by mariah estran
photo by christian lanza
“I started writing as a means of expression” — singer-songwriter Presence says about his work. He recalls when he was twelve and wrote his first song for his mother's birthday. It was a preliminary stage full of emotive words of love and admiration. As he grew older, he never lost that vulnerable side. Instead, he grew closer to it.
“When I got to high school, I started posting videos of my songs, and then people resonated with them,” he recalls. “It was this realization of, ‘Oh, okay, people do appreciate honesty and vulnerability.’ So, it is something that I should keep doing, and I have.”
Now, in 2024, Presence is preparing to release his debut album. He’s already dropped his single “SCARED OF THE FALL!” and listeners got a glimpse into his elasticity when it comes to sound. Working alongside producer Sweater Beatz and Gianni Taylor, the pop-punk sound packs a punch as he sings about growing from the personal obstacle of being secluded.
As he’s created his upcoming album, he’s become more confident as an artist — proud of the finished product.
Presence took a moment to tell us more about “SCARED OF THE FALL!,” what it’s been like creating a debut album, and sharing vulnerable stories.
You’ve recently released “SCARED OF THE FALL!” I understand it's the fear of learning how to open up. But what more can you tell us about the story behind the track?
Presence: “I worked with producer Matthew Rad, and we made some super cool stuff. I remember going home; I felt so pumped about what we wrote. Laying in bed that night, I was like, ‘Man, this was a perfect day.’ Then, there was that fear. This serendipity immediately turned into this unnerving feeling of ‘something bad is probably going to happen.’
The last time I remember feeling that was when I had left the country for the first time. I got back home, and I was pumped to tell my dad. On the drive back home, he's like, ‘While you were gone, we didn't want to worry you, but we have to go to a funeral.’ Then, ‘Actually, your mom is taking care of grandma because she's been in the hospital sick. And Uncle Michael, his liver failed, he's in the hospital.’
All of these things happened at once. So, for a long time after that, I became very closed off for an extensive amount of time. I cut off a lot of people in my life and made many decisions that I inevitably regretted.
That's what this song is about. It's that period, also me growing out of that and not realizing I had. I opened up to my co-writer Gianni and Sweaters about what I'm telling you now. Then we wrote ‘SCARED OF THE FALL!’ in a few hours. It was the most therapeutic experience — the process that got me over the hump.”
Your music tackles these deep topics, whether that be heartbreak or even things like depression. Why is it important to share these vulnerable sides with your listeners?
Presence: “I started writing as a means of expression. The first song that I wrote — I was twelve years old, and it was my mom's birthday. So it was like a means of expressing this feeling towards someone that I love.
But even that stems from going to therapy prior — I used to have panic attacks — my therapist used to say, ‘Write down your feelings — that might help out.’
How I started affected the trajectory of what I kept doing — in regards to writing, that's all I knew how to do. When I got to high school, I started posting videos of my songs, and people resonated with them. It was a realization of, ‘Oh, okay, people appreciate honesty and vulnerability.’ I should keep doing that.”
You’re about to release your debut album. What has it been like creating this larger body of work and working with producers for the first time?
Presence: “For a long time, pre-releasing music, there was a lot of stress because I felt a lot of imposter syndrome.
The process of working with other people and creating this larger body of work — I'm confident enough to say I'm proud. These stories will resonate with people and are worth being told.
I feel better about the music because I've crafted a vision. Writing the songs alone was super healing. Like in the moment, I wasn't thinking about that (the album), I was thinking about making the best song — getting these feelings off my chest. It was super therapeutic writing ‘SCARED OF THE FALL!’ We just repeated that process twelve more times.”
I want to mention your sound. You’ve always had this way of mixing pop with heavier, alternative vibes. But how would you say your sound has evolved?
Presence: “My sound has evolved as I have as a person. Sonically, we wanted to take people through all of these different journeys. Even though the music is super emotional, it's not all-somber. Each song has its personality, which goes hand in hand with how I feel daily. I don't know who I'm going to be tomorrow.
There's an R&B track, a pop-punk track, and a piano ballad. I'm excited to show people what I'm capable of. I boxed myself in for a while — this is what I have to do. Nobody would know if I didn't at least try it.”