Simone Vignola (Avellino, 16.09.1987) is an Italian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
After early experience with the dark-rock band Inseedia, in 2008 he begins the solo career.
The same year he won the international competition “EuroBassContest 2008“, within the Euro Bass Day event in Verona, drawing the attention of the European electric-bass scene.
In 2009 he reaches the first record deal with the Dutch Schoots Records with the release of the single “Love Song” containing three tracks exclusively for digital download. “Love Song” was officially presented at the European BassDay 2009 at the Festhalle of Viersen (Germany) where Vignola performs solo at the opening of “Richard Bona Group“. It ‘also a guest at the “Euro Bass Day 2009” where he opened the concert for “Scott Kinsey Group” as “last edition’s winner”.
The video for “Love Song” draws the interest of the worldwide bass-scene and of some of the major brands of musical instruments like TC Electronic, TC Helicon, Windmill, and Essential Harvest Sound, for which he becomes an endorser and demonstrator.
In 2010 he begins the promotion of the “Love Song” EP with the show “Live-Solo-Set“: Simone creates the bases with bass, acoustic guitar and drum machines recorded through the use of a loop-station and then performs his songs playing bass and singing. In July he releases “Going to the Next Level“, Vignola’s first work. The album contains 13 tracks including “Love Song”, in English, written, arranged and performed entirely by the artist. The CD is presented at Kulturfabrik Krefeld (Germany) at the European BassDay 2010.
The interest grows also looking at the live side of Vignola’s project and his virtuoso use of loop station which serves the electric bass. At AmsterBASS, an event held at the Conservatorim van Amsterdam (The Netherlands), the Italian bass player is called upon to present the subjects of his Masterclass “The Art of Looping“.
In December Simone wins the “BOSS Loop Contest Italy” winning access to the finals of the “BOSS Loop Station Championship 2010” World Championship organized by “Roland/BOSS“, held in Anaheim (CA, USA) during the NAMM Show 2011.
In March 2011 King Records publishes the Japanese edition of “Going to the Next Level” which contains a bonus track, booklet with biography, lyrics and translations. In December 2012 he appears between 10 bass players of the year recommended by “Bass Magazine Japan” earning the cover of the well-known monthly
During the same year he is chosen by the booking agency “Barley Arts” as the official opening act of the English band “Level 42” Italian Tour 2011.
In 2012 he moved to Rome and partecipates the “Sanremo Social” contest with a song in Italian called “Rossa d’amore”, with a more romantic mood. The same year he placed 2nd at the festival “Arezzo Wave Lazio”. The following summer Simone starts the recordings of “Sulla Luna“, the second work of Vignola, this time sung in Italian, with a more intimate mood, and more science fiction. The album is released by RBL Music Italia, record label based in Roma at the Piper Club, distribuited by Egea Music (physics) and Ossigeno (digital). In the same period he is the opening act to Caparezza at Giovinazzo Rock Festival 2012.
That same year the lutherie “M2 Guitars” produces the “B5 Simone Vignola Signature Model“.
In May 2013 Barley Arts invites him again for the opening of the Italian tour of “Jutty Ranx“, U.S. band with months in the first place in the standings in Italian.
In 2014 he signed with “Black Lemon Records“, German label (Augsburg) for which he will release his third album “Life Is A Video Game“, fully written, arranged and produced by Vignola. In this work he plays with his quartet, guest of the album Fabrizio Bosso with a solo trumpet in “Passion vs. Regression”. The first single is “Down and Lonely“, a melodic and exciting pop song that gets good rotation on traditional German radio stations. “Life Is A Video Game” and “Moving Around Myself” are the next single extracts, whose remixes enter the “German DJ Chart 2014”.
In April, the important German channel “BassTheWorld” exclusively releases a live video of “Love Song”, an innovative Loop-Session created by Simone himself along with the Italian drummer Corrado d’Amato.
The same year, Simone became an endorser for Orange Amplification, a legendary British amplification brand, featuring in the official catalog, fairs and websites.
In 2015, he publishes “Somewhere” for Areasonica Records, label from Bologna, an album that is very close to the pop of the 1980’s. Also this album is entirely handled by the artist, from writing to arrangement, from performance to mix. The three single extracts are “You Already Know“, “The Time Flows” and “I’ll Be Yours Forever“. “The Time Flows” video is presented live with the solo-show “Bass & Live-Looping” at #NuovoMEI 2015 on November 2nd in Faenza.
In 2016 he publishes “Sul cesso“, broadcasted by more than 200 Italian radio stations.
On December 23th, 2016, he released the single “Mi sento meglio” for Top Records, label from Milan. In March 2017 Vignola was selected by MTV as “Just Discovered” Artist of the Week with the video of “Mi sento meglio”, becoming part of the showcase of MTV New Generation.
In July 2017 Vignola’s fifth album entitled “Vivere e basta” is released for Top Records. The two singles taken from the album are “Dopo una notte passata con te” and “Voglio tornare ad amare“.
In 2018, after a successful campaign on Musicraiser, he released his new album “Naufrago“.
In 2019 he participates at Blind Auditions of the television program “The Voice Of Italy“.
On Dicember 13th, 2019, he releases the single “Galileo” for CDF Records reching over 250.000 views on YouTube.
After about a year, on January 22nd, he releases the EP “OltrePop” on CDF Records throught the radio launch of the song “Guardo la Luna”.
Between April and May of the same year he releases two brand new singles, “Not the Last” and “Tunnels and Streets”.
Press – About Simone Vignola
“Vignola is not the imitation of anyone, but represents a real and original project that shows a different approach to the sound of bass and a different musical direction than Kagerou Imazawa and Mark King. Vignola naturally catalyzes the bass sound and harmonies in his songs. These skills make him a true and unique talent.” (Jazz Life – Japan)
“Simone Vignola is incredibly talented. […] Bass players in particular should check this out (and I’m one of those) because this guy is very talented in terms of that instrument. Of course, the fact that he does just about everything else here is an added bonus. The disc is always listenable and should appeal to a wide range of music fans.” (Music Street Journal – USA)
“Simone’s mastery is to do not “paste sounds” in the voice as it often happens in electronic productions but he can integrate everything with the right effects so that the result of mastering is a complete artwork, a true concept that travels dreams.” (ExitWell)
“The first impression that you have when listening to this fourth, fully played and produced work, baptized “Somewhere” is to have an album dating back to 1984 or 1996, from which you can extract countless beach strikes. Unlike from what has just been said, however, we are not talking about a disc that survives a season and then being neglected. It’s a risky disc, where Simone’s constant is trying: aspire to pop by keeping the technique and quality of the executions high.” (Rockit)
“His first record work is a positive surprise. A twenty-four-year bassist who creates an exquisitely funky musical product embellished with highly effective electronic hieroglyphs. […] But it is his bass to make it master, orchestrating soundtracks ranging from Fusion to the purest Dance.” (Il Fatto Quotidiano)
“Those who love and especially those who play electric bass should not miss this new album by Simone Vignola, an extraordinary polyistrumentist from Avellino that shows a certain familiarity even with guitar, percussion and electronics, but that at the four ropes expresses an unusual technique.” (Rockerilla)
“Debut album for Simone Vignola, who wrote, arranged and produced the record, playing almost all the instruments. […] A kind little Italian “Prince”? “Going to the next level” is easy, danceable and humble pop work, with good ideas, which can concretise many facets of modern electronic music.” (OndaRock – 10 piccoli italiani)
“His disk has a strong idea: the centrality of the loop, which expands like a theory of concentric circles. Vignola starts from bass cells and develops his rock-funk, often adhering to Fusion and House, playing with a loop station that allows it to overlay layers on layers without losing the goal of fast-paced melody.” (Ritmi)
“Simone Vignola is a boy of twenty-three coming from Avellino. His passion for music let him become a great multi-instrumentalist, especially with regard to electric bass. Slap technique like his one, objectively, is rare.” (Loud Vision)
“One of those people who will make the fortune of alternative music for the next few decades. Artists like him are always well received.” (CaffèNews)
“Another good thing, and it’s no small thing, is that in all tracks there is a clear impression of the artist’s imprinting, so the songs, even though each one has quite clear links, never taste “already heard”, a factor that in an electronics-oriented work is decisive in deciding its modernity.” (L’isola che non c’era)
“A self-made-man, Simone Vignola welcomes us with a smile already from the cover of the disc. […] It is really a pleasure to listen to these songs, all potential singles and easy to place on the international market. Perfect pronuntiation, good voice and a groove that enters your brain.” (Saltinaria)
“Simone Vignola, on the other hand, had the right intuition, excellence, excitement and courage to throw soul and body into a whole, unique and interesting project. Very young, 1987 class, Simone is an exceptional bass player.” (Anderground)–
