Tropigloom Unveils Powerful New Single "Invisible" and Connects With Us to Share the Story Behind the Track
- STAFF
- Sep 5
- 9 min read
By: Staff
“Invisible” is a mesmerizing sonic journey that beautifully captures raw emotion and reflective depth.
In a world where silence speaks louder than words, a haunting new track emerges from the shadows. "Invisible" by Tropigloom marks a powerful return for this enigmatic artist, whose sound effortlessly blends melancholic shoegaze, lo-fi textures, and raw alternative rock. The song, which teeters between introspection and escapism, serves as the first taste of the upcoming EP Everything Now But In Reverse, set to drop on November 9th. It’s a track that digs deep into the human experience—one that dances on the edge of light and dark, inspired by a life-altering moment that left everything eerily familiar yet profoundly different.
We spoke with Tropigloom about the journey behind "Invisible," from its emotionally charged lyrics to the complex production process that brings the track to life. How did a near-death experience reshape not only this song but the artist’s entire approach to life and music? What themes and emotional landscapes does Tropigloom hope to explore with the rest of the EP?
With introspective reflections on memory, time, and personal growth, Everything Now But In Reverse promises a deeply immersive listening experience.
Get ready to discover the artist’s latest vision and what comes next as we dive into the story behind Invisible.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Tropigloom, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. We loved “Invisible.” The glowing, resonant guitars and punchy drums were the perfect red carpet opening to your soft but commanding and alluring vocal display. When did you first discover your voice and talents, and what moment in your life shifted it from being something personal and intimate to recording with the intention of sharing it with a worldwide audience, setting the stage for the powerful and viable career we’re witnessing now?
A. Thank you! I’ve been performing as a musician from a young age as a guitarist/bassist. It wasn’t until the last few years that I’ve felt my voice was at a good enough place for me to try singing. I still have a lot of work to do in refining it. With the music I’ve been writing though, it’s more about the vibe and getting a specific feeling across then it is having a perfect and technically great sounding voice. In a way I think having a subdued sounding voice helps reinforce the vulnerability in the music. I had a near death experience that was like hitting the reset button on my life. All the internal barriers I had created and the baggage I had been hanging on to is now gone, making it easier for me to express myself.
Q. Can you tell us how you landed on the title of “Invisible”?
A. The song is about wanting to not be affected by the whatever difficulties arise in life. To be invisible to them. I felt it was the best word to describe that feeling of experiencing something difficult or even seeing it on the horizon and thinking why do I still have to deal with this and why does it have to affect me so much?
Q. "Invisible" delves into the theme of trying to suppress life's difficulties, only to realize that repression often makes things worse. How has your near-death experience shaped not only this song but your approach to music and life in general?
A. It shaped the song because I felt I had finally gotten outside of that loop of having something arise and then repressing it. I’ve unfortunately done that a lot throughout my life to the point that it had really built up. Having a near death experience pulled me outside of it all so that I’m able to reflect on things without any of the strong emotions that used to be attached to them.
Q. You describe the moment after your near-death experience as one that made life feel "eerily familiar, but profoundly altered." How did this shift in perspective influence the songwriting process for the "Everything Now But In Reverse" EP?
A. It’s eerily familiar because the things I’m reflecting on in these songs are situations that I experienced in my life in some way. It’s profoundly altered because it doesn’t feel like me anymore, it’s like it all happened to someone else who I happen to be very close with.
Q. Tropigloom’s sound blends melancholic shoegaze with lo-fi and alternative rock. How do you balance these elements in your music while still maintaining a cohesive sonic identity?
A. There are quite a few bands that have done this very well and I draw a lot of inspiration from them. The Cure, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine are constant go tos for me. I think having a solid backbone with the bass and drums is very important. Everything else can sort of ambiently drift around that. I try to create bass lines that are engaging and the drummer, Dean Wales, is really good at creating interesting rhythms.
Q. Given your background as a session musician with artists like Hannah Georgas, how did your experiences in those collaborations influence the direction of Tropigloom's sound?
A. Hannah has a really beautiful voice that has really nice character and it seems so effortless for her. It’s inspiring to hear. I think with all the artists/bands that I’ve done session work for they all have a unique way that they’re approaching their vision. I think that has helped me through many snags that I’ve hit in my own music because it has expanded my awareness of other perspectives and so I’m able to alter my approach based on what I’ve learned from them.
Q. "Everything Now But In Reverse" is a fitting title for an EP that leans into reflection. How do you view the concept of time and memory in your music—do you feel like you're always looking backward to move forward?
A.Since my NDE I feel like a lot of things in my past have been reconciled internally. I still get thoughts and memories that will arise that I know used to hold a lot of emotion, but now they don’t. I have the option to decide whether I want to give that thought any weight. In most cases I don’t and am able to just let it go. I think these thoughts will continue to come up as I try to move forward especially if I’m trying to move towards something that I used to have a barrier up for.
Q. You’ve worked in various projects across Toronto's music scene, like Etiquette, Praises, and Beliefs. How does Tropigloom differ from those bands in terms of creative freedom or the way you approach songwriting?
A. It differs because with Tropigloom I’m the one writing all the songs, finding people to work with, planning out ideas, promoting etc. When I was in the bands mentioned I mostly would show up, play my parts and occasionally add some of my own creativity. I loved playing in all of those bands and I learned a lot. I don’t know if I would have the confidence to pursue my own vision if I hadn’t already been part of theirs.
Q. How did the creation of "Invisible" help you work through the emotions tied to your near-death experience? Was songwriting a form of catharsis, and did it help you better understand those feelings?
A. Definitely cathartic and yes it helped understand those feelings. Being able to reflect on a situation that I experienced but without any of the baggage has been very beneficial, and in a way I got what I had asked for. Wanting to be unaffected by those difficulties that I was experiencing, and now I am.
Q. Having experienced a profound shift in how you view life after your near-death experience, do you find yourself drawn to any new themes or ideas in your music that you hadn’t explored before?
A. I think the vibe I’m going for was always there through the bands that I listen to. Lyrically things saw the most change because I now have this profound experience to draw from. I was in a coma for 2 weeks and on life support. There was a lot of other worldly stuff that I experienced in and out of the coma as well as the emotional reset afterwards that I’ve spoken about already.
Q. Tropigloom’s sound seems to tap into both introspection and escapism. Is there a particular emotional state or mindset you’re trying to capture or even escape from while making music?
A. It’s very introspective and there is some escapism there. One thing that I experienced in and out of the coma was floating in pitch black at what felt like the bottom of an ocean. It was pretty peaceful. I would see orbs with faces on them or landscapes that would occasionally float into my awareness. I still carry a feeling of that place now, although not as much as being fully immersed in it, so it most likely is finding its way into the music I write.
Q. Given the raw, unfiltered nature of your lyrics, how do you approach vulnerability in your songwriting? Does it feel more empowering or exposing to share these deeply personal emotions with your listeners?
A. It’s empowering for me because I think pre-NDE I wouldn’t have felt comfortable writing this way. What I would have written before would have been really vague or about a situation that didn’t really apply to me, more like a story I guess. Nothing wrong with writing songs like that. I just wouldn’t have written in the way that I am now.
Q. With the release of your upcoming EP, “Everything Now But In Reverse,” what are you hoping listeners will take away from the experience? Is there a specific emotional journey or message you want them to connect with?
A. I think a lot of people can relate to some of the themes in these songs. We all have situations in our life that can really overwhelm us and it’s sometimes easier to handle them when you know that there’s someone else that is also going through it or that has been through it. That you aren’t alone. Near death can also be a very scary situation, but people do pull through. Human resilience can be very powerful and you’re often stronger than you think.
Q. Where does the magic of your music production begin? Do you kick things off in your home studio, or do you team up with an outside producer? And when it's time to wrap things up, do you handle the mixing and mastering yourself, or bring in someone to help perfect it?
A. I usually start with a drum loop that gives me a certain feeling. Tough to describe but it’ll hit on a specific feeling for me that I know I can expand on. I’ll play guitar chords first and arrange them to fit the feeling. Everything sort of falls into place after that. It all revolves around that initial feeling and I’ll follow it until I have everything figured out and demoed. I’ve recently been recording with Josh Korody and Dean Wales. We’ll replace the drum loops with real drums at Wychwood studio in Toronto and then all the other instruments will be recorded by me at home.
I’ll do my best to get the mix as far as I can myself and then hand it back over to Josh to finalize. My most recent masters have been done by Kristian Montano at Montano Mastering. I’ve been liking this workflow because it allows me to push myself to do as much as I can myself before I hand it over to someone who’s more experienced.
Q. Outside of music, who or what has had the biggest influence on your personal growth or artistic perspective?
A. I think the whole NDE experience and having such a supportive family has been a huge help towards my personal growth. As scary and as close as it was, it’s really opened up my perspective and appreciation for everything and everyone in my life.
Q. We’d love to dive deeper into the story behind your artist name, ‘Tropigloom’. Now that we’ve had a chance to experience your music, it’s clear that your fans will be equally curious about the meaning behind the name that accompanies your sound. How does ‘Tropigloom’ connect to the music you create, what significance does it hold for you personally, and what is the origin or backstory behind the name?
A. I’m always trying find a interesting ways of moving between the dark and the light. I think all my favourite artists do this to some degree. Tropigloom to me is that in a word. When I think tropical I think sunshine and palms trees but with the gloom there it adds a darker element to it. I use black and white photos to show this visually as well. I’m personally drawn to music that sort of hovers around this. You can get some really beautiful sounding results when you move in between the dark and light.
Q. And finally, we can’t thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what’s next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We’d love to be the first to share the news!
A. Thanks for the interview! You’ve asked great questions and I hope people can get some value out of this. I have another single from the EP coming out at the beginning of October. I have a video for it that’s in the works at the moment. The full EP comes out November 9th. I also have a full length demoed that I’m hoping to spend this winter recording. I appreciate everyone who took the time to read this.
Tropigloom, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Tropigloom’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
