A year ago Omar Apollo was living in his friend’s basement – now he’s playing venues all over the nation
Omar Apollo is a first-generation Mexican-American artist who is taking off with a sound that channels elements of jazz, R&B, funk, soul and pop music. It wasn't too long ago that Omar was working at McDonalds, but, inspired by The Internet's album 'Ego Death,' he taught himself to play guitar, sing, and record. Now, the DIY pop star has toured America twice with his childhood friends who make up his band. As he says himself, remembering that only a year ago he was living in his friend’s basement in Indiana: “It’s crazy, you can do anything!”
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
OMAR APOLLO: A year ago, I was living in my friend's basement in Indiana making music. Currently, I'm on a world tour, and I live in LA. It's crazy. you can do anything, you know?
I was, like, working at McDonald's, opening up boxes in the back. And I was listening to "Ego Death" on the internet. After I heard that, I kind of just went to the pawn shop and bought, like, a $40 guitar. Used my brother's laptop, used my friend's interface, and, like, started making beats and stuff.
I get a lot of my live show inspiration from friends. So you could be dancing to a lot of the music and stuff. You can, like, hear the influence. I think the positives of growing up in a smaller city is just no one's there to intimidate you. There was not really a scene, so I wasn't, like, competing with nobody. And it was just easy. You could just do whatever you want.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I definitely think there's a special connection with knowing my band since I was young. I've known my bassist since I was like 12, my drummer since I was like 15, and then my guitar since I was like 17. I don't know, we just have this chemistry. You just can't hire that, you know? Yeah, I mean, that's my dogs.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
- it really crazy, though?
OMAR APOLLO: What?
- Stonehenge?
OMAR APOLLO: Stonehenge was underrated.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Stonehenge was underrated.
OMAR APOLLO: You say [INAUDIBLE].
- Me and Joey got some hot chocolate [INAUDIBLE].
OMAR APOLLO: It was dope. It was just raining so bad.
Just seeing the world with my bros, that's, like, my favorite shit right now.
- Omar's biggest strength as a friend, I think, is the fact that, like, he really put us in an opportunity to where we can make a living out of what we want to do.
- Exactly.
- He has this characteristic about him that makes you feel like you've known him forever, regardless how long you've known him.
- Yeah, everybody knows he's, like, a great singer. But people don't really appreciate the fact that he's, like, self-produced. Like, even though he's big, like, it's still music music. Like, the integrity is always there. I think that's so fired.
OMAR APOLLO: It's a lot of pressure to, like, be somebody, you know, or, like, be on this pedestal or whatever. But just keep being yourself and just be genuine, and that shit'll play out.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
The first time I kind of was taken back by, like, stepping out on stage, it was in Chicago. It was, like, my first sold-out show. It was like 100 kids, like super excited, singing every lyric. And I just remember being like, dang, this is nuts. [LAUGHS]
I think I learned what I like as just, like, a person, just by, you know, experience and just traveling. I kind of get my own knowledge, rather than, like, getting it from other people. I think it's just, like, part of being, like, an adult. I'm very present right now, dealing with the kind of, like, life change and stuff. I just talk to my friends all the time. Just feel grounded, feel good.
I know you're holding some tears that aren't your new memories. Don't waste your life, because time is great.
