In November, he released an EP called Pompeiio and the main theme of it is being transparent about various experiences.
“Pompeiio is really just honing in on the whole transparent issue and wanting to be real with people, but not in a corny, lame, Christian Veggie tales way. I want it to be real and be honest with people in a very raw way.”
TJ’s last name is Pompeo, but his album title is Pompeiio, a reference to the thriving Italian city of Pompeii, which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. All that remains of the city is ruins. “I wanted to take that story of Pompeii, of the city, and turn it into a metaphor and talk about all the different volcanoes in my life like lust, pride, anger, envy, sex; all of those different things that are kind of volcanoes in their own respect when they erupt, and when they do erupt, they can create the ruins of Pompeiio.”
The album artwork is made to portray a post-eruption wasteland. “That’s why we’ve got that background scenery of a barren wasteland on the banks of a river because that is kind of similar to what Pompeii actually looked like back then based on pictures and description.” He wanted to show pieces exploding out of him as if the volcanoes that are part of him are erupting. Creating the album Pompeiio has been a long process.
