The Wonderfully Weird and Wistful World of Richard Orofino - "Superstar" Interview

You know that meme with the cartoon dog sitting in the middle of a fire saying to itself, “This is fine”, while basically being burnt to a crisp? Yeah, you know the one. How many of us can relate to that meme on a regular basis? Don’t be shy; I’ll raise my hand first. Life is hard, and sometimes we all need a little imagination to escape it all. Dwelling on these same thoughts is Brooklyn-based indie singer-songwriter Richard Orofino in his latest single, “Superstar”. 

Upon pressing play of the track, it felt like I was suddenly swept into a whimsical spell composed of Orofino’s tasteful vocal melodies and “just right” instrumental elements - there is an immediate catchiness set up by an earworm of a guitar riff.

Knowing the backstory of “Superstar” lends more understanding to the song’s youthful essence, both in lyrics and sound. By youthful, I mean that the lyrics in “Superstar” are spoken with a childlike-lack of filter, resulting in unabashed feelings and emotions. Orofino taps into his inner kid here, painting a colorful picture in his idyllic lyrics, “Turn the rain into a pond/Lift the curse, got a magic wand/I know you wish you could stay/And let the clouds take all the heat away”.

"Superstar" is the definition of the perfect quintessential 'indie' song, blending in hints of sadness with a light, playful tempo and melody. It's that song you scream your lungs out to when no one else is in the car with you. It's that song you listen to on your commute to work, pretending you're the main character in your own story. It's that song that becomes an anthem for our innermost souls. But most importantly, “Superstar” is an insight into the wonderfully weird and wistful world of Richard Orofino.

I had the chance to get a glimpse into Richard Orofino’s world and discuss everything from the origin story of “Superstar” to the symbiotic relationship between his creativity and life’s seasons.

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Q: Was there a specific origin point that triggered the manifestation of "Superstar," or was it a culmination of things over time? 

A: A lot of things were very quickly changing in my personal life at the time. I began writing a lot more songs on the guitar only. I was having a really rough day dealing with some stuff, and I was playing guitar one night and hit a chord a few times in a row and accidentally hit a wrong note and immediately muted the guitar. It felt really good and natural, so I started working that over and over again until it turned into “Superstar”. I love when those accidents happen. 

Q: You have a knack for creating some really catchy melodies! Some of my favorites are in songs like "Superstar" (of course), "Wanna Say," "Ignore Me," and "Purfect". What does a songwriting session typically look like for you? Does it take a lot of effort to create these unique melodic hooks?

A: I definitely hear melodies before anything else. Once the melodies start feeling strong and established in my head, I then try and think of the way they move and what things, feelings, and topics they remind me of or sound like. If a melody is descending downward, that may make me think of something that feels like a lyrical downward motion. A sort of sadder moment compared to a repetitive melody which may get me writing about something cyclical or an overthinking problem that seems to never get resolved. 

Q: Your discography is massive, to say the very least. How do you manage to develop and produce so much quality music? 

A: I guess I’m thinking constantly about things in my life and other people’s lives that they tell me about. It’s easier for me to put my thoughts into the form of a song or poem than it is to talk about them, unfortunately. I wish I was better at both things. 

Photo by Nicolas Bruno

Q: Who or what are some of your biggest production influences? 

A: These days I’ve been super inspired by the sounds and scores of early 2000s video games. I recently set up my old GameCube and have been really influenced by the sounds happening there! I also take a lot of inspiration from whatever movies or television shows I’ve been into at that moment. I’m always drawing sounds from Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks and other scores/albums he’s worked on. 

Q: I think it's fair to say that each one of your records exists in its own universe, capturing who you were at that place and time. Who would you say you are today with your latest releases in "Bending" and "Superstar"?

A: Mostly a weird little guy! The songs are lyrically confusing and dark but also very goofy at times. The music and sounds themselves are also a bit silly. Mixing together the almost ironic sounds of the Seinfeld bass with pretty dark chord progressions and lyrics makes for a strange combination I’ve been very satisfied with.

Q: Your sound has a characteristic wistful air about it that invokes the strongest sense of nostalgia. Are you someone who treasures the past for all of its good and bad? 

A: I think nostalgia is fine, but I find myself getting very quickly tired of overly in-your-face nostalgia. I’ve done it for sure, but I’m realizing more and more that I prefer to take moments in history that I wish could clash with another moment but still feel new and like the future. I’m trying!

Q: What's feeding your creativity these days?

A: Being really depressed but also getting really happy at times and the confusion that comes with all of that.

Q: Listening through your discography, it seems like you have an overflowing amount of creative energy that maybe music only touches the surface of. Have you thought about expanding your creative energy into other avenues? 

A: Definitely, I think I truly enjoy making little videos and movies with my friends just as much as I love making music. Making the music videos are almost my favorite part of the song because it brings whatever I was trying to convey to another planet. 

Q: Any future plans you wanna hint at for our readers? 

A: I’m going to be releasing an annoyingly large amount of music over the next year. I’ve been creating more than ever these days!

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“Superstar” is out now on all your favorite streaming platforms!