We caught up with the Phoenix FM-playlisted artist from New Jersey to talk about his life and music.
Tell us a little bit about your yourself?
My name’s Austin Santana-Simmons A.K.A Mowgli.Exo, I am 22 years old and I’m from Matawan, New Jersey. I lived with my parents Ana and Kenny Simmons as well as two younger brothers and one older brother, until I moved out with my older sibling a few years ago. Now I’m writing and producing music for not only myself, but other local artists as well.
When did you first start to develop a passion for music?
I started my musical journey young. My father was a professional musician for a band called, “The Commodores” and growing up I always wanted to be like him. He was a drummer at first and so was I, I played various instruments until someone saw me one day and was like… “oh you can sing” and I ran with it.
Which artists did you listen to while growing up?
Growing up due to my father’s influence I listened to hip hop, country, classical music and a lot of Motown. Stevie wonder, Mozart, Marvin Gaye, Vivaldi, Michael Jackson, ABBA… were always playing through the house at random. My parents felt that it was important I always tried to listen to new things, and have a respect for each genre of music.
How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you before?
I would describe my music as “The New R&B” there are so many variations in this genre and initially my music was rooted from Soul and R&B music. With my new project coming up I took all the harmonies, all the movement, all the emotions and tried to put my own spin on it.
What music have you recorded and released to date?
All of my current music has been released in early 2020 – “Say” – “Fall for You” – “Feelings” – “Miami”.
Which artists do you enjoy listening to at the moment – and do they influence your work?
Right now I love listening to Calvin Harris, Pink Sweats, Travis Scott, Brandy, and Cashmere cat. All of these artists have amazing vibes and they have a huge impact on my music.
Who would your dream collaboration be with?
My dream collaboration would be with Travis Scott or Pink Sweats, they are on two sides of the musical spectrum that I love, and it would be an honour to learn from them.
What are your plans for the future?
In the near future I am featured on a project with two extremely talented artists who are also Jersey natives, 1080p and Party Michael. Then once that’s done I will be releasing a few singles, and later on next year I will have enough for an album!
You can find out more about mowgli.exo by following him on Soundcloud, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Amazon Music and Linktree.
