“Late at night, in a dark room, with your earbuds in; something great can happen when it’s just you and the music.”
It’s that intimate relationship between a listener and a song that Boston-based artist Dominic Florio, known as Florio, strives to create in his songs. In the layers of synth, poppy guitar, and vocals he crafts enigmatic soundscapes that evoke a sense of nostalgia somewhat akin to the dream-like state that comes when you relax in the sun and let your mind wander. They’re a distillation of thought; “Most of the time I’m not writing a story or narrative, but about a singular moment, feeling, or emotion that I’m trying to access when I’m writing the song . . . I tend to write a lot thinking back to pivotal moments in my life, or just times that have stuck in my head for some reason.” But there are no insignificant fragments of memory in his songs; “There are reasons why we remember these moments; A touch, a smell, vivid colors, a racing heartbeat . . . That is what I love to write.”
Despite the immense craftsmanship behind every song, Florio prefers to let the art speak for itself. “I try not to explain too much of what people are supposed to think about a song. Even down to the artwork, I have kept it to mostly abstract shapes and colors, so someone listening to the song can really put themselves into it,” he says. Florio considers his music “new, new wave” because “the songwriting and production are inspired by new wave era artists” that he loves (New Order, The Fixx, Naked Eyes, and Don Henley) but the songs are made for a new generation.
His new single “Want You” is a romantic ride through a sunshine-dappled forest of swinging guitars and ethereal vocals; bright, and full of promise, but grounded by a foundation of steady bass. This song is intelligent pop that borrows from rock and electronica to produce a unique, effervescent cocktail. Tinged with a dreamy quality, “great things” will happen between you and this track, if you let it.
Florio hopes that his songs can take listeners on a journey: “Bringing someone back to a moment in their life, either happy or unhappy can be a powerful thing. That’s what writing does for me, and I hope that’s what listening does for others.”
Before the single is released on February 4th, you can stream it here on Sound of Boston: