a penchant for just the right amount of disorder is woven into chris larocca’s roots. the toronto vocalist and producer’s first exposure to music was through the jazz his father played around his childhood home in woodbridge, ontario, opening his ears to the likes of miles davis and john coltrane. later in his youth, he played in bands with friends, morphing through screaming post-hardcore, electronic-tinged indie, and the unconventional spirit of math rock.

his early solo work earned praise from the likes of zane lowe and the fader, setting him up for his 2023 breakout ep, ‘perhaps!’. it’s the perfect encapsulation of what he wants his music to be filled with – brilliantly compelling, organised chaos. three of its four songs crackle and fizz with digital dynamism, meshing a wealth of ideas and experiments that create cohesive, addictive gems. wondagurl, the grammy-nominated canadian producer, songwriter, and head of wonderchild, the label to which larocca is signed in partnership with red bull records, quickly gave it her seal of approval, instilling new confidence in her second signee.

‘perhaps!’ was followed by a second ep, ‘smile because it happened’ – a collection of forward-thinking creations that pull inspiration from hip-hop to timeless ‘60s pop. together the two records laid the foundation for his debut album, ‘i cried my eyes out,’ designed to give a “bird’s eye view” of larocca working on his craft. the first half encapsulates him feeling “down and out”, ready to quit being an artist and focus on song writing for others (he has worked with the likes of bryson tiller, kali uchis, stray kids, russ).

the album’s title track became the song that convinced larocca to keep pursuing the solo side of his career. “it tied the whole project together, and everything in my life started to make sense,” he says. “it’s like every part of me – it’s soulful, soft and songwriter-y, but then it’s chaotic, loud, live and raw.”

looking ahead, he has simple aims for the role he wants his music to play for people. the album contains themes of growing up, struggling, and letting your family down – things he sees everyone being able to understand. “we’re all in the same boat,” he reasons. “there’s no power dynamics here. if you’re listening to my music, you’re my friend now – i just want people to feel like they’re in my community.”

CHRIS LAROCCA

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