Following on from our reviews of Xavier Toscano’s latest singles, ‘Rain‘, ‘The City Said‘, and ‘Boom Boom (Goes My Heart)‘, we took the opportunity to speak to the man himself.
When and how did you begin your music journey?
I suppose you can say that my music career began when I was 6 years old and I instantly knew that it was what I wanted to do with my life. Ever since then I have always been drawn to music, performing, and fashion.
All three songs, “Boom Boom (Goes My Heart),” “The City Said,” and “Rain,” are a part of a full length project, X Marks The Spot. What does this album mean to you? What is the main message you want to convey to your fans?
This album represents for me, a leveling up. A more grown-up sound from my last project. While still true to my love of pop, I incorporated a more mature sound along with keeping it true to my feel good style. I think in this album I went a little deeper to explore my inner self. Whether it was to express myself about love, inspiration, a good time, or making love.
What part of this project is most special to you?
Making the music videos. That’s when the songs come to life. It is also the hardest part of the process, there is so much more involved. So many pieces and people that have to come together to make it happen, but it is so exciting and energizing to be challenged that way. The only thing better than that is actually performing the songs live.
What was your songwriting process like for these songs? How was it similar or different each time?
I use the music to take me where I need to go. It always starts with a musical idea, then a track, then the lyrics. It goes like this 99% of the time.
What was your favorite part of creating these three music videos? Was there one in particular that resonated most with your album’s overall message?
I think my favourite part was creating music videos for songs that were very different! That was the challenge, that I didn’t have an actual formula. It could be bad as far as branding, but I like the idea that you could watch all three videos in a row and not be bored by saying that they look and sound the same. I want to believe that the album is that same way, that it differs in terms of sound, song by song. That it will keep a listener interested without having a stagnant sound.
Who/what inspires your project(s)?
Pop music is my musical love. I like good hooks, snappy music, and elements of surprise, which is what I think pop music is best in terms of why it is so interesting. A good pop song surprises you and moves in directions that you didn’t quite expect. Whether it does that with clever lyrics or an interesting instrumentation and arrangement.
How did creating these music videos aid in your artistic growth?
I believe that in order to truly grow you must push yourself very hard. Otherwise you’re doing the same things over and over. I pushed myself to my limit in terms of the visuals I wanted, and I took the time to really think hard about costuming, scenes, lighting, etc. I tried to be overly detailed, and I believe that every video taught me something different about my craft. Therein lies the growth.
Can you explain some of your video concepts & how they formed? How has fashion and pop culture impacted your videos?
For “Boom Boom…” and “The City Said”, I knew I wanted to highlight San Francisco, so I did that, while also focusing on my sense of style. I like to think that I have a vibrant, confident, yet classic look as far as fashion goes. I like an urban, industrial, and elegant look, and I feel both of those videos reflect that. For “Rain”, I want to impress upon the viewers that you need to get very lost in your own world, and that’s what you need to do in order to reach your goals.
Are there any favourite memories from your pre-production that made your shoot special?
It is so funny that you ask that. Every song concept seems to seep into the atmosphere of the shoot. It really does! For instance, with “The City Said”, we all had this somber strong attitude, while with “Boom Boom…” we had a blast on set! “Rain” also had a very serious feel to it on set. Since “Boom Boom (Goes My Heart)” was a a fun song, I had such a wonderful time with my dancers. I mean, we laughed and played like little kids. That was awesome!
What new relationships did you develop from this process (if any), and if not, perhaps was there a new relationship formed to yourself? Your music?
I think creating music, especially if you write your own lyrics and you come up with your video concepts, means that you are giving up great parts of yourself for others to have. It really means that you make yourself vulnerable by presenting your baby to the world and you’re gonna hear a lot of opinions about it. Internet criticism has only made me stronger. Of course my relationships with my collaborators gets stronger with each project and the trust deepens. But my relationship with myself has evolved in that I have greater confidence, I see the next new projects as things I can definitely accomplish. That said, I have to push myself even further on the next ones so I don’t feel bored!
Find out more about Xavier Toscano and his music online on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
