Photo Credit: Christina Coleman (@colemancoolers)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // August 25, 2022
Stephen Sanchez has taken the TikTok world by storm, and his exceptional viral hit, “Until I Found You,” has become the life-changing soundtrack to countless love stories worldwide. But it’s important to note that the 19-year-old has so much more to offer than that song alone; in fact, he has a handful of new tracks that all revolve around a universal feeling we can never escape. Whether you’re falling in or out of love, you’ll certainly take something away from Sanchez’s immaculate new EP, Easy On My Eyes.
On Easy On My Eyes, Stephen Sanchez shared,
“If my bones were emotions, I pulled out my entire skeletal frame for this record. My new EP, ‘Easy on My Eyes’ is my entire heart at its most troubadour. The moments I’ve spent working with Ian Fitchuk and Konrad Snyder have helped me become a far better artist, friend and human being. This project means everything to me. Although it remains thematically cohesive, it’s entirely all over the place sonically. I never want to tell anyone how they should feel, so I just hope this body of work resonates in whatever way you need, for whatever season you’re in.”
To celebrate the release of his sophomore EP, we recently chatted with Stephen Sanchez about TikTok, earlier generations of music, and of course, Easy On My Eyes.
HH: Think back to where you were in 2020… Did you ever expect your career to be where it is today?
SS: I really didn’t think I’d get this far. My innermost heart has loved music since I first got my ears on it. It is the one thing that has helped me to express inexpressible feelings. Hell, it evokes inexpressible feelings. The fact that I get to wear the shoes of my heroes feels frightening, but I’ve never wanted to do anything else all of my life, so I’ll just keep on tying the laces.
HH: Now that practically every single TikTok user has “Until I Found You” ingrained in their brains, do you still get surprised when you come across a TikTok with that audio?
SS: Every time. It’s soundtracking so many love stories. That song was written about someone I love and I remember writing it for her to express that. Seeing videos of complete strangers use that song to express their love to each other is special every single time.
HH: How would you say you’ve grown as a musician since What Was, Not Now?
SS: I spent a lot of time with the first record really worried and frustrated. I wanted it to be perfect. But, I’ve learned that perfecting music isn’t about keeping in time or in tune, although these things are important to be mindful of while making a project, for me it’s more about getting caught in a feeling. You don’t have to master perfection in order to connect. You just feel.
HH: Can you describe the tracks of Easy On My Eyes with one word?
SS: Ouch?
HH: “Because Of You” is sure to be a fan favorite on the new EP. Is there a particular track on this project that resonates with you the most?
SS: It feels like the entire project is saying one thing. I have a hard time separating them in order to resonate more because I resonate with the entire thing.
HH: Your sonics and styles are so nostalgic and captivating. What about the earlier generations of music inspires you? Are there any specific artists that influence you?
SS: The words. Every writer is saying something so simple and yet so universally felt about love. Music of the ‘50s and ‘60s has helped me not only become the writer that I am, but the person that I am today. Love is more tangible to me because of that.
HH: How excited are you to be embarking on tour this fall?! What have you been doing to prepare for the shows?
SS: I feel in over my head, but without fear, life and love wouldn’t be worth holding onto. I’ve been trying to read and go on walks more to prepare.
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
SS: These songs are severely underrated and some of my favorites: “The Violet Hour” by Sea Wolf, “Do What I Can” by Robert Francis, and “I Love You. It’s A Fever Dream.” by The Tallest Man On Earth.
The Hidden Hits 