Toronto’s rising talent Chris LaRocca returned today with his second EP of the summer, smile because it happened. The singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist adds another four tracks to his arsenal, with the single “breakup coach” leading the charge. In the official video, Chris transforms into a derby car-racing legend, shot on a cinema camera with vintage lenses to make it feel as gritty as the racing grounds. 

On the meaning behind “breakup coach,” LaRocca shares, “Every artist has their breakup song, but I wanted to put a spin on mine. After a breakup I went through in 2019, I found myself in a situation with my ex where we would give each other advice for moving on. We’d check in on each other and share our stories about what being single was like, which ultimately helped us get over one another through these types of conversations. I thought it was kind of funny that we were coaching each other through our own breakup. The person I used to share all my deepest feelings with was now the person I was turning to for advice when it came to new partners, and it helped us both get to a new stage in our lives. With all this in mind, I wrote a self-deprecating and quirky breakup song.”  

The punchy pop anthem has its acoustic moments juxtaposed by distorted vocals and harmonic highs, a true testament to LaRocca’s genreless approach. It’s what makes him such a compelling musician, with the ability to shift gears from euphoric melodies in “switch,” to smooth R&B flows in “like u,” and brooding percussion across the EP’s closer, “gloria.” 

On the EP, LaRocca adds, “I took the name for this EP from the second half of the saying, ‘don’t frown because it’s over, smile because it happened’. Being a follow up to ‘perhaps!’ which discussed themes of uncertainty in the music industry, I wanted to move toward a more positive place. This EP is focused on a point in my writing process where I was feeling like things were really looking up. I had just met WondaGurl and started putting together an album, and everything was falling into place around me. There was a lot of change in my life and I felt like I was heading into a new chapter. ‘smile, because it happened’ felt like the best way to describe this change in trajectory.” 

LaRocca is the second artist to join the partnership between Red Bull Records and Wonderchild after being sought-after by Grammy-nominated producer, WondaGurl. Beyond his solo work, he’s a lauded songwriter and producer for other artists, with credits on hits from heavyweights like Grammy-winning singer, Kali Uchis and K-pop sensation, Stray Kids. Amassing over 13 million global career streams and praise from the likes of Complex, Billboard, The FADER, and more, LaRocca has found an audience in every corner, making him one of the most exciting breakout acts in 2023. 

Toronto’s breakout producer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Chris LaRocca today released his four-track EP, perhaps! on Red Bull Records/Wonderchild. The package runs the gamut from pop-fueled anthems like “left out” to acoustic numbers like “linger” that’ll have you in your feels. True to his vision, each song evokes a home-grown, community-inspired vibe as friends of LaRocca’s can be heard in pockets of harmonies or credited in the closing notes. Arriving with the electric new single, “life of the party,” the official music video takes viewers into the abstract world of Chris LaRocca as he transforms a sterile retirement home into a wild fever dream.  

LaRocca shares, “‘life of the party’ is a bird’s eye view on introversion. I wrote this song during a mandatory 2-week quarantine after returning to Toronto from Los Angeles where I met and worked with WondaGurl for the first time, and after transitioning from a locked-down Toronto to a bustling and, in comparison, very social setting in Los Angeles, I realized how detached I had become from social settings. While I was out there in rooms full of people, meeting many new important faces and wanting to make a good impression and feel like the life of the party, I was truly struggling with wanting to be back in the comfort of my own bedroom studio, and the comfort of my own company. The juxtaposition between these two mindsets is what led to me writing this song.” 

Making a name for himself in Toronto’s tight-knit music scene over the past five years, LaRocca was quickly discovered by multi-Platinum, Grammy-nominated producer WondaGurl. With a star-studded history of working with artists such as Rihanna, Drake, SZA, Jay-Z, and more, she immediately recognized LaRocca’s production mastery and invited him to collaborate in the studio.  

WondaGurl shares, “I’m excited to see Chris LaRocca’s EP finally come to life. It’s amazing to see an artist’s vision come to fruition and I’m honored to have been a part of the process. I can’t wait for the world to hear his unique sound and for his talent to be recognized on a global scale.” 

After producing together on projects like Kali Uchis’ latest single, “Deserve Me (feat. Summer Walker),” WondaGurl signed LaRocca as the second artist to her burgeoning imprint, Wonderchild, in partnership with Red Bull Records. With another EP to come later this summer, perhaps! is a refreshing taste of LaRocca’s eclectic palette and an early indicator that he’s one to watch this year. 

(Los Angeles, CA – October 13, 2023) Toronto-based producer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Chris LaRocca today released his 13-track album, i cried my eyes out on Red Bull Records/Wonderchild. Effortlessly traversing indie rock, soulful R&B, and powerhouse pop, LaRocca is as impressive in his production as he is in his prose. He gets personal with listeners, shining a light on internal struggles he’s faced but been reluctant to speak about, until now. His vulnerability on issues with the music industry, falling out of love, and finding his voice are triumphant moments on the record that have you rooting for LaRocca. The title track illustrates that best, as the blood, sweat, and tears he’s poured into his craft come alive in the earworm chorus. Accompanying the album, the official video for “i cried my eyes out” personifies these ups and downs he’s embraced over the last few years, told through four relatable stories.

LaRocca shares, “As creatives, we sacrifice so much of our personal lives and mental health to get to where we want to be. All that the audience sees is the final result – they don’t see any of what went into it, and I wanted to pull the curtain back on that process and what it does to us. With this album I wanted to be unapologetically raw about how a lot of artists and creatives feel but don’t speak about publicly. It’s okay to feel like you’re not where you want to be, and I just want everyone who’s struggling in their own lives to find some solace in that idea. It’s not an easy pathway, and there will be tears for many reasons, but if you can push through and make something you’re proud of that can inspire others to do the same, you’re doing something right.”

Earlier this summer, LaRocca released two EPs – perhaps! and smile because it happened – with tracks from each project dispersed across i cried my eyes out. The four new songs are welcomed additions, including “bad,” a dreamy and anthemic heartbreaker, and “troubadours,” an introspective page from LaRocca’s past, dripping in silky harmonies. While he’s lauded for working with artists like Kali Uchis, Russ, and Stray Kids, LaRocca has carved his own irreplicable sound on this full-length. He’ll bring it to audiences in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto next month, with tickets on sale here.

Stream The Album | Watch The Video

i cried my eyes out Tracklist

1. difficult

2. like u

3. break up coach

4. i cried my eyes out

5. deep end

6. life of the party

7. linger

8. gloria

9. switch

10. left out

11. bad

12. troubadours

13. because of u