Banana Interview with LOUD HOUND: Gremlin Tales of an Honest Storyteller

Meet LOUD HOUND, the captivating solo project of singer, songwriter, and producer Tommy Florio. Emerging from New Jersey, he’s been making waves in the indie music scene with his unique blend of catchy melodies, introspective lyrics, and polished production.

Most recently, he’s released It’s Okay to be Lonely, Pt. 3, featuring standout tracks like “Comet,” “Vanity & Sex,” and “Hot Temperature“. Parts 1 and 2 were released in 2022 and 2023, respectively. This unwavering work ethic has led to a new track every month, each maintaining exceptional quality and distinctiveness.

This is him as an artist, now it’s time to meet LOUD HOUND as a Banana interviewee…And you know that’s another story!

Banana Interview: LOUD HOUND

Step into the vibrant world of Loud Hound, where music is painted in the green of summer trees and the maroon of a cozy fall sweater. From his love for every step of music-making, this conversation reveals the essence of an artist who is as honest and nostalgic as his melodies.

In this exclusive interview, discover the passion and process behind Tommy Florio’s indie sound, his unique approach to handling criticism, and the heartfelt stories that inspire his lyrics.

Name a color, a season, and a moment of the day that describes your music. Ex: My music sounds pink, like a morning in spring.

My music sounds green like the trees in the summer but also like an old weathered maroon sweater in the fall.

What is your favorite part of the music-making process?

Ahhh everything! It’s the best thing in the world! Starting with one idea and running with it all the way to the next until the song is complete is the most fulfilling feeling

I love everything about making music. It makes me very happy.

How do you handle criticism or negative reviews?

Everyone is going to have an opinion and that’s completely fine! My music won’t be for everyone and that’s completely okay.

I try to just brush it off, keep being myself, and continue making what feels good to me.

How do you find inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?

I like to be as unapologetically honest as possible. Truth in storytelling will always shine in songwriting. As for melodies I follow whatever feels good, nostalgic, and evokes emotions.

At the end of the day, it’s all about telling a story and making people feel something. So, if a song does that for me while I’m writing it, then hopefully it does the same for the listener.

How do you approach the challenge of staying original in a saturated industry?

I think remaining true to myself is what I’ve always done since day one. Remembering who I am, my interests, the sounds I like, the places that remind me of my youth and the influences I grew up on is critical.

Also, putting myself in a mindset of continually growth is vital to standing out. I don’t want all of my records to sound the exact same as the last one so making something new and refreshing but still sounds like me is always the goal, ya know?

If you were a type of… [fantasy creature] you’d be…

A Gremlin from the movie Gremlins (1984).

❤️‍ What’s your favourite… [place on earth] …short answer.

The beach.

Choose one question… What is the most embarrassing thing that you’ve ever done?

One time my friends and I were drunk and we walked to a Wawa (its like a convenience store but way better) at like 2 am to get food. I was standing in line waiting to check out and eating the donut I was about to buy and then out of nowhere this dude punches me in the face and knocks me out to the floor.

He ran off right away lol. I wasn’t really embarrassed but I mean I guess it could be embarrassing. It’s hilarious if anything hahaha.

Choose the last question… What was your first job?

My first job was at skate shop when I was like 14 or 15. The skate shop was on the boardwalk of the beach town I was living in at the time. I think I was paid like $8 an hour lol. All I really did was hang out, put clothes back on the rack, and talk to girls.

They wouldn’t let me work the register though because I had the attention span of a goldfish. Oh and my shifts were only 5 hours haha. It was honestly a lot of fun looking back at it!

LOUD HOUND: Echoing into the future