Alternative ‘Pandi-Band’ Bar Italia Crosses the Ocean to Explore Texas at Secret Group

It was the lock-down that led to the formation of the alternative rock group Bar Italia. “Yeah, we’re a pandi-band,” quips Jezmi Fehmi, a singer and guitarist who first worked with band mate Sam Fenton in a two-man group called Double Virgo. Combining forces with Rome-born lo-fi artist Nina Cristante, the trio has cut four records in as many years, including two well-received albums for Matador, a well-known supporter of hot indie acts. Fehmi continues on the band’s formation: “Yeah, I think when we were starting we definitely weren’t thinking...