The word multi-facet is one that is thrown around with ease, but there are few true young talents circulating in multiple industries, successfully. And, SANTI is one of them. Having shot himself to prominence with the warmly-received launch of his creative company NOISE, SANTI who also goes by Joe Laresca, dominated the entrepreneurial world – an accolade that was confirmed with his recent feature on FOREBS’ 30 Under 30 list and collabs with the likes of Kanye West. But now, the rising name is looking to take over another industry, something he hopes to achieve with the release of his debut single, “Tú y Yo”.

“I see ‘Tú y Yo’ really as putting my back against the wall and saying, ‘I do music now’, explains SANTI. “The song itself is a super innocent love song. Some songs tend to over sexualise love and intimacy, and are super aggressive––this song is the opposite. It’s about loving and caring for someone so much and the most important thing is wanting to see them, only them, and all the time.”

Looking back on the release of his debut single, the entrepreneur-turned-artist sat down with Wonderland to talk about the beginnings of NOISE and working to have the world respect him as an artist. Head below to enjoy our chat with SANTI…

So, let’s start by talking about NOISE. How did your creative company come to be?
I’ve been starting things since college and since then I’ve always sort of played the hype man––bringing people together and getting them excited about something and aligning them on one singular mission. One of my favourite things to do is come up with ideas and figure out how to make them happen. NOISE is an extension of my brain, it allows me to help other brands and influential individuals with their ideas while simultaneously building mine.

And, through the company, you have been able to work alongside the likes of Kanye West, Nick Jonas and more! What would you say has been your favourite moment with NOISE?
I don’t know if I’m cynical and I’m definitely not trying to be difficult, but I don’t have a favourite moment. Maybe my favourite moment was when I first told my mum back in her basement in Staten Island that I wanted to create this thing called NOISE and she was the first person that believed me. I definitely have a lot of amazing memories though like opening our company bank account, signing our first client, taking our first team trip, and when we were finally able to buy noise.com. But to be brutally honest, my favourite moment hasn’t happened yet…

Your impeccable work with NOISE catapulted you onto the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which is quite impressive! Can you recall the moment you found out that you were being honoured on the list?
So I was actually in bed and someone on our team texted me congrats in our company chat. It’s weird but I think when I was younger I cared more about the award itself but as I get older and I have so many dreams and goals to fulfil those, it’s more of an honour for my company and team than just me as an individual by itself. All things aside, I’m insanely grateful for the award and the amazing people I’ve been able to meet because of it.

And now, you are about to drop your debut single! How have you found making the transition from entrepreneur to musician? How have people reacted to the news of your shift in career focus?
So it actually dropped on the 25th of February; 25 is my family’s good luck charm. But if you know me you definitely know I’m an overthinker––I’m still working on it. I was worried for a while that our clients and partners at NOISE would think it was super weird and unprofessional if I released music but now that I finally pulled the plug and released my first single. I’m not looking to transition, rather combine the two in a way no other CEO or artist has ever done before.

The track is called “Tú y Yo”. Can you talk us through what we can expect from it? Is there a specific message the track is trying to relay?
I see “Tú y Yo” really as putting my back against the wall and saying, ‘I do music now’. The song itself is a super innocent love song. Some songs tend to over sexualise love and intimacy, and are super aggressive––this song is the opposite. It’s about loving and caring for someone so much and the most important thing is wanting to see them, only them, and all the time.

You are releasing music under the name of SANTI, which is an ode to your uncle! Talk to us about your uncle’s influence on your life.
SANTI is really the only form of separation between my entrepreneur life and artist life on paper. I wanted to pick a name that was symbolic but also to honor where my family comes from and my culture. Really there are probably 25+ reasons why I picked the name but it’s also my Uncle’s name who lives in Ecuador as well as my little brother’s middle name.

Apart from the debut release, what else can we expect from SANTI in 2022?
This may sound really cliche but I’m trying my hardest to enjoy the process of becoming an artist. As an entrepreneurial New Yorker and a perfectionist, I tend to try and get things done as fast as possible––but clearly music is way different. Additionally, I’m someone who suffers from OCD & anxiety and I’m trying to come to terms that art is never finished and actually not perfect. All that said, I have about 10 or more records ready to go and another 20 demos that I’m working on finalising this summer. I’ll be releasing my second single in early June called “Manana” and another two singles that will follow. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while so I’m insanely excited that I’m doing it.