New York’s Brian Falduto makes an art out of pop country. As contributor Gion Davis wrote in issue 3 of our Rainbow Rodeo zine (coming soon to our web store!), Falduto’s primary artistic thrust is taking the mainstream country sound and making it gay. Evoking the phases of the moon in the song, Falduto chose to release it this weekend in honor of this Halloween weekend’s full moon.
“The song tells of my first love, a college boyfriend, who I came out of the closet with,” Falduto explains. “The way he responded to our relationship ending felt invalidating to how I experienced it emotionally. I even began questioning the queer awakening we shared because of some gaslighting behavior on his part afterward.”
Falduto wanted to stretch his abilities on this recording. “This song not only shows me in a different light stylistically but it also showcases my vocal capabilities in new ways that I’m excited about.”
With thoughtful flourishes and Falduto dipping into his buttery lower range, the song is sultry and heartfelt — even as it touches on a particularly painful heartbreak.
“‘Just a Phase’ is my first original song release since putting out my debut album. The song was actually one of the first I’d ever written but I struggled getting the production just right for a while,” Falduto told Rainbow Rodeo. “Now, thanks to Brooklyn producer Brett Castro, I’m so happy with it. I’m really proud of the way we kept the elements of ‘Gay Country’ that I loved while giving it some modern touches. It still very much lives under the umbrella of country music, and even has some of that 90s sound that I love, but it’s not quite as limited to those lanes. In this way, it’s also indicative of where I want to go next as a storyteller and an artist.”
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