Biography
Italian singer-songwriters Federica Caiozzo and Giampaolo Speziale formed the lo-fi alternative duo Malihini in 2015 after their romantic partnership began. Drawing sonic parallels to the xx, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and José González, the pair unveiled their first EP, Lose Everything, in 2017 and sharpened their craft before issuing their debut album, Hopefully, Again, in early 2019.
Before uniting as Malihini, each pursued separate paths. Rome-native Speziale combined acting with film composition, while Sicilian-Polish Caiozzo recorded and performed under the name Thony, appearing in films including Tutti i santi giorni (2012) and releasing the solo albums With the Green in My Mouth (2010) and Birds (2012). The two first crossed paths in 2015 when Speziale gave a lift to hitchhiking Caiozzo; they reconnected months later at a concert, igniting a rapid romance that soon evolved into a shared musical project. Adopting the name Malihini—the Hawaiian term for “newcomers”—they wrote their earliest material during a road trip spanning Italy, Germany, and Poland.
After signing with Memphis Industries in 2016, they released their debut single, the quirky psych-pop track “Waiting,” followed by additional songs that appeared on the September 2017 EP Lose Everything. Enlisting producer Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Ghostpoet) and drummer Alberto Paone, Caiozzo and Speziale crafted their first full-length effort. Hopefully, Again emerged as a sensual and gauzy collection that reflected their refined songwriting and multi-instrumentalist skills on numbers such as “Delusional Boy” and “A House on a Boat.”
Before uniting as Malihini, each pursued separate paths. Rome-native Speziale combined acting with film composition, while Sicilian-Polish Caiozzo recorded and performed under the name Thony, appearing in films including Tutti i santi giorni (2012) and releasing the solo albums With the Green in My Mouth (2010) and Birds (2012). The two first crossed paths in 2015 when Speziale gave a lift to hitchhiking Caiozzo; they reconnected months later at a concert, igniting a rapid romance that soon evolved into a shared musical project. Adopting the name Malihini—the Hawaiian term for “newcomers”—they wrote their earliest material during a road trip spanning Italy, Germany, and Poland.
After signing with Memphis Industries in 2016, they released their debut single, the quirky psych-pop track “Waiting,” followed by additional songs that appeared on the September 2017 EP Lose Everything. Enlisting producer Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Ghostpoet) and drummer Alberto Paone, Caiozzo and Speziale crafted their first full-length effort. Hopefully, Again emerged as a sensual and gauzy collection that reflected their refined songwriting and multi-instrumentalist skills on numbers such as “Delusional Boy” and “A House on a Boat.”
Albums
Singles
