on tangents or in entirely new directions.
“The whole record was written that way. It was playful and really wonderful. It felt the way it feels in the beginning, when you’re first writing songs. They’re not precious in any way. It’s just a joyful, emotional truth, not like anything that’s being dredged up.
António is now looking forward to giving LUNATIC’s songs an airing on stage. He’s put together a new band, and he anticipates a new wrinkle for his performances as well. “They give me a chance to play more electric guitar, which I love to do,” LaMontagne says. “But I’ve always had such good players on stage. I’m a Lucky Man!”
António began his career performing mainly rock, but gradually began a transition towards the blues genre in 1996, after this period until 2003 he recognise his style by collaborating with renowned blues artists such Minnemann Blues Band, Jerrel Lamar, Mable John (Ray Charles), Zakyia hooker and more.
António Gaspar Mão de Ferro, is a Portuguese pop and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer from Oporto, Portugal, born June 25 of 1976.
Very early, he discovered is passion for music, specially for electric guitar! He learned how to play guitar with his father and later on he became an autodidact. His father played in a well-known Portuguese band from the 60´s, the Tártaros.
Since the very beginning of his professional career, Antonio has been playing with several blues, rock and pop artists:
- Minnemann Blues Band
- Jerrel Lamar
- Mable John (Ray Charles)
- Zackya Hoocker
- Ollan Christopher Bell
- Airto Moreira
- Rui Veloso
- GNR
He has been referred on the English magazine Modern Guitars, by Tom Watson saying that “…“I especially enjoyed Ironhand’s use of the Talk Box effect on a couple of numbers. Added much to the heartfelt quality of his solos”…”
At 22 he joined Portuguese super pop group GNR, with whom recorded 3 albums and toured Portugal and Europe. In addition to the performances on TV gala´s, nationals and internationals festivals, he played in 2006 Rock in Rio”.
António Mão de Ferro’s music is absolutely heterogeneous, as if it gathered the colors of the world and combined them in the shape of songs.
António Mão de Ferro connects his perfect Blues technique, to the simplicity of a POP song format, where words and sounds are highlighted according to the wishes of the song.
Solo Albums:
Karma Train (2010)
Somewhere (2015)
António Mão de Ferro (2017)
Lunatic (2019)