SANREMO 2026 - RAG DOLLS represent the underdogs to light a spark

Rag-dolls-2026-pp-02

Le Bambole di Pezza enters among the Bigs of the Sanremo Festival with “Resta con me”, a power ballad that does not sweeten their rock lexicon but concentrates it in a more exposed, almost confessional writing.

A song that talks about cohesion in moments of fracture and that translates into popular form what the band has been practicing for years in the clubs: sisterhood, sound played, physical presence.

We met them to understand what it means to bring that energy to a symbolic stage like the Ariston, without giving in to the temptation of domestication.

THE INTERVIEW

“Stay with me”: how was it born and what does it represent for you?

It was born from the desire to take a lateral step compared to what we had always brought. We wanted a song that had all five, one collective voice. It's about sisterhood, about staying together when everything falters. It is a theme that has always belonged to us, but here it has become explicit, almost manifest.
It started from a demo, as often happens. Then we saw it transform week after week, tailoring each instrument to the text. It was an organic process.

From a sound point of view it is a ballad, but it remains profoundly yours. How important is playing to you?

Very much. For us the band is an organism. Each instrument is real, recorded, experienced. Real drums, bass, guitars. In an era where everything can be generated by software, we choose the effort and breath of rock being played.
“Stay with me” has a different intimacy than our angrier songs, but since the first album we have alternated fury and romanticism. They are two faces of the same identity. And live, even a ballad becomes visceral.

For those discovering you now: what are your influences?

Kaj: I come from the alternative 80s. Diamanda Galás, Laurie Anderson, Nina Hagen. Female figures capable of crossing genres.

Xina: I grew up among alternative rock and soul, with a love for more vintage roots, even from the fifties.

Morgana Blue: The first record I bought was Use Your Illusion by Guns N' Roses. Then Jeff Buckley, Ben Harper. Hardness and delicacy must coexist.

Cleo: I come from the extreme underground: deathcore, black metal. There I learned radicalism.

Dani: Punk, garage, grunge, Riot grrrl. The alternative as a necessary language.

You rearranged the cover with Cristina D'Avena in a more rock key. What was it like working with her?

We kept the playful dimension, but pushed it towards a rougher pop punk. There's a surprise on stage, something that will make everything even more rock.

With her it was natural. She is an impeccable professional and welcomed our energy without filters.

Can the Festival change you?

We were born on the club stage, and we will always return there. In April the tour starts from Milan, to the Fabrique, then Rome to the Atlantic and other cities.
Our new album will be released on March 27th and it is a rock album, without compromises.

Sanremo is a powerful experience, but it won't rewrite our DNA.

The first time on the Ariston: what did you feel?

Awareness. Represent something. For some of us it was also a family redemption. Seeing a woman play on that stage, years ago, was a positive shock. Today, being there for us means giving back that image to the girls who watch.

What if you had to quote one of “your” symbolic songs?

“We are women”. Because it holds everything together: identity, struggle, affection, anger. It is the line that connects the past to this Sanremo present.

What does the new album contain? What is the red thread?

The thread is love, but expressed in an unconventional way. Love for yourself, for those around you, for those who are no longer here, for the person you were and for the person you will become. It's not a corny feeling, it's an identifying force.

The record is very rock, played, physical. There is also the theme of diversity, which runs through our entire history. The rock family has always been a lateral, non-standardised community. We reclaim that posture.

Do you think that rock is marginal in the Italian scene today?

In the Seventies, Italian rock had a disruptive force, capable of communicating even with foreign countries. Today it seems more secluded, at least in mainstream circuits. But the passion hasn't disappeared, it's moved.
If we can be a spark to rekindle curiosity in the younger ones, then our move to Sanremo will make sense. Not as a consecration, but as a trigger.

Before you spoke about a personal desire linked to this stage…

Yes. For some of us it is also a family, generational redemption. Going up there means closing a circle and opening another. Not just for us, but for those who will watch from home and think: I can do it too.

THE TOUR

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SANREMO 2026 – RAG DOLLS represent the underdogs to light a spark