We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Apollo Sol Mendel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Apollo Sol, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’ve been In my band Society Hill since 2016, I can hardly remember the person I was back then but all I knew was how much time I put in writing songs and rehearsing them for shows. I sacrificed so many weekends to be at home with my guitar. It’s crazy to think how much time has passed. But I just can’t let it go. I need to strive with this band because every time I listen back to our music I believe in it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For me it was inevitable. My father was a singer and music is just in the blood. I’d see him sing and perform all the time as a child. It peaked my interest but I felt I wanted to go my own way. I picked up a guitar without really singing until my 20s. I realized I had my own voice and I wanted to share with the world my stories and emotions. I wanted to let people into my vulnerability and share with them. I felt like so many times songs saved me from myself and I wanted to give that back. Music is selfless and selfish. It’s selfless for the impact you can make but selfish for the fulfillment it gives you. I wanted to make a positive impact on the world, and maybe if I couldn’t change it, I can help someone who can, by relating to them.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe creativity comes from broken souls. There’s something in us that takes our pain and makes something beautiful. We bring emotion to light when the world doesn’t want to hear it. We bring people together when it feels like the worlds wants us split. And when we lose ourselves we need to stand in and protect one another. I wish scenes were less egotistical. I feel like it’s all about what people can do for you, when really we should ask ourselves what can we do for it. At the end of the day this gift is never really ours. It doesn’t belong to us, but we can appreciate people for what they bring. Even if it’s a moment. So many times we want to know what’s next. Appreciate what’s in front of you. Because that story from us meant everything.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

At the end of the day, regardless of what happens to me I can be proud. I can throw on a song I wrote or read something that invigorates me. Whether a millions of people see it, I see it in myself. I see it in the mirror when the world doesn’t see me at all. Success is the process. I’m living it everyday. Because I continue to push myself and stay active doing things I love. We do it to understand ourselves before we ever did it for money. And if that’s the only reason to be in it, there’s way better things to sell than art. But nothing will ever move you the way art can. Nothing can make me lose myself like playing a show and not thinking of anything at all. that’s the most free I’ll ever feel. Completely present and yet like it’s not even happening.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/societyhillofficial/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/society.hill.nj/
• Youtube: https://m.facebook.com/society.hill.nj/videos/875289723421113/?locale=ms_MY

Image Credits
Ah it was different for each picture but some were done by my drummer Liam Frank and the ones at the Saint were done by our friend Vito Cosentino. The black and white one with me and my bassist was done by my friend Michael Rodriguez. The one of me singing alone was done by our friend simply named Dru.