Santino Salvadore – All Roads Lead to Bondi

By Alasdair McClintock on March 9, 2022 in Arts

Expressing himself through music. Photo: Mazzi Films

They say, “All roads lead to Rome”, but that’s not the case anymore; they now lead to Bondi. Local musician Santino Salvadore knows that better than most. Having grown up in Sicily and then moving to Scotland before coming to Bondi, his journey is remarkably common for those who now call the Eastern Suburbs home.
With him, he brought his guitar and a bagful of songs. His music evokes everything from the pop of Paolo Nutini to tracks that wouldn’t be out of place in an old school skate video. Throughout it all though, you can hear Santino’s unique style and energy.
Santino says of his sound, “I’d say it has quite a mix of influences – it’s a blend of indie-pop with rock, blues and soulful ballads. I love to have live and raw instruments, both on my records and while performing, although lately I have also been experimenting with sampled drums and synths.”
“I grew up listening to Italian pop-rock and singer-songwriters … story-tellers. I then fell in love with, in my opinion, the most incredible artist of all time, Bob Dylan. As long as there was an acoustic guitar shown in a video clip, or coming through the radio, I was immediately drawn to it.”
Santino often performs solo, but you can also catch him with a full band, The 24hrs To Wonderland, featuring other local musicians, Piergiorgio Mazzi on drums, Nathan Gatt on bass and guitarist Karl Mardon. Restrictions allowing, you’ll be able to catch them live for the launch of Santino’s new single, ‘What A Frustration’, at MoshPit Bar in Newtown, on the 24th of March. The single itself will be out a week earlier on the 18th, giving you a chance to learn the words and sing along.
Every Tuesday, he also hosts an open mic night at Bar 34 in Bondi, where any singer-songwriter can get up and perform after getting in touch with him – if you’re just starting out and are keen to play, give him a shout!
He explained, “I play music because, for me, it is the best tool to express what I’ve got inside of me. I remember that I started playing guitar because I wanted to write songs, and so I did! Music has always been there for me, in my bright moments and in the dark ones.”
He’s certainly come a long way since his very first live performance at a pop-up bar during the opening week of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2015. “They were offering one drink every three songs, and I thought that it was an amazing deal,” Santino laughed.
To keep up to date with Santino, check out his website www.santinosalvadore.com, or give him a follow on Instagram at @santinosalvadoremusic.