Born Alexander Ryan Hromyk, with quite a unique pronunciation, (Hur-Roe-Mik), San Francisco recording artist Sasha Hromyk was determined to succeed from a young age. Raised in a predominantly Russian-American community, Hromyk began singing early on in school productions and church choirs. He began uploading videos at the age of 14 on YouTube, garnering attention from record labels and television shows alike. His influences range from the classic ’90s which include acts like Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, and Brandy. He was also influenced by the genres of Gospel and European pop/soul, which helped him craft his sound. Many auditions with various television shows which included X-factor USA, and The Voice, shortly followed. Eventually becoming connected with the Nashville music scene - Hromyk released his debut EP "Brighter Paradigm". Blending elements of 90s R&B and West Coast Pop, the 4-track EP was released internationally in 2018.
Sasha Hromyk released his single titled “Tell Me” and his vocal tone is what catches you at instance! The smooth-like serenading melody of the song makes you fall in love with not only the record but Sasha Hromyk as an artist! He sort of reminds me of those soothing vocalists from the golden era of pop music that had the ladies going crazy! You know the heartthrobs like Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Jesse Mccartney, and many more! There’s a gap for a singer like that in today’s music industry, and Sasha Hromyk fits right in! Serving as the missing piece to the puzzle, “Tell Me” blends together the styles of R&B and Pop while staying true to a canorous tune you won’t forget. He even gives rhythmic transitions to keep the song alive, instead of having this dead approach to the romantically driven lyrics. Sasha Hromyk is an artist who we for sure have our eyes on! We know he’s going to do great things in the music game!
Listen to "Tell Me" here and get to know more about Sasha Hromyk below!
We appreciate you for sharing your music with us Sasha Hromyk! Knowing you started pretty young, in what ways has your music improved over the years?
I knew early on I wanted to pursue music professionally. However, I had no connections to the industry growing up. I just knew I wanted to be good enough. So I started singing fairly young and became meticulous about how I sounded. I had a good ear but vocally needed work along the way. I became aggressive about practicing, took lessons, and hit all the wrong notes before hitting the right ones. Eventually I started writing my own poems and poems led to songs. I gathered enough confidence to sing in front of people which led to a greater love of the craft. I uploaded videos to YouTube and started going to auditions. I was signed to a label, dropped by the label, signed to another and dropped by that one as well. This caused me to dig deeper. It all went back to wanting to be good enough. I worked even harder on my vocals and writing until things began to fall into place. I began to write about what I had gone through and worked on transferring the emotion into the performance.
Tell us about your experience auditioning for X-Factor and The Voice! Any beneficial lessons you took from it?
Definitely. I auditioned for X-Factor USA in 2011 during its first season. It was a well-known show in the UK but fairly new in the US at the time. Naturally I thought the chances of making it through were pretty good. The auditions were in Seattle on a weekday so I skipped school and headed down with my dad and best friend. 5000 other hopefuls arrived which actually was a smaller turn out than other cities around the country. My audition song was "Love" by Keyshia Cole. I didn't make it. Not even past the first round. I was devastated. The next day at school I had to announce the rejection to everyone. It hurt for awhile but I eventually picked myself back up and kept going.
With The Voice it was different. I actually had two encounters with the show. The first being in 2015 when I was at a personal low point in life. I had just returned from California after another failed musical attempt and needed some direction. I had signed up for a program called YWAM (Youth With A Mission) and was on my way to Kansas City, MO for a few months. Shortly before I left I was contacted through YouTube asking if I could fly to Los Angeles for an audition. Everything inside of me was screaming to go to LA. It just wasn't the right time and I had to turn it down. I finished YWAM and flew home. I reached out asking them if I could audition now that I was back and they accepted. The audition was at a smaller recording studio just outside Seattle. I thought for sure I'd make it this time. I sang "Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart" by Ariana Grande…and…well…I got rejected again. Just about 90 seconds into the song. I laugh about it now but at the time the rejection stung worse than it did with X-Factor. Two lessons I learned were the following; one - grab their attention instantly, song choice matters. Two; it's ok to fail. No one is perfect and we all mess up. There will be other chances. Keep learning and growing, don't give up. Eventually better opportunities will arise.
Knowing you’re influenced by many old school vocal greats, it’s quite noticeable in your timeless voice! If you could have collaborate with ONE of your influences, who would you choose and why!?
Such a great and difficult question. If I had to choose one artist to collaborate with it would be Brandy. Her albums have been reference points for me vocally. Specifically "Never Say Never" and "Full Moon". I've been a fan of hers since I was a small child and believe her vocal ability to be unmatched. Her runs, riffs, melismas, and timbre or tone are incredible and can only be accomplished through years of training and hard work, along with natural talent. Truth be told though if I had the opportunity to collaborate with her I'd probably be in complete awe the entire time. Possibly unable to get sound out of my mouth.
Your song “Tell Me” was lovely! What was the theme behind it? How did you find inspiration to write this!?
Thank you very much. It's great to have the music appreciated and valued. "Tell Me" was a carefully crafted song that began to take life over a year ago. I was contacted by my friend, fellow artist, and co-writer Jordan Marcotte of SECONDCHANCE who said he had a hook in mind. I gave it a listen and felt an immediate connection. It was a song of questions, needing direction, and wanting to be reassured. The idea began to take on a hybrid form. In other words I wanted the song to be considered two ways. It could be asking a love interest or it could be dialoguing with God. For me it was both. We took references from some of the most classic 90s R&B ballads. I've always loved artists like TLC, Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, and Maxwell. Their sound provided sustenance for Tell Me. We brought along another friend and writer Lauren Scott who added fresh air to the lyrics and melody. The three of us spent months writing until we felt we had a great finished product. It was produced by Judah Earl who understood the vibe and intention of the song without us having to explain much. We drew from personal experience and shared emotion. It's a song I hope many of us can relate with or find ourselves in.
What’s next for you Sasha Hromyk!?
There is so much planned for this next phase of my life. In addition to promoting the single I will be spending time in Hollywood learning and cultivating my place in this crazy industry. I'm excited to be heading down there as it’s a place I've felt called to for a long time. I am also currently in talks to translate the song into Spanish which would see me heading out to Nashville for a minute. I would love to do a Russian version as well in the near future. Other than that I'm continuing to write and create for future projects.
Connect with Sasha Hromyk:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sashahromyk/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesashahromyk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sashahromyk