DEATHBYROMY: A PORTRAIT IN SHADOWS BY IDAN BARAZANI
LA’S GOTHIC MUSIC QUEEN COMES OF AGE
DeathbyRomy has entered a new era. With the release of her latest tracks, BITCHFAMOUS and XXXhibitionist, the Los Angeles native has elevated her musical taste to new heights or would it be more accurate to say dragged down to darker depths?
The music videos showcase a maturer side to the artist, distancing her from the “Dark Princess of Pop” image that she so masterfully constructed when first arriving on the scene. While the nods to street fashion have mellowed in recent years, Romy has evolved her style, embracing a sultry and evocative fashion sense, that just drips with newfound gothic poise.
This isn’t to say that the new era is purely defined by a shift in image. DeathbyRomy’s latest songs have lost none of the personal and intimate power that permeates most of her work. At her core, she is still a lyrics-first artist.
The cathartic power of words runs through Bitchfamous and XXXhibitionist, revealing a creative who has been on a hectic journey over the past few years. Betrayal, lust, greed. These themes hover like spectres, haunting the environments of her musical world. For many, fame is a double-edged sword, and Romy is an artist completely aware of the fact.
GATA recently touched base with Romy to discuss her personal and creative journey up to this point, discussing everything from life after death to the cinema of Martin Scorsese.
Accompanying the interview is an exclusive series of images from a dear friend of the GATA family, photographer Idan Barazani, who delivers his trademark drama in the form of distorted proportions and mood-filled lighting.
Heavily influenced by music throughout his career as the source for his creative process, Idan has worked with acclaimed artists such as Don Toliver, Coucou Chloe and Siiickbrain. So teaming up with someone of the caliber of DeathbyRomy seems like a no-brainer; a perfect marriage for two artists who aren’t afraid to play in the darkness.
GATA: Hi Romy! After breaking out with singles such as Problems, you must have had a lot more opportunities to travel and experience the world; what did you learn and take from this period?
DeathbyRomy: Problems opened a lot of doors for me. It also haunted me for years. Unfortunately, the success of that song is not what brought me to the point of my career in which I was travelling. Fortunately, it was the music I was most proud of that did.
A lot of my fans don’t know this, but Problems is one of the few songs I’ve ever released that I did not write on my own. I was kind of forced to put that song out when I was very young, and it was never a genuine representation of the sonic landscape that I thought fit my project. I was very young and impressionable and I was told I needed to put a song like that out to be successful. Though I am grateful for all of the fans and eyes that song helped put on me that is not an honest representation of me or my art.
“All my best songs come to me when I am suffering a great deal of pain, feeling rather neurotic, or I’ve just heard the worst thing ever said, and I somehow flip it and make it hot.”
GATA: Is there a big distinction between Romy Flores and DeathbyRomy the artist?
DeathbyRomy: People who know me would probably say yes. [laughs] DeathbyRomy is the most confident and brutal realisation of me. For my project, I lean into all of my dark fantasies. All my pain, sadness, and fear. I allow the world I create around it to be totally severe yet playful. It’s my inner child and all her nightmares realised. I am a very sensitive and reserved person. I haven’t always been this way but I am very gentle with myself and very protective of my energy. DeathbyRomy is me but fearless.
GATA: For the past few years you’ve been releasing music independently, was this a conscious choice? How has this process been different compared to working with a major label?
DeathbyRomy: Being an independent artist has been the greatest chapter of my life and I could not be more grateful for the never-ending challenge and borderline starvation level of fire that is under my ass. [laughs] Though I wanted to be, I was dropped by my label. It was the greatest favour they ever did me!
GATA: Throughout your career, the visual presentation of your artistry has always been super strong; was this something that developed over time? What are the ingredients that make up the visual style of DeathbyRomy?
DeathbyRomy: The visual world—including how I look—has always been incredibly important to me. All of my favourite artists had undeniable aesthetics that drew me to them, and I find it incredibly important that my artist project does the same thing for others. The words I think best describe what makes up the visual image that is DeathbyRomy would be death, sex, fantasy, and the feminine soul.
GATA: You have described your music as being “cinematic” in the past; could you explain a little bit more what you meant by that?
DeathbyRomy: I like to make things that sound really epic. I like to overproduce. I like to bring the drama. I don’t think enough people do that these days. I think the people making movies are seriously missing out if they haven’t found me yet. I really hope to actually get to create more music for more movies soon!
GATA: Artists such as Bowie were known for keeping journals, chopping up their lyrics, and rearranging them to create strange juxtapositions. Do you have any strange methods for writing your lyrics?
DeathbyRomy: All my best songs come to me when I am suffering a great deal of pain, feeling rather neurotic, or I’ve just heard the worst thing ever said and I somehow flip it and make it hot.
GATA: What does the city of Los Angeles mean to you?
DeathbyRomy: Los Angeles is all I know. I was born and raised here. It’s been the landscape and inspiration for everything I’ve done. The home of every terrible thing I’ve ever endured. The setting for every affair and love I’ve had.
GATA: We often ask musicians what their influences are within the creative field, but outside of the obvious musical inspirations what do you think has surprisingly had a big impact on your work.
DeathbyRomy: I like this question. My darkest thoughts. I allow myself to share them only through music. There are things too painful and brutally honest to discuss in any other way outside of music.
GATA: Death is a shadow that looms over much of your work; if you had to guess, where do you think we go after we “kick the proverbial bucket?”
DeathbyRomy: Well, I almost answered the last question with “overcoming the desire to die.” I’d like to think we go back to where we came from, and when we die, we find ourselves permanently held in our mother’s arms.
GATA: Lust, greed, and Hollywood, your two most recent music videos XXXhibitionist and BITCHFAMOUS seem to explore a mind state wrestling with the consequence of increased fame and success; do you think your musical process has changed as your career has progressed?
DeathbyRomy: I have full ownership over the creative process now. That was something I lost for a small period of time and I got back after becoming independent. I love that you picked up on those themes in the recent releases. As they are just two parts of a multi-part story, I am telling alongside my next project.
GATA: As a native of the “theatre of dreams” that we call Hollywood, could you tell us what has been your favourite movie recently?
DeathbyRomy: My favourite movie recently was Goodfellas. I would’ve never watched this if my boyfriend hadn’t put it on. So many striking and gruesome visuals so meticulously created and glossed over! Truly very inspirational.
PHOTOGRAPHY: IDAN BARAZANI
WORDS: JAMES ELLIOTT