AltaVia formed in 2008 in a small town in northern Italy, when after leaving his former band, Andrea Stagni (keyboards and vocals) started searching for new musicians. Davide, local musician and friend, introduced him to Marcello Bellina (drums, vocals), Mauro Monti (guitars, vocals) and Giuliano Vandelli (bass), who accidentally were looking for a keyboard player for a new project. That just seemed to be a perfect match for everyone. After the first rehearsals sessions, they realized that even though they all came from different musical backgrounds, they were all eager to head in the same new direction. Backing vocalist Betty Copeta joined the band after a few months.

Everyone's peculiar expertise was brought to the table, making AltaVia's sound a curious mixture of classic rock, old-style prog and pop. Two years later they had already managed to write 10 songs that they decided were worth putting on a record. Debut album “Girt Dog” was recorded entirely in Andrea Stagni’s homestudio.

www.altaviamusic.com/a>