P.J. Pacifico On His Latest Single “Every Little Heartbreak,” Writing With Garrison Starr, Future Plans, Christopher Cross & More

After years of being immersed behind the scenes as a songwriter, scoring a multitude of sync licensing placements for commercials and popular television shows (e.g. Shameless, Hard Knocks, Teen Mom 2), P.J. Pacifico has returned to his roots as a solo recording artist with his new single “Every Little Heartbreak.” Speaking to a world eager to embrace a fresh new day after a time of intense challenges, “Every Little Heartbreak” features singer/songwriter Garrison Starr on harmonies and production duties. The track was written by Pacifico, Starr and Valerie Broussard, the latter being Pacifico’s partner in his band Signals In Smoke, whose song “Coming Up For Air” hit #1 on iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter chart after appearing on Grey’s Anatomy; the same song was later featured on The CW’s Legacies.

P.J. Pacifico’s perspective on the ups and downs of being an indie artist and songwriter are profoundly colored by his experiences as a survivor of Hodgkins Lymphoma. He was diagnosed during Christmas break of his senior year at the University of Hartford. Beating cancer after undergoing months of chemo and radiation — and even having his spleen and part of his liver removed — made him feel that the universe had given him a second chance, but there was an intense psychological downside: survivor’s guilt. When he started achieving success in music, he struggled with what is known as “imposter’s syndrome,” a related emotion which has often made him feel unworthy of his hard-earned blessings. Eventually he would sign to Viper Records in 2006, and ink a licensing deal with Razor & Tie Publishing (now branded within the Concord musical umbrella) in 2015.

On June 8, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with P.J. Pacifico via Zoom, as embedded below. More on Pacifico and “Every Little Heartbreak” can be found by clicking here, here, here and here.

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER

Tags: Connecticut, Garrison Starr, P.J. Pacifico, Razor & Tie, Signals In Smoke, Singer/Songwriters, Viper Records

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."