FOTOCRIME

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND PRODUCER R. BY MARIKA ZORZI

South of Heaven is darker for me. I don’t know if it’s more personal, but I think it’s exploring a darker side of my psyche.”

With the second full-length chapter in Fotocrime’s narrative to be released on March 13 via Profound Lore Records, singer, songwriter, and producer R. has found comfort on the fringes.

“This record was written in the winter,” R. says. “It’s kind of a colder and lonelier place than [the first Fotocrime album] Principle of Pain. I’m trying to expand my horizons and try different things. Hopefully, it’s a very pure voice coming from myself out to the listener.” plains. “I don’t believe in Satan. I’m non-religious, and the idea of Satan is pretty ludicrous to me. I don’t believe there is an evil entity. The record throughout deals with a lot of mythology. There’s heaven and hell, and Saturn, who ate his young, and Paethon, who flew too close to the sun and fell to earth. Obviously, the American South has its mythology, religion, and also a lot of mysticism. So, I’ve dealt with all that, but not in terms of evil, not in terms of, like, Satanism or anything like that, which I find silly.”

South of Heaven sounds like a “They’re all my thoughts, or my long journey, a trip into darkness opinions, or my way of connecting where R. follows the path started to the world, or vocalizing things by Fotocrime’s 2018 debut. The tiI’m thinking about,” R. explains. tle of the record itself represents “Like, ‘Hold Me in the Night’ is about, a journey and touches on topics literally or figuratively, seeing the such as hell, the human world, world end and just wanting to be and living in the American South, held. Whether you’re all alone in where R. comes from. your normal life, or whether that’s the reality, the world is literally “South of Heaven is definitely about burning, and this might be the last my state of mind and the feeling of moment. It’s very real.” disconnect, and about the American South,” R. explains. “This title Love is also one of the main themes just kept sticking with me because on South of Heaven. The album is I’ve never really explored being swimming in open wounds and the with the South. I’ve kind of fought it spilt blood of heartbreak (“Love Is off in many ways. I don’t ascribe to A Devil”), a harp-tinged appeal for any of the religious things you see in care and company (“Hold Me In the South, and I’m actively against The Night”), and a postmortem of the racism, but I am from Kentucky. derailed destinies (“Expulsion From I’ve lived here my whole life. There Paradise”). is a connection to it. Even though the songs don’t necessarily relate to that “I believe in love,” R. says. “I think I can idea, I wanted to explore it. The idea tap into pessimistic views of love, but of the record is about being here I also think that I believe in it. I’d say and feeling kind of disconnected I’m a romantic in that sense. I think from your home but also loving it sometimes you’re most pessimistic and trying to find that balance. I about the things you believe in most. think that sense of alienation is kind Just like I love music, I’m probably of a thread throughout the record.” critical of music [more than] anything in my life; it’s the thing I have South of Heaven, by definition, is a the strongest opinions on. Maybe synonym for hell. There are many love is the same thing, something references to this on the record, like that you know so well and you have the first single, “Love Is A Devil,” or so many feelings about, but you also the song “Expulsion From Paradise.” have very strong pessimism towards at times as well.” �� “It’s definitely metaphorical,” R. ex

The stories comprising South of Heaven are twisting and boundless, unfolding with unexpected paths and hairpin turns.