LOUD HOUND is the solo project of East Coast songwriter/ producer Tommy Florio. With influences spanning across all genres and eras, LOUD HOUND’s sound is not easy to pin down, yet his lo-fi guitar sound and lyrical topics seem to be the common denominator. His music carries a weight, a sense of longing and isolation, stemming from never staying in one place for too long. Raised in the desert, the musician moved all around the east coast as a kid, until eventually landing on an isolated island in New Jersey… for now.
With influences ranging from Beck, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, Oasis and Gorillaz, LOUD HOUND pulls elements from his vast catalogue of musical idols, combining it with his own distinct style to create a sound that is true to his own. Love, relationships, past life and his coping mechanisms for depression are all underlying themes throughout his songwriting, resulting in brutally honest, heartfelt and relatable releases that each and everyone of us can recognize. The artist explains, “My music has revealed a lot about myself and I’ve realized that I’m not who I always think I am and I, just like anyone else will always have something to work on to better myself.”
His latest release “Melancholy Boy” is an authentic and candid song narrating the singer’s struggles with depression and anxiety. He confides, “The song is kind of like an ode to myself being a sad boy and the indecisiveness that comes with incompatible love that is blinded by infatuation.” Inspired by the in-between period people go through in relationships when they are past the honeymoon phase, “Melancholy Boy” is about falling in love with the idea of someone, rather than who they are. LOUD HOUND admits, “I don’t know maybe it’s just me and the relationships I’ve had, but basically I really loved this girl and our relationship was awesome in the honeymoon period and then after life started settling in and we really got to know each other we just weren’t really compatible. And every time we would break up, see other people, ignore each other for months and then get back together and I would eventually realize that I’m running in circles and I don’t really love her and I love the girl who I thought she was. And I think because of my depression and anxiety problems I often blamed myself.” A truly identifiable story, “Melancholy Boy” is an accurate representation of a modern day love story.
“Melancholy Boy” features drums and mixing by Ricky Berotti (Hoax, Future Generations) and was mastering by Paul Gold (Grizzly Bear, LCD Soundsystem, Animal Collective). The upbeat, move-inducing track is the perfect summer anthem, showcasing distorted guitars and twinkling synths. It’s feel-good sonic soundscapes act as a juxtaposition to it’s somber lyrics.
LOUD HOUND has seen success with his music topping the iTunes charts, as well as having been picked up by various tastemakers and curators, including Spotify official playlists. Last year alone he accumulated 1.5 million streams between Spotify and Youtube. With the hope to continue providing listeners with encouragement to trust yourself, not to give up on the things or people you love and that anything in life is possible with a willing heart, LOUD HOUND is a first-hand example that dreams are never worth giving up on. Showing no signs of slowing down and with plenty of more releases slated for all of 2020, LOUD HOUND is an artist on the rise.