MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Veteran sessionist, producer, and Carousel Casualties drummer Ryan Pineda is charting his own path in the music industry with the release of his debut single, “Everybody.”
Pineda, performing as Saint Cooper, dropped the alt-rock track on February 7. The song fuses the sound of early Arctic Monkeys with funk basslines, resulting in a catchy, head-bopping tune that reflects the irony of situationships today.
“I always wanted to write a song that just has some sort of power to make everyone lose themselves, dance, and feel as if they were the main character, having the time of their lives in their own 2000s Rom-Com movie,” Pineda reveals, as he goes behind-the-scenes of the making of the track. “Lyrically…I just wanted to have a bit of fun. It’s just a general observation of modern relationships and how everyone nowadays seems detached and unsure of themselves when it comes to commitment.”
Saint Cooper marks Pineda’s first-ever foray into being a solo artist, with him working on all aspects of the song — from writing the lyrics, playing all the instruments, to producing the track. Aside from his work with fan-favorite indie band Carousel Casualties, Pineda has also produced tracks for acts like Al James, John Roa, Timmy Albert, Meyer, and KV. Moreover, he frequently performs as a session artist for Muri, Young Cocoa, and Fern, to name a few.
When talking about what it’s been like preparing for his solo project after years of working with other artists, the multi-instrumentalist shared, “Everything still feels quite surreal to me and I can’t believe that this project that I’ve been putting off for so long is actually happening. For so long, It was easy for me to be on the back end, hiding under the shell of an instrument when playing for others or producing their music. It feels like you have others to lean on.”
“But with this, it’s just me now, and I have to be more comfortable in taking up space whether it’d be in performing, putting my own art out there, and with everything else apart from just the music. I also always think that a lot of frontmen tend to have loud personalities and have this innate comfort in being in the spotlight as if it’s a need for them. As for me, it’s something I have to work on, cause I think I have a more subtle persona. But yeah, with a lot of things to consider at the start, it felt a little overwhelming.”
Despite the uncertainty, Pineda is excited to build the world of Saint Cooper. “I know it's a long process and there is so much work to be done to make this sustainable and consistent, but I just feel really blessed that I found my small group of genius friends who resonate with my ideas and help in actualizing them, making this whole journey ultimately inspiring, despite how challenging it could be.”
Comentarios