Artist Spotlight: Meet KRISTOPHER
What was the creative process like for this particular "I Don't Want to Fall in Love?"
The song originally started as a very simple two-chord guitar song. When I started sharing it with people I got consistent feedback that it might have some pop potential if I could expand on the hook. Pop is a really versatile genre to me so I had a lot of fun experimenting with some producers on the mix. We ended up using some pretty unique samples in this song like breaking glass or recordings of us slapping and tapping a table. At a certain point, it almost started writing itself because every creative idea flowed into the next until we had something solid.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "I Don't Want to Fall in Love?"
Expanding on the hook was difficult at first. I really had to get the timing right as far as the lyrics go and I needed more chords to break up the monotony of the verses. I think that the biggest help was changing the tempo because the song used to be much slower. Once we quickened it up a little bit the hook was easier to alter.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
Definitely the painting, specifically when I got to paint with my hands. It’s such a weird feeling intentionally making a mess so I had to focus on letting those inhibitions go and to not really care about how much paint I got everywhere.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
I think it’s important to not be afraid of doing what feels right even if it’s overdone or not done at all. If experiences make up us what we are then every musical experience I can have can only serve to help me understand and evolve my creativity.
Is there a specific song that holds a particularly special meaning to you? Can you share the story behind it?
“Cage With No Key” is probably the song most special to me. I’ve been dealing with my mental health since childhood and music has always been one of those things capable of grounding me or letting me gain perspective. I wrote “Cage With No Key” as a more personal anthem that many people I know could relate to. It took forever to write but once I had the melody and the piano, all the other artistic choices like the harmonies and vocalizations came rather effortlessly. The song means so much to me bc it’s incredibly vulnerable and I was honestly a bit scared to release it. I’m very proud of it and how much it has seemed to impact people since.
