Donna Maciocia (that’s Ma-cho-cha) is a young Scottish singer/songwriter in her mid-twenties with Italian roots, the frontperson and driving force behind Scottish band Amplifico. With a stunningly unique voice inspired by the bygone-era queens of pop standards, she styles Amplifico's quirky pop theater on her piano & guitar, writing songs about everything from infatuation & addiction, to Rachmaninov, murder, finding her muse, night clubs and science. Donna's musical ambitions developed at an early age through love affairs with the fantastical soundtracks to her favourite movies (think Labyrinth, Wizard of Oz, Beetlejuice), and idolising stars like Michael Jackson, Judy Garland & Stevie Wonder. She had an obsessive taste in music which lead her to study every little nuance in her favourite singers' voices. "Jane Horrocks' character in Little Voice was just like me as a kid" recalls Donna.
Firmly in Amplifico’s wings are Donna's co-writers and two best mates from school (Balwearie High in Fife), Dave Brunton and Ross Kilgour on drums and guitar, respectively. "We were about 14 or 15 when we met and I joined their high school band 'Coffee' as keyboardist. We've since played together on and off for over 10 years and have managed to create this amazing, magical, psychic thing when we get in a music room together. Sometimes it actually gives me goosebumps," grins Donna. These new musical accomplices opened her eyes wide to the wonders of artists like Radiohead, Nirvana, Massive Attack, The Prodigy and Bjork as a teenager. Her financially struggling parents could not afford to indulge her need of musical equipment for playing in her first band with Dave & Ross, so she borrowed her granny's credit card to kit herself out with her first proper synths, FX units & amp. "To pay off the bill, I had 4 jobs and school to juggle. At one point my friends used to joke that if I had any spare time I'd get another job!"
"Wonderful - much more interesting than any other Scottish band I've heard this year." THE SCOTSMAN
"Donna was amazing… Man, i just adore her voice. Having her open for us in Camden & Liverpool, i was so glad she was there… Inspiring." KT TUNSTALL
"A wicked band we've done some magic gigs with them… great songs and donna, well she has a voice to die for." NIZLOPI
"Gorgeous... smiles not without attitude"
4/5, THE LIST