Roman District Is Building a World You Can Step Into
The name has two parts, and they came from two different places in his life. One goes back to where he's from, the other to a trip that changed how he saw music entirely.
"Roman is my family name, so that part has always been connected to where I come from. The District came later, after a backpacking trip through Europe, where I really got immersed in the rave culture there. I wanted the name to feel like a place, somewhere you could step into and experience a whole world. That's where Roman District came from."
Texas Roots, London Ears
He's from Texas and went to school in Indiana, but that's not where his sound comes from. UK house and garage found him almost by accident, through the people he met early on.
"I grew up listening to a lot of English music, The Cure, The Beatles, Her's, but I wasn't really exposed to much dance music growing up. That changed in high school when I started spending more time in studios and meeting other artists who were constantly showing me new music. I remember the first track that blew me away was 'Back To You' by Murphy's Law and Max, and then I discovered Riordan. I became obsessed with that sound and started digging deeper into UK house and garage. The more I listened, the more it naturally started showing up in my own production."
A Form of Expression
Ask him to describe his sound and he'd rather talk about how it's supposed to feel. For him it always comes back to connection over technicality.
"It's hard to describe because I want my music to make people feel something. I want people to feel happy and euphoric, but more than anything, I want there to be an emotional connection. Whether you're dancing, listening with your eyes closed, or just going through something in your own life, I want the music to meet you there. Roman District is a form of expression, it's music that will make you feel something and make you want to dance."
Bad Tracks and Delusional Optimism
He's been producing for years, and he's blunt about how he learned. No mentors, no formal training, just a lot of trial and error.
"A lot of bad tracks and a lot of delusional optimism. I was completely self taught. Shoutout to one of my friends, Tally, who got me Ableton and showed me the basics. From there, I pretty much figured everything out on my own through YouTube and making garbage tracks until they slowly started becoming good."
"Next To Me" with Chris Gooding has taken off in a way most early releases don't. He remembers exactly how it came together.
"It was made back in Houston during a session that Chris and I had. We actually made three tracks that night, and one of them was 'Next To Me,' which we ended up finishing at 6 a.m. I was scrolling through some vocal samples he had, and Amber's vocal caught my attention. I wrote the bassline, and we just built the track from there. It's a really special song to me."
He wasn't expecting much of a response when it finally came out. He'd barely even been posting it before it took off. Some things just find a life of its own and this in fact did.
"I honestly didn't expect that kind of reaction, especially because I had mostly just been sending the track out and wasn't really posting it. So to see people connect with it the way they did was a really special surprise and genuinely filled me with so much joy."
The Night "Next To Me" Happened
Kitchen Table to Studio
"Think Too Much" is a solo record, and it carries a different energy than the rest of his catalog. It started somewhere unexpected too.
"I wanted to make something a bit more euphoric and synth driven, so I sound designed most of the synths on the track myself. I actually made the lead on my kitchen table and then finished the song months later in the studio. I wanted it to have a trancey, almost psychedelic feeling, and I think we managed to capture those elements while giving it a different energy from some of my other records."
Colombia shows up in his music too. It's there in the rhythms he grew up around, long before he started producing.
"I grew up listening to a ton of reggaeton and vallenato, and hearing all the different instruments, rhythms, and ways of singing really opened my ears. It taught me to be comfortable mixing and matching elements from different genres when I'm producing. That background has been a huge source of inspiration for me and definitely shaped the way I approach music today."
Roots in the Rhythm
Going All In
His growth online wasn't an accident. It happened during his senior year of college, while he was on track for medical school. One leap to start setting his dreams in place.
"I realized I really wanted to pursue something I knew I was extremely passionate about. So I decided to go all out on my socials and started posting every day. It completely changed my life. It wasn't easy at first because I'm not the most comfortable on camera, but it gave me a way to share my music with so many more people. It helped me grow as an artist and become more comfortable putting myself and my music out there."
Staying Grounded
The scene moves fast. He's had to figure out what keeps him steady inside of it.
"I'm definitely huge on exercise and eating healthy. I run and lift a lot, and I try to prioritize my health because I think that's important for longevity. As an artist, you're going to create at your best when your body and mind are on the same wavelength. I also think having time away from music is really important. I struggle with that because I hate taking breaks, but I've learned that they're necessary. Sometimes stepping away helps you come back with a fresh perspective, avoid burnout, and even avoid overworking a track."
What Roman District Is Really About
Beyond the releases and the shows, he's thought a lot about what he actually wants the project to represent. That part matters to him just as much as the sound does.
"I want Roman District to stand for a community of people who see music as more than just something you listen to. It's a way to feel, connect, and express yourself. I want the music to bring people together, whether they're dancing, going through something, or simply looking for a feeling they can't put into words. At the end of the day, I want Roman District to be a space where people can be completely themselves and feel connected to something bigger than just the music."
What's Ahead
"Over the next two years, I'd love to play at DC10 in Ibiza and Creamfields. The energy at those places are like nothing I've ever experienced before, and it would be incredible to be part of that. I'd also love to play in Colombia and Australia."
He's not waiting two years for the next thing, though. There's already a lot moving right now.
"I've got a new release coming this Friday with Camden Cox on Atlantic Records, with more releases already in the pipeline. There's also some exciting news coming on the live side. A lot of fun stuff is coming from the project, and I'm really excited for what's ahead."
There is a lot more to come from Roman District, and we are here for all of it.