For nearly two decades, The Last Vinci have carved out their own path, building a reputation for raw honesty, uncompromising independence, and deeply emotional alt-rock. But with their new album, 15 Minutes at a Time, frontman Alex has created something even more personal. Born from the life-changing experience of being diagnosed with a chronic illness, the record is a testament to resilience, family, and learning to embrace the present one moment at a time. We caught up with Alex to talk about the stories behind the album, the support that carried him through its darkest moments, the band’s evolution, and why the simple phrase “15 minutes at a time” has become a philosophy for life.

15 Minutes At A Time is such a powerful title. Can you tell us the story behind it and what those words mean to you today?

*15 Minutes at a Time* is about me getting diagnosed with a chronic disease three years ago and believing that my life was over. Writing these songs became my therapy and helped me get through what was probably the most difficult period of my life.
“We’ll take it 15 minutes at a time” was the advice my wife, Luisa, gave me. Together with my six kids, she supported me every step of the way and helped me start looking at life differently. That was the moment everything began to change.
Those words have never left me. They have become a constant mantra in my life, and they still guide me today. I’m fortunate that I manage my condition really well, but that also makes it easy to slip back into old habits. That’s why *15 Minutes at a Time* is always with me, reminding me to slow down whenever I feel like I’m losing the plot.

You describe this album as your most personal work yet. Was it difficult to be so open in your songwriting?

Actually, it wasn’t. I honestly don’t know how to write any differently. Sometimes I feel like I might be too open about what I mean, but I don’t think I could do it any other way.The hardest part is singing these songs. Because they’re so direct and honest, I get emotional every time, remembering where I was and how I felt when I wrote those lines.This album truly helped me get through the darkest time of my life without losing my mind. I’m definitely this album’s biggest fan.

Was there one song on the album that was particularly emotional or challenging to finish?

“Moon Lullaby.” In particular because of the number of people involved in bringing the song to life, and because I got to sing it with my daughter, Anna, who did an incredible job on it. That made the whole experience incredibly emotional.

What do you hope listeners take away from 15 Minutes At A Time?

I truly hope this album helps people embrace the idea of living 15 Minutes at a Time, just as it has helped me. It taught me to focus on today instead of worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Our time here is temporary, and life is an incredible gift that can change in an instant. We often forget how fortunate we are, and this simple mantra has reminded me to appreciate what I have every single day.

How important was the support of your family, especially your six children, during this period?

It was, and still is, the reason I’m here, doing everything I do today. On the day of my diagnosis, I came home after hours of difficult tests at the hospital completely broken. My daughter Anna, who was only eight years old at the time, quietly took my hand, led me to the couch, climbed up beside me, wrapped her arms around me, and whispered in my ear, “We’ll get through this together.” I broke down in tears. For the first time, I felt like it wasn’t me holding my children anymore, it was my children holding me. It’s a moment I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Did your songwriting process change while making this record compared to previous albums?

Totally. This Album was almost totally written by me, with just some collaborations on drums by my drummer Brasko. Our previous “Revolution is made Together” work was more a collaborative work between me and Brasko during the Covid break were we put more hands together on the songs, including Brasko writing some lyrics as well.  “15 minutes at a time” is 100% my work and most of the music literally arrived to me as gift and didn’t required so much production work to complete the songs. 

Looking back to your 2014 debut, how do you think The Last Vinci have evolved as musicians and as people?

Musically the project evolved so much, also thanks to the influence of bands like Bicurious, CLT DRP and from gigging around Europe, but in particular in the UK. Being on those stages, night after night, really reshaped the way we think about sound, energy and performance.

And you know Marty, it’s also thanks to you why we are doing what we are doing in the way we are doing it. You’ve been so inspirational at every level, and your gigs and A‑tota‑so have been reshaping the way we approach music today more than you probably realise.

In terms of meaning and message I don’t think The Last Vinci changed that much. I’ve always talked about living for today and about love, I was just, for sure, less aware of the importance and weight that message actually carries.

This whole journey has been a constant reminder of why we started in the first place, and it keeps pushing us to stay honest with what we create, every single time we write or step on stage.

Building The Narrow Studio during the pandemic was a huge step. How important has having your own creative space been to the band’s growth?

Oh man, the Narrow Studio is so important. It gave us the ability to work on our music constantly. it’s a pure gift. It’s for sure responsible on the TLV’s  artistic evolution.

You’ve remained fiercely independent throughout your career. Why is that independence so important to The Last Vinci?

I wouldn’t say fiercely. Mainly we never met someone with enough vision for a project or able to do more of what we are already doing with Narrow Door Records. I honestly can’t wait to find someone able to help growing the project but here it’s not just about money, it’s about having the same vision of the project. I’ve been locked into a major label contract for years in the past and working with people with money and no vision is the worst that can happen to a band. So fiercely independent till we don’t find the right people for sure.

If you could send one message to someone currently facing their own battle, what would it be?

Think about what you’re grateful for. You’ll be surprised how much different, and lighter, the struggles you’re going through will feel when you do.

Don’t be afraid. Just take it 15 minutes at a time.

You’ll be alright.

What’s something fans might be surprised to learn about the making of this album?

While we were recording the album, we were adopted by a cat. His name is TAC.

He started showing up at our house, and at one point during the recording, he insisted on coming inside. From that moment on, TAC has been living with us ever since.

Finally, after everything this record represents, what does “taking it 15 minutes at a time” mean to you now?

It means everything and now really feels wrong to live in a different way.