Rob Moratti, best known as singer with Saga, Final Frontier, Rage Of Angels and his solo career expands on his singing career and what the future holds with regard to new music and live gigs.
Who were your influences in the early days and have you always wanted to be a singer in a band?
Being brought up in the 70's and 80's I had many influences where singers meant everything in Rock bands. From Brad Delp of Boston to Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw of Styx. From Steve Perry of Journey to Fergie Frederiksen of Toto. From Jimi Jamison of Survivor to Mickey Thomas of Starship. From Freddie Mercury of Queen to Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. From Ronnie James Dio to Geoff Tate of Queensryche. From Ian Gillan of Deep Purple to Rick Emmett of Triumph. I was fortunate to have grown up in these times and that there's a bit of everyone within me.
Yes, I always wanted to be a singer in a band. Even when I couldn't really hold a note as a kid knew I wanted it, lol! The feeling I would get when listening to the great ones, I knew I wanted to be inspiring as well to the next generation.
Apart from the bands we know about have you ever auditioned for the vocal spot in any other notable bands?
Funny thing is Yes. There was another notable band that reached out to me but asked me to be very discreet and so I respectfully won't mention the band name. I get it, I understand.
Your last album ‘Epical’ was sensational, do you have you any plans to release another solo album in the near future?
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I'm currently back in the studio finishing up my next solo record. It will be released later this year sometime by Frontiers Music srl.
I have Felix Borg on drums once again, I have Tony Franklin on Bass and I have Joel Hoekstra on guitars again as well. It's gonna be by far my very best one!!
Some vocalists are on strict dietary regimes or gargle with special liquids. How have you kept your voice in tip-top shape all these years?
There are many things that do help and I've been there done most of it over the years too. The main things I do nowadays is stay hydrated, drink a lot of water, get a lot of rest at night and I stay active at the gym. Alcohol and drug free works for me. Warm up with scales for at least 15 minutes before I start recording. When you feel better, everything sound better.
Do you still get the same buzz out of singing live as you did in the past?
Always! It feels great to be performing still and when people are out there to see me all I want to do is let them leave a lasting impression. A good one I hope, lol!
You were previously a member of Final Frontier who released a series of excellent albums but it’s been nearly twenty years since the last one. Is there a possibility of recording a new album with them?
Thank you so much. Final Frontier had something special and the chemistry we had will forever be remembered. I won't say yes and I won't so no because over the years stranger things have happened. Unfortunately, nothing is in the works and I think about it from time to time, but you never know.
Again, another band, Rage Of Angels produced two excellent Hard Rock albums but none since. Any plans to release more material?
Rage Of Angels was a great experience for me as I had the pleasure of working with Ged Rylands who is the founder of ROA. I had the pleasure of singing the complete album "The Devils New Tricks". He is the only one who can truly answer this one. The timing and chemistry was great! There was magic!
Are there any musicians that you have not worked with, but would like to in the future?
There will always be a good handful of great musicians I would love to work with like
Steve Lukather of Toto and Neal Schon of Journey but I'm still very grateful for all the one's I have had the pleasure of working with over the years and still continue to work with. It's been quite a ride!
Have you or would you consider producing other bands?
Maybe someday if I ever retire as an artist. It's hard to tell. It takes me a lot of time and energy to keep myself creative for my own production and to take on another band I'm afraid it would affect me as an artist, so I try not to get involved with anything other than my own.
What do you get up to on your downtime from music?
Downtime, There is no downtime, lol! I keep myself busy writing and recording all the time and as long as I have the passion to keep producing world class records, there's no reason for me to slow down.
My downtime is my family, I have a wife and two young boys that keep me young. It's all for them now. The next generation!
With the live circuit back up and running, is there a possibility of seeing you perform in the UK again?
I would truly love to make my way out in the UK. Hopefully, a mini tour in Europe will
find me back there soon. Yes, it's very possible!
Do you have anything else in the pipeline at the moment that you can share?
Expect a new solo album number 7 to come out later this year. You can visit me at robmoratti.net, social media platforms for updates of release dates and tours.
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