Mario Angel Interview
Who is Mario?
From Killeen to Austin Texas comes Mario Angel, an up-and-coming artist who is making waves in the music industry. With a soulful voice and a deep passion for music, Mario’s sound is characterized by emotive lyrics and lush production. Mario’s music is both introspective and relatable, exploring themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Having honed his craft over the years, Mario Angel is poised for success in the music world. His dedication to his craft and his ability to connect with his audience through his music makes him a force to be reckoned with. Keep an ear out for this rising star, as he is sure to make a lasting impact on the music industry. I got some great information from Mario, and I’m excited to learn more and hear more in the near future. Let’s get to know him a little more below!
When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?
When I get a new skill I instantly start imagining what I’m going to do with it, at first I didn’t really think about being a full-on music artist, and only focusing on that. I really didn’t get serious until I dropped Project: Heart, then I was like okay I got this tape that I’m in love with, and I need the world to hear this. So that led to me realizing music is the career I’m going to build for myself. I’ve been making music all my life, I started with rapping and being inspired by my dad as a little kid, I would write lyrics but it’d never turn to full songs. then in high school, I would mess around freestylin’ with my boys, making beats and songs on my iPad. Around 2016 I got Logic Pro X and since then have been making music. That whole time from 2016 to 2022 I was focused on designing. I work with brands, small businesses, and music artists. I was knocking out commissions, working freelance, building people’s brands, graphics, and animations.
Now I know it’s really time to work on this music, I have just been working on creating my next tape and getting my team together so I can find out how to take this to the next level.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Kanye West, Playboi Carti, A$AP Rocky, Tyler The Creator, Michael Jackson, Lil Uzi Vert. They all inspired me to create, along with my family. My mom being a tattoo artist and my dad being a tattoo artist plus a singer/rapper. I’m also really inspired by video games, Star Wars, Harry Potter, anime/cartoons, and even jazz. I love listening to jazz shows when I go on cruises, sailing the Caribbean. It’s a whole different experience, and jazz really lights up my mind in a way other music just doesn’t.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
People tell me all the time my music reminds them of fantasy and video games. The song could sound like the jungle, with horns, and me talking about a girl.. whole time I was inspired by Tarzan. Or maybe I got some synths that sound like Tron music and I’m talking about crashing out my whip. Video games, fantasy, art, hip hop, rap, rock, and so much more influence my sound.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process?
Create the beat then get to recording. in my music I always start off with feeling, I make the beat then freestyle and write. For all the songs in project heart, I just knew I wanted to make music that would spread love to the world. So for every song I just used instruments, melodies, and lyrics that felt like love to me. In “outta here” I start the tape off talking about a girl and how she washed up on shore like a message in a bottle, how we can really run away from regular life and find a way to turn up in this world. Then I end the tape off saying “now you’re mine, forever, for real” in “u❤” where I’m talking bout how this girl makes me feel. I imagined that song like a wedding then at the end being where we kiss and it’s official, or even us driving away for our honeymoon.
It’s really no full process where I force myself to do things one way. Im all over the place. I get ideas all day and just put it all down somewhere for later or I get to creating right there. I’ve got mad notebooks all over and thousands of notes in my phone just chilling waiting to see the light one day. I’ve also got beats where I just made the beat and freestyle right there.
What has been your biggest challenge so far as an artist?
Really I just started taking this serious, so far the only real challenge has been getting coverage. Making the music itself is fun and easy. Trying to get the music out to the world, and marketing, can all really end up being the hard part. Hitting up all these different people who really have no incentive to listen. I guess you just gotta play your cards right. Sometimes you gotta get real creative, go a lil crazy, so you can take steps that push you farther than just moving steady. Also, evolving as an artist has to happen. I’m always thinking about ways to make this whole system run better, or searching my mind for my next great art piece.
How has your hometown of Killeen, Texas influenced your music?
Man Killeen aint really the type of place that’ll inspire you off just the look of it. But I will say there ain’t nothing to do there and that’ll give you the time you need to get good at your skills. The city definitely taught me how to live and watch out for how people are. It’s mad diverse in Killeen, It’s a military town so you see people from all over living here. I’ve met so many people who ended up moving because their family got deployed somewhere else, or people who only moved to Killeen because military. I grew up with friends from all over so I guess that has led to me having a bigger life vision and respect for different cultures. you can learn a lot in Killeen though, just depends on who you are. I don’t live there anymore, I live in Austin, but when I go back I always tap in with my people. you got to remember where you are from so you don’t lose yourself. I’d say it gave me a good base, but it’s the type of place you just gotta get out of, if you want to do something with yourself beyond that regular job life.
Killeen is growing a lot and the music culture there is getting stronger, we got shows, clubs, and all types of events that can give artists a lil taste for where they can take their careers.
How do you stay inspired and creative when making music?
If I’m trying to get into that flow state, I’ll workout or just open my laptop and start making noises. Sometimes I watch anime too because the concepts inspire me. Sometimes I’ll feel like I just need to experience something new or get moving so I’ll go outside and take walks, go do something random I’ve never done before. Hit up the homies and get around different people. Learning about art, science, philosophy, and history all get me inspired too, just learning something new can energize me for the whole day.
I also get random hits of ideas. I’ve noticed it’ll come from life experiences or just something my mind is thinking of. I’ll go through the worst time in my life and at those times I’ll feel more creative. I’ll be on go. I just turn that chaotic energy into something that could maybe change my life, or help me understand myself better. Music.
What can fans expect from you in the near future?
I’ve been working on a tape lately, and fashion + animation are an ongoing thing. You’ll definitely always see new clothes coming from me. I love art in so many aspects, I’m always creating something that expands my bounds of what I can do. Rendell and I have been working on bringing yall clothes for AGAINSTTHEWORLD, there are a lot of designs we got waiting for y’all to see. Timing is just key.
After this tape though you can expect a lot of experimentation, new sounds, new flows, new everything. It’s time to test my limits and boundaries after S&S is out.. then I’ll bring yall something focused after all that chaos.
How has your family influenced your music and your artistic journey?
They really helped me start it all out. I’ve talked about this a lot but my dad is really the reason I do all this, he started me out. Then I took that will to make art and transmuted it into so many different things like animation, fashion, design, music. I grew up in places like tattoo shops, studios, and prison visitations. You meet a lot of artists and take in all the different types of mediums to create through. All that early exposure got
My grandma helped me get sewing machines so I could learn to sew. I used to make flip flops and blankets for my grandmas friends with crochet needles and objects from hobby lobby. My grandma’s sister is a seamstress and quilter, she taught me the basics. my whole family knows how to draw so I saw them doing that plus tattoos so of course i learned from that too. Tattoos are a big part of my family, it’s really all of our artistic foundation.
When my uncle Bobby got out of prison he put me on with a lot. My uncle Bobby is a man’s man type of guy he can talk to you for hours about hard topics, fix ya car, hell he can even build you a house. That shaped me into being highly skilled. I’ve always wanted to be like my uncle cause there’s not a thing he can’t learn to do or conceptualize.
My grandma is where I get my hustle from, I watched her always find a way to get some money. She also never missed work if she didn’t have to. We’d even get into arguments if I was running late in the mornings to get ready for school cause she was real serious about not being late. Now im the same way, when I got a job to do I refuse to miss a deadline and I always show up early to any meeting, get together, etc.. but beyond those small things she taught me to never give up, no matter how hard life gets you can do anything. My grandma gave me a lot of my confidence. she taught me that differences are paramount, without being different we would all be the same. That taught me to love and respect everybody. She also taught me to be different and stick with my own decisions and my own swag. When I was rocking the craziest clothes, she would say something, but she’d never try to stop me. Now to this day I can put on any outfit and be confident. I can walk in any room and be me.
also when my mom went to prison she left me an iPod with A LOT of music. So much SPM, Dj Screw, Z-Ro, Chamillionaire, Lil Wayne. I was like 10 listening to “Ridin’ Dirty” and “Lollipop” just because of that I started getting into music heavy. You’d catch me on lime wire pirating Lil Wayne’s music at like 8 years old just to get it on that iPod.
When you’re not making music, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I like to learn, a lot. If I’m not making art then I’m either learning something new or turning up with my people. I never used to watch tv shows or movies much, but my girl been putting me on with all types of cinema. Lately I been reading Rick Rubins “The Creative Act” , it’s a great read for artists, really anybody should read it. I travel a lot, and go on cruises one or two times a year. It helps me get my mind out the real world, you get to do whatever for a week with no care bout what’s happening at home. Ive met some of the best people on these cruises that helped me shape my worldview, I’ve been to places that showed me American life aint the only way. i like to explore man, when I lived in the k I’d drive around aimlessly just to see something new or maybe get into something. overall man except for smoking, chillin, traveling, I’m making art or learning about it.
How has your personal life and experiences influenced your music?
You could say I’ve been through a lot. everything I go through I try and put in the music in some way, even if I’m not talking about the exact event, ill still try to teach you what I learned from that time in my life.
Going to places like the Caribbean influence me a lot cause I just love the rhythm they put in their music. You’ll get off the boat and instantly they’re playing drums, singings, and dancing their traditional dances. that rhythm and singing raises your spirit and makes you feel like doing something. I try to use sounds from different cultures when it makes sense and don’t feel out of place.
On my next tape Scars And Stripes I felt most influenced by Lil Wayne, One piece, the Caribbean, video games, and the jazz shows I’ve watched. Maybe you’ll be able to hear the influence, or not, I really just get to creating instead of thinking too hard.
For Project: Heart I was most influenced by the relationships and heartbreaks I’ve been through.
What really got me into dabbling with music more was making raps that were just jokes over some Asap Ferg instrumentals in like 9th grade. Me and a homie made songs on the iPad just to mess around and next thing you know everybody at school knew about it. It wasn’t no good and was just a joke, but it was definitely a defining moment.
Everything influences my music though, from relationships, to ideas, to other musicians and even looking at visual art. I like hanging out in places that got art around them, or places where I can meet a lot of people like me. I don’t really like just sitting around unless it’s to make some money or some art.
What are some of the challenges you face as an independent artist in the music industry?
It’s a lot to put together. All the different things you gotta do on your own to get out there. If you don’t know anybody who knows the business, it’s hard to put it all together and find out what to do. The info is all on the internet but it’s giant billion-dollar businesses out there that got entire systems, trying to replicate that on your own ain’t easy. To mend that I’ve been building the team, and we studying what we gotta do to get up there.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
When people listen to my music I want them to have fun and escape from the world for a little bit.
Anything else you want the audience to know about you?
I’m just trying to have fun and bring people together. I could really care less about anything else.
