Originally from Brazil, now based in Italy, Selton has slowly become not only one of my favorite bands but also one of the most interesting ones to follow. And a lot of that has to do with their ability to blend so many genres (and languages, since they sing in Portuguese, Italian, English, and Spanish) together and create their own style without sounding fabricated or unoriginal.
photo: Mario Zanaria
Even though you could easily classify them as an indie/pop-rock act, they are so much more than that. With 4 studio albums on their baggage, and a new one coming this year, it’s truly joyful to whiteness their evolution as a band. If you’ve never heard of them, a good introduction may the song “Loreto Paradiso”, the opening track of the 2016 album by the same name. It’s an ultra-fun and short song that captures a lot of the diversity in their style. A few of my other favorite songs include “Across The Sea”, “You’re Good”, “Cemitério de Elefante”, “Sampleando Devendra”, and “De Volta Para o Futuro”. I love how you can catch a glimpse of influences in their sound, from bands like old-schoolers The Beatles and The Beach Boys to more modern acts like Vampire Weekend. And to think that my first introduction to their music was while I was photographing them live in Brazil many years ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and what an amazing surprise it was!