Interview Cayne

After years of silence, Cayne return with “Outcast,” igniting a powerful new chapter. In this interview, they reflect on identity, resilience, evolution, and the creative fire driving their next era.

1.After several years of silence, what inspired Cayne to return now with “Outcast,” and how did this track naturally become the starting point of a new era?

We never really stopped writing music, even during the years of silence. There was always something growing in the background.

“Outcast” was actually the song that sparked everything again — it became the starting point of a new creative process and the foundation for what will become our next album.

Inspiration, for us, comes from everywhere and keeps evolving every day. It can come from discovering new music, reading books or comics, watching the news, but most of all from reflecting on our own life experiences.

At this stage in life, I believe you should never stop learning, questioning yourself, and trying to understand what happens to you — whether it’s something positive or something difficult.

All of that naturally flows into our music, and “Outcast” is the perfect representation of that mindset and this new chapter for the band.

2. “Outcast” carries strong themes of alienation and resilience—how personal are these ideas to the band, and what message do you hope listeners take from the song?

When I wrote the lyrics, everything started from the title. “Outcast” was just a word I had written down in a notebook where I collect ideas to develop. From there, it opened up something very personal.

I realized how often I’ve felt like an outsider, misunderstood, even judged as “weird” just because of certain behaviors or the way I see things.

But over time, I’ve come to see that as a gift. Being able to look at the world from a different perspective, and to embrace that diversity, makes you freer and more authentic.

Then I realized something else — there are so many of us. Way more than we think. The problem is that many people don’t realize it, so they feel alone… and they stay alone.

This song is for all of us. It’s a way to stand up, to scream it out loud, to be proud of who we are. We are outcasts — and we’ll fight until the very end.

3. Your sound has always balanced heaviness with melody and atmosphere. How has your musical approach evolved since Beyond The Scars in 2018?

We’ve always loved melody… and we definitely love heaviness too — oh yeah!

As we’ve grown, our music has naturally evolved with us. Our influences have changed, the music we listen to is different, and even our approach in the studio has matured.

On a personal level, about three years ago I decided to go back to taking vocal lessons because I wanted to explore new techniques. I started learning screaming and growl vocals — and honestly, at almost 50, I never thought I’d be able to do it. But I did.

Being able to bring those new elements into Cayne’s sound, blending them with our melodic and atmospheric side, has been incredibly exciting. It feels like we’ve added a new layer to our “magic recipe.”

And you’ll be able to hear it very soon.

4. The electric violin remains a defining element of Cayne’s identity—how do you approach integrating it into a modern alternative metal framework without it feeling gimmicky?

Giovanni Lanfranchi is our “number 10,” to use a football comparison — he’s the one who makes every Cayne song truly special. Both in the studio and especially live, he’s what makes us stand out and become memorable, even in the middle of a metal festival lineup.

We don’t really have a fixed or “standard” approach when it comes to integrating the violin. In many cases, songs are actually born from Giovanni himself, since he’s also our keyboard player. Then, through the work we do in the studio together with Diego Minach — our guitarist and producer — we shape the arrangements, deciding where the violin fits best or where a solo can elevate the track. Those solos, in particular, have become a signature element of our sound.

There’s no denying it — and we’ve seen it over more than 20 years — the sound of a violin immediately captures the listener and connects on a deep emotional level… sometimes even more than a great vocal.

5. Hugo Ribeiro of Moonspell contributed drums to “Outcast.” How did this collaboration come about, and what did he bring to the track’s overall energy?

We’re all huge fans of Moonspell. We love their sound and the way they’ve evolved from the ’90s until today — they’ve been a constant source of inspiration for us.

Right when we were about to finalize “Outcast,” we found ourselves without a drummer. We didn’t want to put things on hold, so we thought: why not collaborate with someone who could bring something truly special and make the track even more unique?

That’s how we got to Hugo Ribeiro. We reached out to him, and after listening to the song, he was immediately on board.

He’s an incredible musician and a great person, and he brought a powerful, dynamic energy to the track that really elevated it. We definitely hope to work together again in the future — or maybe even open for Moonspell on tour… that would be amazing!

6. Having roots connected to Lacuna Coil, how important was it for Cayne to carve out a completely distinct identity over the years?

Lacuna Coil are our friends, and they’re the most internationally successful Italian metal band. They’ve built an incredible career and they continue to be a source of inspiration for us.

Cayne was born from that connection, but with a very different vision in terms of sound and identity. From the very beginning, we felt the need to carve our own path.

Even through the many lineup changes we’ve had since our first album Old Faded Pictures in 2001, there’s always been a common thread running through our music — something that defines Cayne and keeps us distinct from Lacuna Coil.

They’ve supported us in many ways over the years: taking us on tour with them, collaborating with us — like on “Through the Ashes” with Andrea Ferro — and always showing us friendship and respect.

We’ll always be grateful for that.

Long live Lacuna Coil.

7. You’ve gone through significant challenges, including lineup changes and personal loss. How have those experiences shaped the emotional depth of your music today?

We’ve been through a lot — many changes, a lot of disappointment, bitterness, and real pain. But all of that has helped us maintain a constant focus on our music, even if that journey has stretched over the years. There’s still a kind of sacred fire inside us that never went out.

We also owe that to the people who have been part of this journey with us — and especially to those who are no longer here. Claudio Leo has never been forgotten, and he never will be.

Our 2018 album Beyond the Scars was deeply connected to that loss. It told the story of the wounds and scars we carried after his passing, along with some very personal struggles, especially mine.

Now we feel like we’re entering a new phase. We’re ready to move forward with a renewed vision and new music. “Outcast” is leading the way — it’s setting the tone for our new artistic and musical direction.

8. Your latest EP Exuvia stripped back your sound to something more intimate—did that process influence the direction and intensity of “Outcast”?

We’ve always loved acoustic arrangements, and Exuvia was actually conceived as a bridge between our past and what was coming next. We felt the need to release something before “Outcast,” to bring attention back to the band and reconnect with our audience, and the idea of an acoustic EP just felt right to everyone.

Then I kind of pushed the whole band to record a cover of The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood — it was something I had wanted to do for years. I always felt that song could fit perfectly with Cayne’s sound and emotional approach. In the end, they went along with it… and we all ended up loving it. It really became part of our universe, and we’re very proud of it. It also gave us some great feedback and satisfaction.

That said, “Outcast” and the other new songs were already written before we started working on Exuvia, so it didn’t directly influence the direction of the new material. It was more of a transitional moment — a way to reconnect before opening the next chapter.

9. The chorus of “Outcast” feels very anthemic and designed for live crowds. How important is that connection with the audience when writing new material?

That chorus made us realize right away that it would be a bomb live. We have a couple of shows coming up in May, and we can’t wait to find out if we were right.

The track will be released on April 8th as an official video on YouTube, and the day after on all streaming platforms. So by May, we really hope a lot of people will already know it and be able to sing it along with me.

When we write music, we don’t immediately think about the audience or try to create something specifically for live shows. But it has happened that we developed certain songs with arrangements or sections designed to be powerful and engaging on stage — not just for us, but for the crowd as well.

That connection is fundamental. It’s what people expect when they come to a rock or metal show… and we make sure to give them exactly that.

10. With over 25 years of history, how do you balance honoring Cayne’s legacy while still pushing forward creatively?

Creativity comes from the constant exchange between the four of us — we’re always sharing ideas, drafts, demos, or even just titles. Sometimes I’m the one pushing the others, asking for a specific kind of track because I already have a lyrical idea in mind that I want to develop.

This dynamic has never faded over the years, and I think it’s still the fuel that keeps Cayne’s engine running at full speed.

We don’t set limits for ourselves. Every idea is explored, and only later do we decide whether it truly belongs in the Cayne repertoire or not. That kind of freedom naturally leads to higher quality, because we’re not confined within a single musical box

11. Can you give us a glimpse into the upcoming album planned for late 2026? What themes or sonic directions can fans expect beyond “Outcast”?

The album is a journey through the ruins and rebirth of the human soul. It’s not a linear story, but rather a gallery of emotional monuments, where each song stands like a column supporting the weight of existence.

Everything begins with “Outcast.” The central figure is the outsider — the one who lives on the edges of society. But there’s no sadness in it. There’s pride — the pride of someone who chooses not to belong to a world that doesn’t understand them. That feeling runs like blood through the entire album: the strength of being different, yet never truly alone.

From there, the themes expand into justice, fragility, redemption, and legacy. It almost feels like a concept album, even though we didn’t plan it that way. While writing the music and lyrics, this incredibly strong common thread just naturally revealed itself.

On a sonic level, you can expect a lot of variety — different styles, tempos, and arrangement choices, even within the same song. We really had fun with it, and we didn’t set any limits.

Having a producer like Diego “in-house,” with his studio always available, definitely helped us push every idea to the maximum level and fully explore our creativity.

We honestly can’t wait to release all the songs. The plan is to drop a new track roughly every eight weeks, starting with “Outcast,” which will be released on April 8th as an official video on YouTube, and on April 9th across all streaming platforms.

A lot of activities will follow around each release, all managed directly by us, since at the moment we’re not working with a new record label.

12. Finally, what does being an “outcast” mean to Cayne today, both as musicians and as individuals navigating the modern music world?

For us, being an “outcast” means being proud and staying true to who we are.

We’ve never given up. Even during the quiet years, we kept carrying forward our vision and our music. We weren’t exactly helped by circumstances — there were moments that could have brought many bands or people to their knees — but we always found the strength to keep going and to believe in one thing above all: good music.

Today, we’re also aware that this alone is not enough anymore. That’s why we’ve decided to push our music further and reach more people, especially by working on social media. It’s an огромous showcase with incredible potential, but it’s something you need to study, understand, and approach strategically… and yes, you also need to invest in it.

We’ve just started on that path, but we truly believe in the strength of our catalog — both past and present. We’re not in a rush. We know our value, and we’re confident that great things are ahead for us.

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