Photo Credit: Ted Belton
June 20th, 2025 – Artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Chris LaRocca releases his third single of the year, “slow dance in the diner”, from his forthcoming EP ‘dog years’, via Red Bull Records/Wonderchild. Fans can stream the song here.
“slow dance in the diner” is somber, smitten, bold, and honest all at once. Listeners witness LaRocca reflect on spending time with his person, and his gratitude for the smallest moments. Sonically, he’s as detail-oriented as ever — with raw vocals, unfiltered lyrics, and a crisp, emotional guitar line. This track showcases yet another facet of his artistic depth and marks a significant shift towards the musical storytelling he has long admired but never sought to create – until now. Drawing inspiration from Americana and folk greats, he grounds this single around the traditional stylings and simplicities of each genre.
On the inspiration behind the song, LaRocca shared: “”slow dance in the diner” reminisces on a trip I took with my partner to Halifax in the East Coast of Canada. After visiting Peggy’s Cove, we ended up at the only restaurant open at that hour of night called ‘The Finer Diner.’ They were playing old country music, and it was completely empty aside from the two of us and the guy behind the counter. While we were waiting for what felt like forever for him to come cash us out, we started slow dancing to pass the time. When I think back to that moment, it feels like it was a scene out of a movie, and was one of the few times in this life I have felt the warmth of true love. It was a realization that I rarely have the time to just slow down and live in the present moment, and a reminder to enjoy those moments thoroughly when they present themselves”.
LaRocca started off the year with singles “ladybug” and “laundry day”, giving listeners a taste of the EP’s versatility and themes around falling (and staying) in love. Each song is a new page out of LaRocca’s journal, and while their sonic makeup is different, they’re tied together by time. The EP was written over the course of a single year wherein LaRocca grew considerably as a person and as one half of a relationship. He captures the complexity of the tug-of-war between fulfillment and disbelief that comes with finding someone you want to spend forever with.
As more pieces to Chris LaRocca’s dog years are revealed, listeners are shown the many sides that make up the Toronto-born artist. His vulnerability shines through in every verse, where he consistently demonstrates the ability to turn life’s most complicated moments into relatable bodies of work.
Stream "slow dance in the diner" here: https://chrislarocca.ffm.to/slowdance
About Chris LaRocca
In a previous life, Chris LaRocca was a fixture in Toronto’s DIY scene, playing sweaty basements around North America with his post-hardcore band. As that chapter of his sound slowly faded into the rearview, LaRocca transitioned from the stage to the studio, establishing himself as a dynamic producer and sought-after collaborator for top-shelf names like Kali Uchis, Bryson Tiller, Russ, and Stray Kids.
He soon caught the attention of GRAMMY-nominated, JUNO Award-winning producer, WondaGurl, joining her Wonderchild roster in partnership with Red Bull Records. His first full-length, 'i cried my eyes out', featured the song “linger”, which he brought to the screen in a heart-wrenchingly beautiful short film that won a Cannes Lion, among other accolades.
While he’d come a long way from his DIY days, there was a part of LaRocca yearning for the music that reflected his authentic identity. Cue his new EP, 'dog years'. In the year it took to create, LaRocca felt like he had lived through seven years' worth of challenges and personal growth. Going into 2024, he relocated from Toronto to the Canadian wilderness to follow the Americana, rootsy sounds that were calling to him.
Working with Daniel Lanois (Neil Young, Bob Dylan), Matt DeLong and Ben Cook (No Warning), Jahson Paynter, and Dave Marcus (21 Savage, Rico Nasty), LaRocca felt confident to not only traverse new genres, but to dive deep into his personal life. 'dog years' is both a time-lapse that sees his relationships bloom and a love letter to himself.
Chris is steadily gaining fans across Southeast Asia, with 🇮🇩Indonesia at #3, 🇵🇭the Philippines at #4, 🇹🇭Thailand at #5, 🇹🇼Taiwan at #7 and 🇲🇾Malaysia at #10 among his top 10 streaming countries worldwide.
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