The Provincials – SICK: the album that waited for the right moment

After fifteen years of apparent silence, SICK does not sound like a record rescued from the past. It sounds like an album that is finally ready to exist. Recorded in 2011 and released only today, the new work by The Provincials arrives with the strength of music that has had time to mature, settle, and find its true form.

Twelve tracks, forty minutes of listening, a raw, eclectic and direct rock record that avoids shortcuts and easy nostalgia. SICK hits straight to the chest, without filters, offering a sincere and layered musical vision firmly rooted in the present.

From rehearsal rooms to the long time of music

The story of The Provincials revolves around Rosario Memoli, a self‑taught musician, composer and producer from Cava de’ Tirreni. A drummer before becoming a guitarist, Rosario grew up between improvised rehearsals, home demos and an instinctive musical education shaped by listening and experimentation.

After early bands and a long low‑fi exploratory phase, the project that would become Provolone Records and later The Provincials was born in 2001. A constantly evolving band, capable of moving freely between rock’n’roll, alternative, psychedelia and pop, always with a strong focus on songwriting.

Over the years, the band shared the stage with key names from the Italian and international independent scene, releasing the album Provolone Records in 2013. At the same time, back in 2011, SICK was already taking shape.

SICK: an album out of time (in the best possible way)

Recorded in 2011, SICK remained locked in a drawer for years. Not due to a lack of ideas, but because of missing conditions: funding, connections, time. A familiar story for many independent bands, especially when everyday life takes over.

Those years, however, were not wasted. They were years of maturation. Today, SICK sounds aware, focused and surprisingly current.

The twelve tracks move naturally across different genres and atmospheres: essential rock, alternative turns, psych instrumentals and melodic openings. Guitars, bass, drums and vocals are central, enriched by piano, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals and controlled noise elements.

The new mix by Francesco Tedesco gave new life to the original recordings engineered by Lucio Auciello, allowing the album to finally express its full potential.

A sincere sound, without mediation

SICK rejects the idea of polished perfection. It is rough, sometimes jagged, but always authentic. It does not chase trends or try to force itself into a scene.

As Rosario Memoli himself explains, making music in an independent, non‑professional dimension can feel almost pathological: a form of dependency, a vital necessity. SICK is born from this urgency, from a personal vision carried forward with stubborn dedication, even at the cost of slowing down, stopping, and starting again.

NZIRIA review

An album that feels genuinely new, despite the long years spent in a drawer — years that allowed the sound and vision to fully mature. SICK delivers an eclectic and raw rock approach that goes straight to the heart, without filters or unnecessary layers. A new beginning for The Provincials: we hope for international tour dates, because this record deserves to be experienced live. The impact will undoubtedly be powerful and emotional.

The Provincials today

With the release of SICK, The Provincials return as a three‑piece: Rosario Memoli (vocals and guitar), Luciano Evangelista (bass) and Mario Villani (drums). A band ready to bring this album back to the stage, where its expressive strength can find a new dimension.

*SICK is now available on digital platforms and on vinyl.