Forty Winks

Forty Winks originated in Bologna, Italy, where the quartet coalesced in 1998 around vocalist and guitarist Sandro Amabili, guitarist and vocalist Andrea Cristallini, bassist Roberto Muzzioli, and drummer Francesco Salomone. The band quickly built a devoted regional audience, and its independently circulated 1999 demo moved five hundred copies before receiving a subsequent local reissue. Following an extensive European tour, the group returned home to cut its first full-length, the 2002 End Records release To the Lonely Hearts. Critics and listeners on both sides of the Atlantic responded favorably to the quartet’s fusion of aggression and melody. In 2003 the band inked a deal with Wynona Records, after which its EP Sweet Sweet Frenzy sold out its pressing and was subsequently licensed to international imprints. Continued roadwork across Europe and Japan, encompassing festival appearances and support dates for blink-182’s Italian run, helped expand the group’s following. Forty Winks issued its self-titled album in 2005 and promptly resumed touring.