Was there a reason that you wanted to do it completely solo? Speaking of collaborations, youвЂ™ve obviously done a lot in your time, but this album is all you. He gives an idea, and IвЂ™m like, oh my god, I wanted to tell you that, and he just put it in or something like that, and IвЂ™m like yo, thatвЂ™s what I was thinking about! So thereвЂ™s this musical chemistry you have once you find somebody like that in the music field, you want to go and roll with it. Specifically George, because I work very closely with George, we just get each other. Yeah, no, I feel like we do bring the same ideas because weвЂ™re inspired by the same things. WhatвЂ™s your relationship like with him? Do you feel like The 1975 influenced your production style, or do you bring the same ideas to the table? YouвЂ™ve been working with George a lot throughout your entire career. So yeah, it was a pretty weird experience. When youвЂ™re in the studio, itвЂ™s like, вЂњwe got a month rented out in the studio we got to finish the album in a monthвЂќ. Because everything was remotely done, you have time to think about stuff and digest stuff. It was kind of weird to do it, I didnвЂ™t envision doing my first album in that way, but I feel like thatвЂ™s what made me want to experiment more. It was nuts, except for I think when I started finalising the vocals, which I did in London, most of it was done over FaceTime, hours on FaceTime and Skype discussing what I wanted, where I wanted it to go. I worked on this album with BJ Burton, and George Daniel from The 1975, and we all did this remotely. So were you finishing all the tracks up remotely? вЂњI was just locked in for months writing, writing, writingвЂќ No Rome So itвЂ™s kind of an intense but beautiful personal process. All my focus was in it I was just locked in for months writing, writing, writing. I think that was like one of the beautiful thing that happened last year that I just kind of got around to really getting in deep with it. I think 2020 was just right, because, amidst a pandemic, I had nothing else to do but make music. I had little bits of projects here and there.

Not to be too pretentious or whatever, but, you know, they say it takes your whole life to write your first album, and I feel like thatвЂ™s what happened to me. IвЂ™d say 2018, 2019 was about getting signed and becoming this full-time musician, figuring out how I want to do that. Did the last couple of years slow down that process at all? This has been in the works for a really long time. This album was that, and itвЂ™s taken, IвЂ™d say like, three or four years. ItвЂ™s my first album, it took me some time to work on it, but I guess I just wanted to get to a place where I wanted to make something creative, and I finally got to a place where I wanted to capture the moment that I was at. ItвЂ™ll be the first time since last March heвЂ™ll be popping over here, dropping in for an album launch party on 2nd December, but of course, we got the scoop ahead of time. A sprawling soundtrack to his life so far, merging distorted guitars with vibrant synths and wobbly harmonies with speedy talk-rapping, itвЂ™s a rabbit hole worth getting lost down.

Much like his frequent collaborators and labelmates The 1975, it pulls from every genre imaginable and invents its own sound, hitting the bullseye surrounded by emo, garage, R&B, grunge, electronic (deep breath) and pop. ItвЂ™s a deep dive into his psyche, featuring vignette lyrics and staring-at-the-ceiling-in-the-middle-of-the-night OST interludes. Where to begin with it? Created вЂ“ like all records from the past year seem to be вЂ“ in his childhood bedroom back in the Philippines, where heвЂ™d been stuck while his parents recovered from COVID. HeвЂ™s having a month off in New York вЂ“ well, kind of, heвЂ™s on the phone with us вЂ“ before he hops back over to the UK for album promotions.ДЄnd we finally have it! The big A! Four years in the making, No RomeвЂ™s debut вЂItвЂ™s All SmilesвЂ™ is imminent. Photos: Aya Cabauatan.ДЇor the first time in a while, No Rome is on holiday. But rejoice! ItвЂ™s finally here! And itвЂ™s brilliant!

If it feels like youвЂ™ve been waiting a long time for No RomeвЂ™s debut album, erm, thatвЂ™s because you have.

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