LOS ANGELES — The holidays are a time for reflection, and award-winning pop producer and artist Stephan Moccio has been reflecting. His recently released Christmas album, "Winter Poems," showcases his passion for the raw simplicity of the piano.
"I felt the need to reduce my big complicated life in LA and just kind of come back to the basics of where I started off as a musician when I was 3 years old," he said.
His love for the piano helped him create iconic hits like "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus, "A New Day Has Come" by Celine Dion, not to mention his acclaimed song for The Weeknd, "Earned It," among many others.
But these days, success looks different for the versatile artist. After becoming exhausted by the demands of the pop industry, he is releasing his own music from a place where peaceful solo piano breathes forth his lyrics.
“As much as I’m known for having produced and been a part of huge iconic pop songs, at the core of who I am, I want people to be able to listen to themselves think,” he explained.
And thinking for himself is what he has been able to do throughout the pandemic, releasing not just his Christmas album "Winter Poems," but also his latest piano collection entitled "Lionheart." The latter album is all about courage, which is something Moccio wants to be known for.
"I want to be remembered as the guy who was able to bring intimacy, authenticity and realness to music," he said.
It was an arduous yet fruitful journey in finding his voice for him.
"It's taken me a long time to get here, but I am here now, finally," he said.
You can listen to Moccio's piano albums "Winter Poems" and "Lionheart" on all current streaming platforms.