Exogen

Exogen comprises three Italian residents devoted to crafting roots-oriented acoustic rock and roll. One of the founding members, Marco William Duranti, entered the world in London, England, during 1963 and has called England, Italy, and Canada home at different stages. While living in Canada he pursued formal studies at Toronto’s Conservatory; he first built his reputation as a classical guitarist, composer, and longtime music instructor. Within the trio he regards himself as the resident diplomat, always ready to tackle obstacles. At eighteen he abandoned singing after growing weary of constant comparisons to Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, though maturity later taught him that any resemblance mattered less than listeners simply paying attention to his work. The other original partner, Francesco Zarrillo, was born in Benevento, a modest town near Naples, Italy, yet spent most of his life in Cotona outside Florence, devoting countless hours to guitar study. That sustained focus supplies the band’s signature soulful delivery, while his shifting moods—ranging from buoyant to melancholy—surface directly in his playing. Like his bandmates, Zarrillo hopes to bring Exogen’s music before American audiences. The latest arrival, Alessio Giustini, was born in Arezzo near Florence; he mastered both jazz and classical guitar idioms and serves the group as its resident technical expert. Exogen formally launched in 1998 and has steadily sharpened its cohesion. The members chose to channel their efforts exclusively into acoustic guitar-driven rock and roll with vocals, accepting the constraints this path imposes yet trusting that strong songwriting and committed acoustic execution would draw notice. Rejecting the local pub circuit, they invested six months of intensive labor and personal expense to complete their debut album, Mind Directions, entirely within a home studio setup. The resulting blend of three acoustic guitars and carefully balanced vocals produced the ensemble’s distinctive rich timbre. Reviewers have likened the sound to Pink Floyd and the Beatles on one hand and to Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola, and John McLaughlin on the other, suggesting that such breadth, paired with the group’s singular voice, positions Exogen for wider international recognition.