Music Interview: Brian Angelo delves on his creative tastes, musical influences & new single “Hell of a Night“
Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself.
Hello, my name is Brian Angelo. My artist name actually is my first and middle government name. I come from the city of East Los Angeles and was raised in poverty most my life. My family and I were living off of welfare and barely making it through month to month with what we were given. Growing up I had 9 brothers and sisters, so I learned to be independent sooner than most others causing me move out at the age of 15 and branch off to seek opportunities elsewhere and stabilize my life.
What got you into music and made you realize that it was your chosen path?
When I was younger, I used to play drums and piano for a church but at the age of 16 I realized my passion for singing was much greater. It started from singing in the shower all the way too opening up for huge acts such as Tyga and Migos. What really made me realize music was my chosen path was just the response others had towards my music and the impact I made on their life’s. I really hope to inspire others and show people you can do whatever you set your mind to.
Tell us about your new music? And what’s the story behind it?
My new single “Hell of a Night“ is a fun 80’s pop type track. I was inspired by The Weeknd’s song “Blinding Lights” to make this type of record. This track is about me feeling helpless and fed up with life at the moment and I talk about just take a bunch of drugs to make the pain go away. In the lyrics I describe how I feel all while having an adventure through a city while hallucinating.
What makes your music unique? How would you describe it?
I feel what makes my music unique is my voice. I portray a lot of emotions in my performances and I also am very versatile with my sounds. My main genres of the music I create would have to be r&b and pop. Every now and then I will create a hip-hop track, but r&b and pop come to me more naturally when recording.
Who are your biggest musical influences? And any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
My biggest influence in music at the moment would have to be The Weeknd and Bruno Mars. Although when I was younger Michael Jackson was my main inspiration and was the artist that actually inspired me to pursue a route in music as a career and finally get the courage to invest in myself. In the near future I would hope to collaborate with artists such as Chris Brown, Usher, or maybe even Justin Bieber.
Which is the best moment in your musical career that you’re most proud of?
I think so far, my proudest moment in my music career would be when I flew to New York to further my career with a well-connected manager at the time. I had the chance to hang with numerous celebrities and sang live for other artist’s and television stars such as Flipp Denero and Donna from the show Black Ink Crew.
How do you balance your music with other obligations – family, friends or work?
When it comes to my everyday life besides my music I try to work as much as possible doing independent contractor jobs such as Door Dash, Grub hub, or some type of agency work. This works best for me because these types of jobs allow you to pick your own schedule and also are very flexible which allows me to have more time to pursue my music career. As for my family I live on my own and they are not really around too much, so they never really affect anything in my day-to-day life. I always make sure to manage my time properly and organize my schedule ahead of time, so it doesn’t get out of hand.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
My advice to anyone pursuing this path as a musician would be to keep moving forward even when times are hard, and you feel like no one’s watching. This career can be a lonely path and also a judgmental one so never be discouraged if people around you or others don’t support you right away. Truth be told in my experience starting up the people that are going to support you the most are actually going to be the people that don’t know you personally. Never let anyone tell you your dreams are too big and also be as consistent as possible and keep on creating content for the world to hear or see. My last piece of advice is this music path is not cheap and will cost you a lot of time or money so never be afraid to invest in yourself and also track your progress and try to learn from your mistakes.
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
Keep Moving Forward.
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
Following the single I just released titled “Hell of a Night” I do plan on releasing a few more singles along with a series of music videos attached to them. Stay tuned and thank you for your time.
Follow Brian Angelo: Instagram
