Herba Mate

The band Herba Mate was born in late 2001 and is formed by Alessandro Trerè (bass and vocals), Andrea Barlotti (guitar) and Ermes Piancastelli (drums), three friends who grew up in the same street in Castel Bolognese (RA - Italy) and, after several common musical experiences, decided to form this band whose name is taken from the tisane, most of Argentineans are addicted to.

The early years (2002 and 2003) represent a period of apprenticeship and sound research: in the meantime, the first live performances and the first rock competitions, as Cover Festival Faenza, Faenza Rock and Frogstock, take place. At the end of 2004 the first songs are born, some of them are then collected and recorded in a self-produced EP called "A desert section", released in April 2005.

In July 2005, the video for one of these songs, "Desert Inn Part I", saw the light: self-produced by guitarist Andrew Barlotti, the video has participated in several contests in Italy, even ranking third among newcomers in Videofreccia 2005 and getting consent among critics. In March 2006 the band participated to Romagna Cover Festival competition, held at the Naima Club in Forli - Italy, ranking first. In the following years Herba Mate has played in various concerts (Festival della Libertà di Zocca, Frogstock, Riot Fest, Rivolution Fest, etc.) and shared the stage with artists of great calibre (Fu Manchu, Damo Suzuki, Pontiak, La Crus, John De Leo, Pay, Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti).

In September 2008 the band entered the studio for recording "The jellyfish is dead and the hurricane is coming". The new album has been presented on 9th of August 2009 in the seaside resort Hana-bi in Marina di Ravenna - Italy. Herba Mate’s music is a multicolored psychedelic-based rock, which leans on a carpet of low frequencies. The sound is "physical" and it brings the listener straight to desert and rocky landscapes, where sun, multiple dimensions and long distances dominate. The music wins over the voice, which gets lost and confused between the notes, until it definitely fades away. The musical influences are clear, and lead straight to the desert / stoner rock genre, whose leading bands are Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age and Fu Manchu.