Teeside singer/songwriter Rojor has built up a strong reputation as an innovative creator of strong music.  His recent release, the 80s sounding electro-pop track ‘Only luv can hurt’, has been widely praised for it’s composotion and strong melodies.  Damian Robinson caught up with Rojor to find more about the new single, and the future plans.

Hi Rojor, your new track ‘Only Luv Can Hurt’ focuses on an unusual message for pop music; loving someone who loves someone else. Was there a particular inspiration for the track?

Not really – but I do like the philosophical idea. ‘I love you and you love me’ can be pretty ordinary, but ‘I love you and you love someone else’ – that’s an interesting subject matter for any writer. The world is awash with love songs (and there’s nothing wrong with that) but I think looking at love from a darker perspective always makes for a thought-provoking song.

The sound of the track reminded me very much of St Etienne; upbeat electronic sounds and pulsating beats. Was it a conscious decision to soundtrack emotive content with upbeat sounds or was it a pleasant surprise

I quite like juxtaposation. Often a sad song is matched with a minor chord theme and a ballad tempo but I enjoy messing with musical structures and theory. ‘Only Luv Can Hurt’ still manages to carry a melancholy vibe even with its up-tempo electronic dance energy – I guess the character of my voice is a distinctive part of that. It’s the art of the songwriter to try and express everyday human experiences and show them in a clearer light. I like to reach out to the audience and hopefully reflect something back that they recognise.

‘Only luv can hurt’ comes pretty soon after your last album ‘Fatally beautiful’. Do you tend to be creating all of the time or was this part of the tracks recorded for the album?

This track was actually written and recorded after the release of ‘Fatally Beautiful’ but it’s certainly from the same pool of ideas. My producer Tony Waite and I have a really intuitive working relationship and we have been in a very productive recording groove recently. As a writer I always have around 5 or 6 songs I’m working on at any particular time and this was one of the first demos I brought into the studio during those initial post ‘Fatally Beautiful’ sessions.

The video is shot on location in Teesside at ‘Temenos’, what was the reason behind using Temenos?

I’m a massive BORO fan and one afternoon while heading to a match at ‘The Riverside’ I walked under the art installation and was just blown away with how powerful it was – it’s a stunning structure. For the video I wanted something which was visually exciting. I also wanted a sci-fi vibe, which complemented the electronic sound. I’m proud to showcase the North East and to come from Teesside so ‘Temenos’ was the obvious choice.

Finally what aims do you have for the remainder of 2017 and can we expect to see you on the live circuit soon?

The last few years have been fantastic with all the national radio airplay and to be honest the recording side of things has been my driver in recent times but I do absolutely intend to get back on the live stage. I’m looking forward to rehearsals and doing some live shows. Putting together a top live band is next on my agenda. I want to share the songs with the live audience. I’m aware that any opportunity that comes my way arrives because of the love and generosity of my fans and supporters – I hope your readers will give my music some time and you are all invited along for the ride – it’ll be humbling and fabulous to see everyone at the live shows.

To find out more about Rojor, including where to find the ‘Only Luv’ single and future tour dates, check out ROJOR at http://www.rojor.com