Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Christian Lopez releases his second offering of the year, new single entitled "Who You Really Are" today. Written with his close friend Jordan Lawhead at a wolf sanctuary just outside of Nashville, the acoustic guitar-heavy track is a touching anthem about finding yourself through all the noise. Christian adds: "...fear can fog your true potential and happiness but with unconditional love and compassion you can surely unleash it."
Listen below!
Christian Lopez returned to the scene after a three year hiatus with 2020 single "Sip of Mine." The track marked a new beginning for the 24-year old rising act who recently moved to Los Angeles and waved goodbye to his Nashville/Music City stomping ground. Having made his debut at only 19 years old (Onward) and launching his sophomore release at 21 (Red Arrow) via Blaster Records, Christian now has his eyes set on the future as an independent, Americana/folk-tinged, pop artist.
Christian Lopez elaborates on the track "'Sip Of Mine' is about resilience... if you're loved by someone, even through your darkest times, you can avoid the snap and come out that other side with a new found love for the world and what if has to offer." says Christian Lopez on the new single. "I wrote it during my time in LA traveling back and forth from Beverly Hills to the studio (Revolver Studios) in Thousand Oaks everyday, writing and recording my way through the confusion... I started fresh in LA. Even though it was uncertain, I knew I had to follow it through. Around the time I started to feel uneasy about the future when I had trouble visualizing it, I started to open my eyes to the real point of why we're even here. To trust ourselves, give it all we got, and most of all - enjoy it." [American Songwriter] On the video, Christian tells Billboard: "We recorded this all around Malibu and then the green shots back in my hometown West Virginia. I was the coldest I've ever been in my life shooting those ocean/beach shots at 7am at El Matador Beach. We all got tickets on our cars that day, haha. Also, that's my 1966 Dodge Polara, my daily driver out here!"
Rolling Stone has been an early champion of the West Virginia-born singer-songwriter since catching his performance at Americana Fest in 2015 and has continued to support his releases since, a rare and truly honorable feet. Christian elaborates on his relationship with Rolling Stone: "I played a 20 minute set at the High Watt in Nashville for AmericanaFest, broke 3 strings on 3 guitars and had to finish on someone else's guitar. I just kept it going. It was so powerful that the crowd loved it. Little did we know, Rolling Stone was there...." Going on to name him one of 'Rolling Stone's 10 New Artists to Know' they said Christian "flies straight through multiple eras of rock, pop and country. Organic sounds are favored over electronics, while [his] versatile guitar playing provides a millennial take on everything from Eighties rock to timeless folk. Sly, generation-bridging vocals are the common thread, and as interest in Americana rises, Christian Lopez could connect the dots for many young listeners."
You could say music is a birthright for Christian - his mother, an opera singer and music teacher, started him in piano lessons at age 5 and by 18 he signed his first record deal. Christian was picked as Belk's Modern Southern Musician ambassadors and landed on bills with Zac Brown Band, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, and Tim McGraw to name a few. He's also a veteran of popular indie and folk festivals like The Vans Warped Tour, Merlefest, Floydfest, and AmericanaFest, eventually garnering headline status in clubs throughout the country. No longer a newcomer on the scene, Christian's landed coverage on American Songwriter, Billboard, CMT, Cowboys and Indians, Glide Magazine, NPR, Paste, PopMatters, The Boot, and more.
Christian Lopez is truly shaping into the man and artist he wants to be, with many talents and stories he's eager to share with the world. He says: "These last few years alone have taught me more lessons and given me a better understanding of life than I've ever had... It's interesting, the older I get (over the years), and the more my connection with the music gets deeper, the simpler I do everything. Write, play, and think even... I try to stay locked in on the feeling and treat the voice and instruments simply like tools off the shelf. I'm doing what I was born to do. Trading the openness for happiness. And if it helps someone else along the way, then that's an achievement sweeter than I'm used to." His final statement: "I don't care about genre barriers. I do what I do. Trends will bend and turn as they follow the people that remain true to themselves."
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