Rio Romeo is Our Valentine this Year

Make it stand out

Rio Romeo is an interdisciplinary artist based just outside of Los Angeles. This Valentine’s Day Rio released a gay love ballad called ‘Bet’. We spoke to Rio about being an interdisciplinary artist, rejection and their new single.

Before we start I have to know…what's your star sign and what does it say about you? 

My star sign is a Capricorn! I think it says that I am driven, ambitious, and creative.

As someone who first found success as a painter, to then exploring theatre and now music - Do you think it’s important to engage in other artistic mediums as a creative? And how has it informed your work? 

It has been incredibly important for my personal artistic process to engage with multiple mediums. Sometimes music just can't do what an illustration or painting does, and vice versa. My work mostly revolves around storytelling, so I always try to find the best medium for whatever narrative I'm trying to convey. But sometimes it's not even that serious- I like funny silly drawings and songs just as much as the serious ones.

___STEADY_PAYWALL___

“I am incredibly influenced by the work of Freddie Mercury. He's just like me-- a queer, escaped theatre kid, with quite the drama.”

Being an interdisciplinary artist has challenged me in a really beautiful way, because now I can use all of the different mediums and industries that I've worked in, and apply the skills that can really bring a project to the next level. My experience in all of these different fields helps me retain creative control for things like album covers, music videos and set designs.

When did you discover that you were able to do more than one thing professionally? As children we are told to only have one profession. 

I figured out that being an interdisciplinary artist was really helpful when I started working as the head of scenic design in highschool. During my senior year, I was juggling putting together theatre sets for I think 10 shows that year while creating and curating a 40 piece solo exhibition for my paintings and illustrations. It was during that time, that I realized everything that I can get my hands on makes me a better artist. My smaller more detailed paintings only paved the way for me to create 30 foot mural backdrops for the theater. The better I was at one thing, the better I became at the other.

Once I took a leap at 21 to become a full time artist it really drilled in the point that any art form I can do will better inform my future work, whether that be music, art, illustration, tattoos, or even picture framing. I love it all.

On your website it mentions that “upon moving to California, Rio’s career in music and art began to take off internationally” has California influenced your music/ sound at all? If it hasn't, where has? 

California has influenced the way I create my music, but not really the sound. I grew up in the Inland Empire (Pomona, specifically) and there was a really big DIY backyard scene that I got into when I was like 15. The music that most of these boys made was like shoegaze, surf rock kind of vibe.  It was inspiring to watch people only a few years older than me be rockstars in their own backyards. Being exposed to their passion for DIY music empowered me to start creating my own. I now feel like a rockstar in my own garage, thanks to them.

My background in theatre has a big influence on the way my music sounds. I went through my life listening to musicals (super embarrassing lol i know) and eventually went to college for scenic design- I dropped out a quarter in though. Regardless, the emotion and dramatics behind theatre, specifically more cabaret-oriented musicals, is the kind of juicy drama I live for. It's vivacious, it's ferocious, it's tenacious, and I love it. It also tells a hell of a story. It's definitely the defining inspiration of my work.

Who is your greatest influence? 

I am incredibly influenced by the work of Freddie Mercury. He's just like me-- a queer, escaped theatre kid, with quite the drama. My dad grew up playing Queen and it was my favorite, and as I got older I dove into his work and found myself in it. The power behind his vocals is something that I dream of achieving and the beautiful catchy melodies that he's written. I think he has a way of illustrating a very specific story that everyone can relate to, and I think that's a huge accomplishment and I wish to be like him one day. I also really love that after he was kind of done with Queen he took up writing fucking OPERA???? amazing. he just like me fr.

Has rejection ever affected your creative process? 

Rejection has never really done much for me. I'm a super positive person, almost to a fault. I always believe that everything is going to work out and it's genuinely really hard to kill my drive to create things. I think also after having a large platform on TikTok for nearly 2 years now, I'm so used to negative critique from ugly white guys on the internet that most things just slide right off me at this point.

Can you tell us more about your new Valentine’s Day single Bet and what the process of making the single was like? 

Bet is the follow up to last Valentine's Day song, Butch 4 Butch. Butch 4 Butch blew up on TikTok and launched my music career, so following up that kind of a song this year is something that I'm a little nervous about, but it's mostly excitement. Butch 4 Butch was a more like "omg-ur-so-hot-and-gay-im-nervous" and Bet tells the story of what my partner and I have been through, and why I love her for it. Since last Valentine's Day, my music has developed significantly-- I'm a better piano player, and a better vocalist. I've had time to hone my sound and I've started working with a new producer, Mike Irish, on this song. He's been able to add really wonderful, almost extravagance to this new sound. I can't wait for everyone to hear it.

What do you wish to accomplish with your art?

First and foremost, I'd like to get things off my chest with my art. All together, my work is one big diary, detailing moments, feelings, events, hopes, dreams, for my life. But, I had no idea that my music would make such an impact. After seeing so many dm's from people over and over, talking about how my music helped them through some challenging circumstances in their life and they were better off for it is something that I take very seriously and would like to continue doing.

If my work has any impact in the world at all, I would hope that it would be to allow queer people to be able to better explore what it's like to be themselves. I would hope that my music would work as a blank canvas and a space for contemplation, love, growth, and consolation for queer folks like me.

Photography: Andrea Perez

You can support Rio by buying their merch here.