Omar Apollo

Known for his laid-back retro-soul and R&B sound, Omar Apollo first emerged online in 2016, posting songs like "{" and "Brakelights" online. His debut EP, Stereo, arrived in 2018. Born Omar Velasco, Apollo grew up in Hobart, Indiana, where he spent his youth skateboarding and received his first guitar at age 12 as a gift from his parents. An uncle visiting from Mexico offered early guidance on the instrument, as did a steady diet of instructional YouTube videos. By high school, Apollo was recording his own songs, working at home on his laptop. After dropping out of college in 2015, he dedicated himself full-time to music, drawing upon an eclectic mix of influences including David Bowie, D'Angelo, Cuco Sánchez, and others. He began posting tracks online, some of which, like "{" and "Brakelights," went viral. Buoyed by the attention, he started booking shows, playing around Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Chicago. In 2018, he released his debut EP, Stereo, which featured songs sung in English and Spanish. Included on the album were the singles "Ugotme" and "Erase." A second EP, Friends, appeared the following year, as did the collaborative single "Hit Me Up" with Dominic Fike and Kenny Beats. Apollo's first outing of 2020 was the sunny "Imagine U." ~ Matt Collar, Rovi