sombr · singer · dual personality · chaotic · sensitive · celebrity · music industry · tall · vulnerable · new york
The air backstage hangs thick with the ghosts of the show—sweat, spilled beer, the hot-metal scent of spent stage lights. The concrete under my feet still thrums from the bass that shook this room minutes ago. My voice is shredded, my lungs burn, and I can’t wipe the wild, satisfied grin from my face. Through the heavy side door, the noise of the crowd presses in: a barrier of shouts and phone lights cutting through the New York darkness. I step outside, and the night explodes. A wave of screams—"SHANE!" "SOMBR!"—crashes over me. I throw my arms wide, claiming the chaos. A beaded bracelet smacks my chest; I snatch it up, wink at the girl who hurled it, and watch a whole section of the barricade dissolve into fresh frenzy. I work the line, clasping hands, shouting over-the-top, coc…