(Photo Credit: Mattias Russo-Larsson)
Hey Christian! So excited to be chatting with you! Your new single “time of our lives” was highly anticipated by your fans. How excited are you that it’s finally out?
I wrote this song the day after I wrote ‘bright side of the moon’ and have been DYING to release it since that day. This record came together in a really special way where everything just clicked and the song was pretty much finished the day we started it. I wrote it with some of my favorite people as well – Dru Decaro, Imad Royal, and Sam Fischer, which makes the song that much more special. I’ve listened to this song so many times and can’t believe that people are just now going to be listening to it for the first time!
Can you tell us the backstory of this song? Is it from a real experience?
The inspiration behind “time of our lives” comes from both my personal experience and from what I’ve seen my friends and others experience. It’s really easy to get comfortable and slip into these cycles of doing the same things every day, where you start to lose your excitement and drive to keep experiencing new things. The longer I spend in these cycles, the harder it is to get out of and the worse I feel.
This song is meant to inspire breaking out of these cycles and taking back control of your life – having intention with everything you do and finding an opportunity for growth in every situation. Oftentimes we have tunnel vision to reach an end goal and we’re so focused on getting there that we don’t enjoy the ride along the way.
I need to constantly remind myself to “look up” while I’m working towards the artist and person I want to be because if I’m always hard on myself, always working, and don’t enjoy my life along the way, then what’s the point? Being aware of the endless beauty and opportunity that life has to offer is one of the hardest but most rewarding things to keep in mind.
Tell us about the concept of the music video – we love it!
The “time of our lives” music video is meant to show the contrast of a life full of freedom, awareness, and optimism vs. a life with no hope of change that revolves around the same things every day. The open California desert is used to symbolize the practically endless possibilities that life has to offer, while showing the beauty of it all at the same time. Here the character is running around, dancing & feeling like himself.
The scene in the house shows a more gray, solemn tone to is to characterize a monotonous lifestyle. The main character is slumped on a couch and seems bored and tired while the roommates are shown to be almost “robotic”, which is meant to symbolize how society has shaped them to be exactly like everyone else.
Overall, this video is meant to inspire finding purpose in your own life, and to continuously grow and try new things vs. getting comfortable, giving up, and going through the motions to get through the day.
You’re going back out on tour next month. What do you want your fans to take away from your music and live shows?
The main goal of this tour (and for all tours to come) is to just have as much fun as possible with it – I want my shows to be a place where everyone can let go of whatever is weighing them down, and for that night, I want their life to be filled with pure excitement and joy. My music covers a wide range of emotions, and I feel that seeing each song live brings a whole different level of connection to what each song means. I think it’s really cool that each fan has their own way of interpreting the lyrics and feelings from each song into their own lives, and there’s nothing I love more than talking with them about it before and after shows.
What are your release plans for 2020? Can you spill any details on what your supporters can look forward to? Maybe an EP?
Music should be coming consistently for the next few months 🙂 By summer, we hope to have another EP out, and then will for sure be releasing more music before the year is done.
Along with that, I’m getting to tour throughout the year and play college shows and some festivals that I’m REALLY excited about this summer! In my opinion, festivals are one of the most exciting things about music, and it feels so cool to be on the other side of things and performing at them now.
What’s one word you would use to describe what your fans have allowed you to accomplish
GROWTH – as both an artist and a person. The past few years, I’ve learned more about myself than ever before because I’ve been introduced to so many new things. I’ve read books, listened to podcasts, and have been part of conversations that have changed my life and given me the inspiration to write music in a way that I feel has had a positive impact on my fans. Whether it’s talking to them through DM’s or at meet & greet, I’m constantly blown away at the stories my fans tell me about how my music has given them a new perspective and helped them navigate life. It’s extremely humbling to hear how expressing my personal growth has helped with the growth of others and it only makes me want to dig deeper and write more.
Is there anyone in the music business you are dying to meet?
I’ve been dying to meet John Mayer pretty much my whole life. My parents always had him playing when I was growing up, and he has continued to have huge influence on my music and the musician I’ve become.
I really love his writing, composition, and overall way of thinking. He’s a person who’s very in-tune with what’s going on around him, and I really care about what he has to say. I look up to him and really hope to one day meet or work with him.
Someone that I’ve more recently been really fascinated with is Kevin Parker— the guy behind Tame Impala. He does everything from write the lyrics, play all of instruments, and mix the song. And the music is AMAZING. I’ve been diving into Tame Impala’s music a lot lately, and every time I listen, I feel like I’ve learned something new. It would be a dream to learn from him.
Why do you think social media is so important for artists like yourself?
Social media has allowed for a new level of connection between artists and fans. It used to be that music artists were more mysterious and hidden characters (besides through paparazzi or news), but now it’s easy to see exactly what an artist is doing and even talk to them via social media. Being able to respond to my fan’s DM’s every day has made it feel like I have a friendship with every one of them.
Along with that, social media is the fastest way for music to spread. If someone hears my music and likes it, within seconds, they can look me up and find out more about me. It’s really insane to think about the world of music before social media – everything is so much different now.
Any last things you want to tell your supporters?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Failure is part of getting better at ANYTHING, and before you become really good at something, you have to go through a lot of trial and error to get there— but I promise you, the journey is so fun and exciting. Constant failure is the only thing that’s allowed for continuous growth in both my career and life. Try your best, correct your mistakes, and move forward – that’s all you can do 🙂
