Q&A: Role Model is Ready to Charm the World With Debut Album ‘Rx’
THERE’S NOTHING OFF LIMITS for Role Model. The rising pop artist speaks of his aspirations without hesitation, and he’s serious about wanting to make it big — Grammy wins and all. He’s equally as honest on Rx, his newly-released debut album. Tackling relationships and sexuality, Role Model lays his heart out as he explicitly writes about an all-consuming love. It’s easy to write off a track like “masturbation song” for its cheeky title, but it’s a candid snapshot of intimacy and desire. And on the anthemic “forever&more,” there’s no question that Role Model is smitten.
Making music pulled the singer-songwriter out of a dark period in college about five years ago, and now his two-year romance is changing his life again. “You’re all that really matters anymore,” the album’s closing line, is sung by a man forever impacted by love — it’s hard not to feel sentimental.
With a remarkable debut album, Coachella performances and an upcoming world tour, Role Model is on track to charm the world. Read below to hear what this up-and-coming artist had to say about releasing Rx, performing live, and more ahead of his second weekend in Indio.
LUNA: Congrats on the release of Rx! With the project out and the opportunity to play some of the new tracks at Coachella, how are you feeling about this release?
ROLE MODEL: It feels insane — I think the timing is perfect, and I kept the live shows in mind so much during the album process, so I’m just ready to play!
LUNA: Sonically, what are some of your favorite elements you got to explore on the album?
ROLE MODEL: I think the big gospel-y harmonies. Spencer [Stewart] helped me a lot through those moments, and that's literally my favorite thing ever. I would never have been able to do it by myself.
LUNA: Which track have you been most excited to play live?
ROLE MODEL: “stripclub music” for sure. We extended it so we can go crazy as fuck.
LUNA: How would you compare the feel of Rx to your previous music?
MODEL: That's a good question. Every release gets better because I’m truly learning as I go here, but I think it’s still cohesive because I’m still the one writing the songs. That's a hard thing to give up for me, and I think it keeps everything cohesive regardless of the “genre” each release explores.
LUNA: With live music back in full swing, the energy of crowds has been like no other. What does it mean to you to be playing this year’s Coachella and to be back at the festivals?
MODEL: I’m so excited I get to play Coachella — it's legendary. However, I love my headline shows more than anything because it's the most inclusive show ever. We sing every word together, and it makes me emotional as fuck.
LUNA: You recently attended Paris Fashion Week and have always had a really cool, tasteful style. What inspired your outfit for your performances at Coachella?
MODEL: Thank you! I had my friend Nick Holiday make these custom leather jackets for me to wear on tour so I don’t have to stress about outfits every night haha. I can’t go too crazy with stage outfits because I sweat like crazy. Just wanted to look decent and be comfy.
LUNA: With Rx out and a world tour coming up, what intentions do you have for the upcoming months?
MODEL: Keep making music till I pass out.
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