Q&A: Christian French on Processing Emotions in “bring u down” and His Upcoming The Space Between Tour
☆ BY Carson Huffer ☆
FINDING HIMSELF THROUGH THE “IN BETWEEN” PERIODS OF LIFE – Christian French bestows upon fans his most vulnerable music yet with new single “bring u down”. French’s third release of 2023 thus far, “bring u down” explores the journey of feeling like a burden to someone who only wants to help you feel better. Pretending to be okay to not drag the person down with him, Christian’s veiled emotional honesty in this track perfectly explains those moments that you simply don’t have words for on the worst days.
Freshly announced on Monday, Christian is also gearing up for a headlining fall tour titled The Space Between Tour. The tour will hit 28 cities across the United States throughout September and October, including a closing date at The Fonda in Los Angeles on October 21st.
Luna had the opportunity to catch up with the Indiana-born phenom about his new music, learning from touring with Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler, and connecting with fans on social media and on tour. Read below for all the details.
LUNA: How has this spring season been treating you lately?
FRENCH: Besides my crazy allergies, pretty solid - it’s been a lot of writing & finalizing new music for both myself and for others, and conceptualizing the world of this new project. I’ve been trying to travel more on weekends, and it’s been a great way to disconnect for a second.
LUNA: Your music has been described as a blend of indie-pop and rock. What are some key influences that have shaped your musical style?
FRENCH: I enjoy and draw inspiration from all kinds of music - I really love country music because the songwriting is impeccable, I love the guitar parts of indie/rock music, I love the drums in hip-hop, and at the same time I love the way an EDM drop makes me feel. The past few years creating this project, I’ve kind of felt like I’ve been trying to find my perfect blend of all these things to create a hybrid genre that feels brand new and most like me.
LUNA: You've had the opportunity to tour with artists like Chelsea Cutler and Quinn XCII. How have those experiences impacted your growth as a musician, and what are some valuable lessons you've learned from touring?
FRENCH: I really don’t know where I’d be as a live musician if I didn’t go on those tours - Chelsea and Mike [Quinn XCII] are both INSANE performers and watching how they controlled the crowd every night taught me so much. One of the coolest things I’ve learned about tour is it’s such a full circle moment - you spend a year or so on a project, then put it out, and really all you can see are stream numbers and comments on social media. You don’t really feel the impact it has on people until you tour and see everyone singing it back to you and it makes all the work you put into the music worth it.
LUNA: We’ve seen a lot of music from you in recent years with each project reflecting your growth. What can you share about upcoming music compared to what we’ve heard from you?
FRENCH: I feel like in the past, I wrote a lot about mental health, and brought a positive approach to it. In the past few years, it feels like I got a HEAVY dose of real life and those struggles have been harder to find a “silver lining” to. I’ll always write from an introspective viewpoint on how I’m feeling, but this new music addresses it as an “in between” period more - somewhere between your past self and the future person you want to be.
I’ve learned how to play guitar and produce since the last project, and being involved in the production has made this new music feel like the most “me” music yet.
LUNA: Social media has played a significant role in expanding your fanbase. How do you use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to connect with your audience?
FRENCH: TikTok has been a crazy tool for finding new fans - it can really change your world in a day. I’ve been posting my original music along with covers of my favorite songs and through that, a bunch of people have found my music that might never have.
Instagram feels more like the landing page for “real fans”- where the same people see what you post and watch every step of the process. I like using Instagram for DM’ing fans back, showing more real-life moments of me and establishing that second step of connection past the music.
LUNA: Your recent singles, including "lonely," "golden years," and "thank god," have resonated with listeners given their personal touch. What themes or personal experiences do these songs explore, and why do you think they have struck a chord with your fans?
FRENCH: I think there’ll always be struggles and lessons of growing up. I learned a lot from my previous relationship and the aftermath of it, and writing about it in such a raw way helps people get over the hill when they’re going through the same thing. I think we all want to feel connected and loved, and writing about the moments where you don’t necessarily feel this way helps you know that it’s okay to be lost sometimes because it’ll always come back around the way it was meant to.
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the upcoming months?
FRENCH: I’ve been working on this project for a few years now and I’m so happy to say we’re finally in the final stages of it. I’m super excited to put some singles out this summer, put the project out later this year, and then tour all of the new music.
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