Recently I was able to connect with psychedelic indie composer, guitarist, and record producer Romi Peles, as he gears up for the release of his third studio album, Break Up Album, that hits streaming services on June 13th. Today, Romi Peles is releasing his new single and lyric video for “Demons Back In Town.” If you’re enjoying the new single, please consider supporting this talented artist here.
The track has an upbeat energy despite its heavy subject matter. How did you approach balancing that contrast musically?
It’s hard to answer because it just happened accidentally. I wasn’t consciously thinking about balancing the song; I just enjoyed it. I love that kind of tension in music—when the melody and rhythm are uplifting, but underneath, if you listen carefully, there’s this weight and it’s a bit dark. But again, I can’t say I planned this; it just spilled out.
This album marks a shift from instrumental compositions to vocal-driven songwriting. What was the biggest challenge in making that transition?
Some things never change, like how I always focus on the melody first. But I guess the biggest challenge was getting comfortable with my voice and finding the right lyrics. It was challenging to get the vocals sounding right. It took some trial and error to understand which songs needed what—whether I should scream or be soft and quiet. But it’s funny how the demo is always a good compass for me; some of the songs eventually took the first vocal take I sang. I learned a lot from the process of this album and made a stronger connection with my voice
You said these songs were written over six years. How did the album take shape over that time?
In the beginning, I didn’t realize I was making an album; I was just writing my first songs, recording some demos, and letting them rest. Over time, the concept of the album started to form, and I knew these songs belonged together. The name for the album came one or two years ago as a temporary name, and by the time I finished it, I just decided, ‘fuck it, that has to be the title.’ By last year, a lot of the songs were written. This year, it was time to go into the studio to refine lyrics, re-record vocals, record new songs that came along (like “Demons Back in Town”), and mix and finish the record.