Jéssica Falchi is a guitarist and composer who established herself on the international rock and metal scene before embarking on her solo career with the project Falchi . Recognized for her refined technique and striking stage presence, she gained prominence as a member of the death metal band Crypta , touring various regions of the world before deciding to pursue a more personal and creative musical expression.
Now, , Solace this Friday, the 23rd, with singles like “Moonlace” and “Sweetchasm, Pt. 2”, which explore sounds that range between rock, modern metal and progressive influences, always valuing emotion, artistic freedom and Brazilian elements.
In a conversation with Wikimetal , Jéssica Falchi talked about her new phase with her debut EP, shows with Tool , leaving Crypta, and future plans.
Wikimetal: Your new EP marks an important moment in your career, where you said you wanted to reach people who connect with sound in an emotional way. What does an emotional connection with music mean to you?
Jéssica Di Falchi: When I talk about connecting with people, it's because there's a whole aspect behind instrumental music that people directly associate with musicians. It's music for musicians. And when I was thinking, already composing the songs, I thought, 'I don't want it to be music for guitarists, music only for those who play'. There's especially the second single, which is "Sunflare" , for example, which when I showed it to my mother, she liked it. She said, 'this one might be a little noisy, but I like this one a little more'. So the idea was precisely that, to have melodic parts and things that we can keep there. To have memories about the music. But you can't please everyone either.
WM : And what does the EP represent for you?
JF: Actually, I feel like I'm putting out who I really am, what I like. Because each single is very different from the other, and I like many different things. Many different things, and I didn't want it to be an EP with similar songs. I thought, 'I want each song to portray things that I like and that are different from each other.' So there's a song that's super thrash metal, which I really like, there's one that's a bit more modern metal, and another that's a bit more progressive, because I really like progressive things, like Pink Floyd and things like that.
So I wanted it to be like this, I feel it's liberating. I'm playing things that just come to mind and that I want to play, without following a set of rules like 'I need to release something in such and such a style'. Although I can't escape metal, because I'm a metal guitarist and metal just embraces us. So that's it, within this metal, rock and metal universe… The umbrella is huge, there are several subgenres within it, we have many things there to work with.
WM: The latest single features Aaron Marshall from the band Intervals. What was that collaboration like, and what did he bring that was different to the song?
JF : I'm very happy with this collaboration because Aaron is an influence on me. I remember 10 years ago taking a song from his album to my teacher to help me learn it. So, having Aaron participate with us on this next release is a dream. I never imagined, if I told Jessica from 10 years ago, that one day she would release a song with Aaron… Imagine! So I'm very happy. This fourth song is also quite different from the other three. It has a slightly more progressive vibe, it has many different parts, but it has a bit of a Brazilian element. And right in the solo part, a little towards the end of Aaron's solo, he incorporated that. And it was really cool because he joined us, he wanted to participate by doing a double act with us. But at the same time, he added his own characteristics as a guitarist. So it's a mix, it has his personality, but he's also with us in this kind of Brazilian mix. It's very interesting and I'm very happy.
WM: Speaking of Brazilian elements, the single covers featured illustrations of Brazilian animals, which caught a lot of attention. Where did this idea come from, and what is the significance of these animals within the project?
JF: When it came to deciding on the cover and everything else, the songs also have Brazilian elements. I wanted to bring our culture to people. If we have the opportunity to do so, why not? I had this idea of having Brazilian elements and animals on the cover. The first is a maned wolf, the second is a hummingbird, which is another bird from South America. And the third is a crab, which is also very specific to Brazil; it's purple and very handsome. And the idea was kind of… the hummingbird, which is the track "Sunflower," is a more dreamy song, more sunshine-like, so I kind of managed to relate it to the bird, which feels more free. And the first one, which is the maned wolf, which is "Moonlace," in my view, is a little more down-to-earth because it has a chorus that repeats more times and is more square and all that. So I felt that kind of vibe. And also because it came from an idea I had one early morning, so I also connected it to the song title and everything else.
And the third one I thought of because it's a bit more aggressive and also because it has a part in the middle that's very different from the beginning, it has a kind of water element from the crab. In my head it makes a lot of sense. Basically that's it.
WM: You've always made it clear that death metal wasn't really your style, and this EP completely changes that musicality. Musically, how would you define the sound of this work? Was there any change or evolution compared to previous projects?
JF: That's a difficult question, because I can't really relate "Sunflare" to "Sweetchasm, Pt. 2," for example, because they're very different from each other. But I'd fit everything kind of within rock and metal. More or less in that vibe. I don't know if it's an evolution, but for sure, as time goes by, we become more experienced and learn new things and want to try new things. I think we also lose the fear of always wanting to please people. And I think this EP is very much about that, very much me. And it's okay if people don't like it, but that's very true. I don't have that thing anymore… I think with time we become less inhibited.
Metal is very broad, it's difficult to classify. It seems like there's still a lack of classification. There's a lot of history about bands that played thrash and didn't know it was thrash, and it was only named thrash after a certain band came along, and then there's a controversy about which band brought thrash... But anyway, I think that's it, it seems like there's still something missing, there are still subgenres missing.
WM: Do you intend to maintain the instrumental style or do you plan to sing or add vocals to your band at some point?
JF: So, for me, at the moment, it makes a lot of sense to be instrumental, because I come from an instrumental background, I started playing instrumental music, Satriani and things like that. But I don't know, I'll never say. I also like the idea of singing, but at the moment I don't feel ready for that. And I really like the instrumental aspect, because it has great influences for me. As I said, Intervals was a big reference for me, Night Versus… I really like a lot of instrumental things. So, I'll never say never, but for now let's stick with instrumental.
Experience on stage
WM: Are there any plans for a tour or special performances to promote the EP? Can the audience expect any news in that regard?
JF: We have other things scheduled, other things that are coming up for us to schedule as well. I'm very excited about Katatonia , which is a band I really like. And last year we performed at Amplifica Fest, and it kind of confirmed that we really want to play more often and be together on stage, because the vibe with the guys was really cool. And it sealed the deal that we're going to play live. Because composing things and then taking them on the road are very different things. But we definitely want to go on tour and perform live.
WM: You participated in Tool's show here in Brazil, at Lollapalooza . What did that experience represent for you, both professionally and personally?
JF: It was an incredible experience, there's nothing to even describe. I feel like he kind of wanted to show me the day-to-day life of a rockstar. Because before playing, I met them at the hotel and in my innocent mind I thought, 'Will I be in the van with them?' But it wasn't a van, it was an individual car for each of us, with security and things like that, and I felt it wasn't just about playing on the Lollapalooza stage with them. It was about him wanting to give me this experience all day. To show me how things worked and everything else. It just confirmed that this is really what I want. I really like being on stage, and I thought, 'I'm going to play a song with them in front of, I don't know, 80,000 people'. We didn't rehearse, and he told me to do a solo before his solo. So, when the time came, 15 minutes before going on stage, he said: 'Oh, but you could do the backing track for my solo'. And I thought, 'Oh my God, but there are only 15 minutes left before I go on stage. No, it's your moment, go ahead, do your solo.' Then he said, 'No, but that would be really cool, because there will be two guitars on stage.'
I couldn't back down there. I went there, I had to get rid of the hang-ups. And there was the pressure of, besides being on stage, I had just learned a new part to play there. But the moment I got on stage and played three chords, it felt like everything went away. You get that nervous feeling in your stomach and all that, but seconds pass and you feel at home. So, it gave me the certainty that I really love being on stage, I really enjoy playing guitar. That's it, my life is all right.
WM: You never imagined being mentored by Adam Jones, did you?
JF : No! Never! Never! Never!
A career in the Crypta
WM: Crypta was a very important moment in your career, being the first major band you were a part of. When you joined an already established band, what did you expect to be different over time, and what did reality show you?
JF : Actually, I did the first tour with them, and it was a gamble, really, because it wasn't a structured band. They had released an album, but I didn't know where I was going to play, the band didn't know… And it was a gamble on my part, mainly because I had to put my life on hold to join. It was a dedication; I already lived off music, I had my own bands. I had, on average, about 15 people working with me, which was our financial support. And I had to put that on hold. These people wait, even before joining the band. I only did one tour as a substitute, in that case. So it was a gamble I took, and it was a very good experience because it gave me a background in original bands, which I hadn't had before; I used to play covers. It was very interesting to see how things worked, how different it is. But it was a very good experience, and the length of it was good, and now we're going our separate ways.
WM: Do you feel that something was lost along the way during that period, musically or personally, and that you now want to recover it with the band Falchi?
JF: Actually, I think as time went on, I realized I was doing things too automatically. And I like the feeling of challenges and new things, so it was kind of… When I saw that I was going to lose something, I thought, 'no, hold on, let's take a step back here and let me do other things'. That was kind of the thing too, one of the reasons I left the band, kind of to challenge myself and play things that I really like.
And you only understand that things are going in a different direction when you're involved. It's like a relationship, a job. You need to be there to understand if that's really it or not. And I stayed long enough to know. It was good while it lasted, and now I'm going to move on to doing things that make more sense to me.
WM: After this release, what are the next steps? Are there any new songs or projects in development?
JF: I want to release more things this year. I don't know if it will be an EP, a single, but I'll definitely release more. We want to play live more often, do a lot of shows. And there's a lot going to happen this year. A lot! Besides Katatonia, there are more shows to announce, and I'm really excited for this year. A lot is going to happen. It's going to be really cool.
READ ALSO: Bangers Open Air 2026: Meet the national bands that will play at the festival
