After hitting the scene with a superb level of both skill and originality, genre-fusing producer ruined promises kindly took part in an interview.
We talk about this unique balancing of drum and bass, house, dark pop – the creative freedom and the solid foundations, as well as the way each track is crafted from the ground up. We also talk about live shows, ambitions, and plenty more. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hey – excited to talk music with you, thanks for the interview! To introduce things, where are you based, and how would you describe your diverse musical style?
I am based I a little town just outside of Chambersburg in southern Pennsylvania.
My musical style is all over the place. I love so many different styles of music, the grit of Industrial, the intimacy of Emo, the atmospheres of Drum & Bass, the catharsis of EDM. It all kind of blends together for me into something uniquely mine.
Why this artist name?
It’s from the idea that words, vows, promises , commitment, love; they are all universal. Everyone has experienced at least one of them that went badly. So I wanted a name that reflected that. My music is about taking what’s been broken and moving past it. It’s something people connect with.
“It’s not just about the loss, it’s about resilience. The name may have come from my own scars, but it belongs to everyone who’s ever been broken and kept going.”
What first inspired your passion for drum & bass and dance, dark-pop in general?
I was a raver back in the day and I fell in love with how futuristic drum and bass sounded, so full of energy. The beat that just keeps you moving. The catchy melodies of dark-pop that you find yourself humming later on.
Tell me about the creative process for You Don’t Want Me – where did you begin, and how did you build things; what are your go-to production tools?
I began with the lyrics, based on a real situation. I wanted to juxtapose the lyrics with music that was positive and uplifting to heighten the contrast.
My go-to tools are my drum machine and my bass synth, going back and forth between them until I have something that feels right. Then its just layering other synths on top to compliment them.
There’s a brilliantly original style to your releases, blending DnB, House, EDM, and dark pop, with personality and passion that’s addictive. What do you think is the key to creating something both unique and appealing to a broader audience?
I start with emotion first, I don’t even think about the genre.I don’t sit down thinking, ‘I’m going to make a Drum & Bass track’ or ‘this should sound more like House.’ I sit down with a feeling. Heartbreak, defiance, grief, survival, and then I let everything build around that.
The blend of styles comes from finding the best way to express a feeling. That honesty is what makes it unique, and that honesty is also what makes it universal.
What was the intention behind Bad For My Soul, and why this fusion of retro gamer tones and heavy, distorted bass?
I wanted to use the tension between the gamer tones, most people would have nostalgia for, with the destructive sound of that bass. Because that is how heartbreak feels to me.
In that track I am wrestling with wanting to be with someone who I recognize is not good for me.Its a little jarring to some as the chorus goes a little sideways form what people would expect after the verse. But that is how feelings go sometimes, they spring up unexpectedly.
Your use of contrast is masterful; will you be adding visuals or bigger projects to your repertoire?
I do my best to make some visuals, but it is not my strength at all. I have ideas and concepts, but that is not my skill set.
I have reached out to some visual artists to help bring my ideas to life. So hopefully in the future there will be some.
I think things will only get bigger from here on, as I add new sounds and new styles.
“I do my best to get what is inside my head and my heart out, and I love that people resonate with it.”
Welcome to the wreckage is intense, fascinating and powerful – what was your mindset like when making this, and how does it feel to listen back to it now?
It was after a painful breakup. I was angry and hurting and I just wanted to get it all out.
It’s the sound of standing in the ruins of something you thought would last forever, and realizing that even broken glass can catch the light and sparkle.
I wasn’t about trying to escape the wreckage, it was about exploring it, letting the chaos speak, and discovering that survival itself can be beautiful.
The track is both a funeral and a rebirth, a reminder that even in destruction, there’s power and color if you’re willing to face it.
You’re a fairly new musical creator – why now, what prompted you to dive in headfirst?
I’ve been making music for quite a while privately. Only sharing it with close friends and family. They were the ones that convinced me to start releasing it out to the world, and its scaring putting pieces of yourself out to others. But overall I have been overwhelmed by all the people reaching out to me, to share their own stories with me. How they relate to some of the songs. That has made it so worthwhile for me.
Does live performance or DJing play a part in your ambition?
I love playing live, the energy of the crowd, seeing people dancing and moving. It’s been mostly small clubs and house parties, but I really love the intimacy of it. Being able to look at people’s faces as I watch them lose themselves in the music.
Do you write your own lyrics or use AI to formulate ideas?
I write my own, I grew up listening to a lot of Trent Reznor, Tori Amos, and Bjork. So I try to capture that kind of lyrical imagery they have.
I am nowhere near as good as them, sometimes my thoughts and feelings are a jumbled mess, but thats how it is sometimes and it reflects in some of the lyrics.
You’ve amassed tens of thousands of followers already – what’s been the key to building this audience?
I think it’s been the overall message of healing. I’m not just posting for them to listen to my next song. I’m posting things to help them thru their breakups.
I’m being honest and real with them as people, not as a target audience and the people that need to find me, do find me and connect.
What’s next for ruined promises?
My next album releases on Halloween, 10/31/25.
I am very excited for people to experience it.
Beyond that I will keep on putting myself out therefor the world. one piece of my heart at a time.
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Find ruined promises on TikTok & Instagram.
