We were lucky to catch up with Mario Loor recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mario, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I am currently working on my debut LP, American Gothic that comes out on October 13th. The project is dark, folky and psychedelic. After releasing 3 singles (Tobacco Rd., Mascara, Haha) people have compared it to Nick Drake, Syd Barrett, Elliott Smith, The Beatles and The Doors. I started writing songs for this record last summer after a band breakup. We recorded 5 songs and Tobacco Rd. was one I threw in last minute. I played all the instruments on it except drums. I released it under my name in December and it was the first song that gained thousands of streams due to a semi viral video on Tiktok and Instagram. So I started making more music that was like the music I hold near and dear to my heart. After releasing Mascara the title for the record revealed it’s self giving me a better idea of the overall direction I should take. When artists have many options it’s downright cruel to not limit yourself with your tastes. Not what you think others want to hear. It took me a minute to figure out that that’s what people really want, you.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I began playing music and writing songs my junior year of high school in Lodi, NJ. I went to Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA for guitar and audio engineering after. I played in a few bands before moving back to the east coast.
New York City became my home for the next seven years. I played in a handful of studio sessions and projects for pop artists and bands. I moved to Los Angeles in 2018 and started a skateboarding school that funded my first studio project with a producer.

The pandemic happened when I finished it and I became more involved in my skate business. I made those songs specifically for the label Mexican Summer and to open for people like Connan Mockasin and Homeshake. My dream came true one night and I closed Connan Mockasin’s private performance with his guitar, unplanned.

Post pandemic I realized I didn’t want to rip off that music anymore and found more joy in Syd Barrett, Nick Drake and Tim Buckley. I met my friend Julian and we started a band inspired by the 60’s and 70’s or BJM more or less. We played a few shows and recorded an EP before breaking up. The breakup led me to make music that was more personal and acoustic with the energy of a classic rock band. I began singing in more of my speaking voice and wrote about deeper topics. I remembered this was the music I wanted to make before the Mac DeMarco phenomenon.

I started sharing it online and it’s been awesome. I’m happy I can provide a fresh take on the music I love.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I have been building a social media following by being authentic and true to my taste. This ain’t easy as a music artist though. Many people get caught up in trying to please others before themselves. Like I said it took me a minute to understand that what the audience wants is what you personally believe in most. If you create art without the fear of it being judged by someone other than yourself you can eventually formulate a product that is authentic and other people can get behind. They want to be able to trust you and if you’re making decisions based on what you think they want to hear you’re doomed. Who’s they anyway? This happens a lot when artists want to write pop songs. They follow trends and once you’ve perfected your brand of it it’s moved to the next thing. Figure out what you like regardless of success value and do that but make sure you’re not just choosing it because you see it working for so many others and it’s fairly easy to copy. Only copy what you would want to play for yourself when you’re feeling strong emotions. Make what makes you feel good. If you can make the creator(you) happy then you could do the same for others that need your work to make it through the day. That’s what music is about. Don’t let the 90’s and early 2000’s fool you. The truth will set you free. Especially now.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew all of this earlier because I was making music that was true to me but I didn’t see anyone else doing it so I thought it was dead. This is far from the truth. If anything it’s completely the opposite. The world needs more personalized artwork that inspires artists to be themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/marioloor
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariolooor/
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCuuDYi4TJWR3W3-XbB4rl_g
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariolooor?_t=8eeyyEUONxe&_r=1

Image Credits
Photo 1 : Yvette Pavon Photo 2 : Lucas Garzoli Photo 3 : Sebastian Love Photo 4 : Yvette Pavon