Paris Shadows: “performing for smaller audiences feels intimate and humbling”
Not much more than 50 people were patiently waiting for Paris Shadows’ postponed show in Trix last week. After Shadows performed as the opening act for Post Malone’s tour, he is now headlining his own Europe tour. The experimental California emo rapper is now working on a new album, that will drop somewhere after his tour. We had the chance to enjoy Paris Shadows’ sparkling personality after his show at Trix Antwerp.
Article by Yaell Monas, pictures by Bavo Goossens
HOW DID YOU LIKE THE SHOW?
Paris Shadows: "Actually, I really liked it. I liked the amount of people too because it’s more intimate, you know? What I like most depends on how I’m feeling, but tonight it felt really good to have an intimate and small show."
CAN YOU TAKE ME BACK TO THE MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BECOME A RAPPER?
Paris Shadows: "Yeah, I have been making music my whole life. I’ve been in love with music since I was very young and I grew up playing the cello. I remember just being with my friends in the car, listening to music and a friend of mine was rapping. I asked him ‘How do you do that?’ and he said ‘You just gotta try it!’. That’s how I ended up falling in love with it. I got my own computer and microphone and started making beats in my room, all by myself. Eventually, I started singing on them. I still make my own beats and I also still play the cello."
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN THIS ECCENTRIC IN HOW YOU LOOK?
Paris Shadows: "The funny thing is, I used to be a firefighter. So I had really short hair, clean-cut, didn’t look crazy at all. I always liked to dress differently though. When I was younger I was made fun of at school because of how I dressed. But how I express myself in clothes and in music, is just who I am."
WHICH ARTISTS DO YOU LISTEN TO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
Paris Shadows: "I’m named after a the Cure album, so I grew up listening to The Cure and Depeche Mode. But right now I listen to Radiohead a lot and Drap Majesty. It really just depends on my mood, I guess. The funny thing is that I never listen to rap music in my free time at all."
ISN'T IT HARD TO PERFORM LIVE AND RAP ABOUT THE EMOTIONALLY HEAVY SUBJECTS SUCH AS ANXIETY AND PREVIOUS ROMANCES?
Paris Shadows: "Yes and no. I feel like it’s a way to release those heavy subjects. It almost feels like talking with a therapist. So every time I perform, it’s a way of letting things out and letting things go. That’s why I think my music is very expressive, it’s my only outlet. I don’t talk to a lot of people, neither am I super close with many people. So for me, it’s one way to get things off my chest."
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM YOUR UPCOMING ALBUM?
Paris Shadows: "Expect it to be a hundred percent authentic, I’m not trying to copy anyone’s style of music. It’s what I want to make. It will be the representation of who I am and what I feel. I’ve been through a lot of stuff in the past couple of months, and I’ve just been collecting songs. Live instrumentation, some bangers and definitely some break up songs too. And of course some cool features, but I don’t want to reveal anything yet."
YOU WENT ON TOUR WITH POST MALONE. HOW WAS THAT?
Paris Shadows: "Insane. It was a really good and big tour. It was awesome to see the difference. Those were some of my first shows I ever performed and some of the venues were over 20.000 people. To be able to come to a venue like this one today and perform for not as many, it’s different but it’s also very humbling."
LAST QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE?
Paris Shadows: "Just being healthy and happy. I’m really excited to release my new music, I’m sitting on a bunch of songs. I can’t wait to let people hear them because I’ve been sitting on them for so long. Expect new music soon."
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