Q&A With Upcoming Artist Roméo Testa
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Credit: Tnah Louise
At the young age 19, Roméo Testa has already done what many in the music industry could only dream of. His debut EP "The End" was released last October and re-released on Columbia Records on May 5th, not to mention his song "Light It UP" was used by 7Up in their summer commercial campaign.
Get to know Roméo Testa in our exclusive Q&A with him below:
Q) Your debut EP "The End" just came out last month. What was your process for writing and recording the music off of it?
A) I had close to 3 years to write this EP. I went to London twice and probably did around 100 sessions. I'd go in with producers and writers every week just searching for the right songs. I was really involved in all aspects of writing and production, but what was most important to me was the story that the songs were telling. I got signed to Columbia with my song "The End" when I was 15, and I wanted the EP to reflect on the journey up until this year. I wrote about my relationships, my big brother I lost when I was 9, and about leaving home when I turned 18. So my process was just trying to tell the story of my life.
Q) Where/who do you draw inspiration from for your music?
A) Anything and everything. Love, death, home, everything.
Q) What's your favorite part of being in the entertainment industry? Is there anything you would change?
A) My favorite part of being in entertainment is probably the reach and ability to reach people from every corner of the earth via social media. This same great benefit is also its greatest downfall. Back in the day in the days of Zeppelin or even earlier in the days of Muddy Waters, there was an absence of this magnifying glass that is held over people in entertainment. There were unseen moments in artists' lives that they could still keep close to them. Now it’s all cards on the table, and if you're not the one to show them, then 100 other people will find away to.
Q) What's it like for you, as a newer artist, to already have one of your songs ("Light It Up") in a national broadcast campaign for 7Up?
A) It's incredible man, I have been doing this for a while now and have been very fortunate to receive several opportunities that a lot of newer artists don't often get - but this one takes the cake. I remember I had just gotten off my 9 to 5 when the label called with the news. It was unreal, and a tear or two might have been involved.
Q) For people who don't know who Roméo Testa is, what is one thing you would want them to know about you?
A) This is it. I'm a musician because it's the only thing I am good at and is the only thing I could think of that I'd be doing in my life. The reason I do it is to help people cope with day to day life, because even though I haven’t been alive too long, I know what it's like to work tirelessly to pay rent, to lose someone you love, and to have your heart broken, and I want to provide a remedy for it, happy or sad.
Q) What's next? Any plans for a tour?
A) I hope so! Just waiting for the right one to come along. Until then I'll be doing smaller shows with my band and trying to build up my hometown audience in LA.
For more on Roméo Testa, visit his official Tumblr: http://lightit7up.tumblr.com.