Recently releasing his collection of songs on the EP, 'Handshake,' the singer-songwriter and acoustic artist Christian Tropiano shares a passionate story with the EP's intro track entitled "Shadows."
Growing up in a musical household, Christian Tropiano was constantly surrounded by various genres and sounds. After picking up his guitar at the age of six and writing songs well into his early teens, Christian Tropiano later found himself in the midst of his solo music career.
Highlighting the mellow intro track "Shadows" off of the EP 'Handshake,' Christian Tropiano offers us similar sounds and approaches to John Mayer, conveying his genuine emotions with help from the glimmering acoustic guitar. Pouring his heart out on this piece, we highly encourage our readers to familiarize themselves with the soothing stylings of Christian Tropiano.
Listening to "Shadows," we're met with a mid-tempo and jazzy drum breakdown alongside plucky electric guitars, offering a groovy and mellow vibe. Christian Tropiano enters the song and begins telling the illuminating story of new love and realizing the power of certain connections. While singing his soothing melodies for us to savor, the accompanying instrumentals slowly expand into this well-rounded and jazzy space.
The highlight of this track has to be Christian Tropiano's delicate delivery alongside his poetic and passionate lyricism; he genuinely reminds us of the power and purity that true love embodies. Reaching the end of this soothing song, Christian Tropiano leaves us wanting to explore the rest of his EP after experiencing such a heartfelt and conceptual piece like "Shadows."
Experience Christian Tropiano's pure emotion through his latest EP, 'Handshake,' and find yourself in awe of his heartfelt intro track, "Shadows," available on all digital streaming platforms.
We adore the pure passion and love you've infused into your single, "Shadows." Was there a particular moment that inspired you to create an ode to healthy relationships with this piece?
I had rewritten "Shadows" a few times before landing on what you hear on the record. I knew the music would lend itself well to a story about meeting someone new. Coincidentally, I did meet someone new while I was working out lyrics during my final month of university. I had just woken up from one of those bittersweet naps where you fall asleep with the sun up, and wake up after dark. I picked up the guitar and the lyrics and melody just flowed This song just wouldn’t let me write it until I lived the story I wanted to tell. That being said, I think it was worth the wait.
Seeing as "Shadows" offers incredibly passionate and optimistic lyricism, was the songwriting aspect of the song easier to tackle? What was your songwriting process like?
"Shadows" was the most fun song on Handshake to write and record. There’s optimism peppered throughout the EP, but all of ‘’Shadows’’ is a celebration of finding new love, so every writing and recording session was immediately rewarding. I find that lately, some songs – and especially social media – glorify toxic relationships. It’s so common to encounter lyrics and memes that justify being a bad partner as long as you are rich, attractive, etc. Sometimes those lyrics are seemingly harmless or even funny, but I think it’s easy for people to unconsciously normalize those attitudes. There’s a time and place for that kind of expression, but with "Shadows," it’s all about celebrating something new and healthy, and approaching it that way made the songwriting process really smooth.
Were you accompanied by any other musicians or producers to help create the instrumentals for "Shadows?” Or did you record each instrumental yourself?
Incredibly talented musicians helped me record ‘’Shadows’’. My high school friend Jerritt Craig plays bass on the record. I had recorded bass parts for a demo of Shadows, and he totally elevated what I played while staying true to the vision for the song. I had played bass on all the other songs on Handshake, but Shadows was such a rhythm-driver song and I alone could not have achieved what Jerritt contributed. Raul Abreu played drums on all the tracks on ‘’Handshake’’, and he truly brought the songs to life. Calling him an amazing drummer would be a massive understatement. I’ve played with him live and watched him in the studio, and I’m always mesmerized by his playing. Having both Jerritt and Raul play together on ‘’Shadows’’ gave the record so much personality.
Why did you want "Shadows" to open your EP ‘Handshake?’ How does the song prepare us for the tracks to follow?
I love albums that start with a bang. On ‘’Handshake’’, the songs are intentionally distinct from each other, and because ‘’Shadows’’ is the most energetic, it made the most sense for it to start the EP. Sequencing – for both albums and live setlists – has always been important to me, and I’m always paying attention to how artists organize their albums and shows. It was really great to get to do that for my own songs, and it became its own challenge since I explore different genres throughout the EP. ‘’Shadows’’ sets a groovy tone for the listener, only for "Try out for Heaven’’ to play next and change the vibe. Every subsequent song has something else to offer, but I arranged them in a way that (I hope) makes for a cohesive listening experience. It’s a much more comprehensive experience to listen to ‘’Handshake’’ from start to finish than to play individual songs.
What can we expect to see throughout the year from you?
I’m going to write, and write, then write some more. I’m obsessed with honing my craft and can’t wait to see what songs are a result of that effort this year. I’ll likely release singles that lean into the pop and dance aspects of ‘’Shadows’’ while being more up-tempo. That being said, I listen to and write all kinds of music so I’m just as excited to see what comes next as anyone else. The best way for listeners to keep up with me is by following me on streaming services and my social media channels.