Toronto-based multi-hyphenate Chris LaRocca continues his genre-defying streak with “normal guy”, his fourth single this year ahead of the anticipated ‘dog years’ EP. Released via Red Bull Records/Wonderchild, the track finds the artist-producer wrestling with imposter syndrome through a deceptively funky blend of 70s-inspired rhythms and modern indie-rock sensibilities.
LaRocca frames the song as “self-deprecation set to a groove”, using a romantic metaphor to unpack deeper insecurities about his place in music. “It’s about putting others on a pedestal—a bad habit I’ve tried to unlearn,” he admits. The lyrics paint a vivid scene: a starry-eyed admirer convinced his love interest is “way out of [his] league,” mirroring LaRocca’s own fears in an industry saturated with talent. Yet beneath the shimmering chimes, retro keys, and Steely Dan-esque guitar licks lies an earnest pep talk—a reminder to “be proud of the person I see” after a year of personal upheaval.
The track’s globe-trotting production (recorded everywhere from Mexico to Los Angeles to his Toronto bedroom studio) mirrors its thematic journey from self-doubt to acceptance. It’s a sonic evolution for LaRocca, whose 2024 releases (“ladybug”, “laundry day”, “slow dance in the diner”) have hopscotched from indie-pop to Americana, all leading toward ‘dog years’—an EP he describes as “seven years of growth compressed into one.”
LaRocca’s DIY roots (he once toured North American basements with a post-hardcore band) still inform his work, even as his collaborators now include Kali Uchis, Bryson Tiller, and Stray Kids. After earning a Cannes Lion for his “linger” short film and joining WondaGurl’s Wonderchild collective, he’s leaning further into raw authenticity—a shift catalyzed by relocating to the Canadian wilderness to work with legends like Daniel Lanois (Neil Young, Bob Dylan).
With Southeast Asian fans (including the Philippines, his #4 streaming market) embracing his genre-fluid sound, “normal guy” proves LaRocca is anything but.
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EP ‘dog years’ coming late 2025.
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