Hailing from East Meadow, NY, the up-and-coming pop artist and singer-songwriter Anthony Mascia introduces us to his new album with its powerhouse introductory track, "Ambassador."
Recently releasing his 8-track album, 'Ambassador, Vol. 1,' Anthony Mascia mentioned that the project comprises pop hits marinated in various flavors of rock. While his sound ranges from the likes of Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga to The Beatles, Anthony Mascia stops at nothing until he's explored the depths of his creative abilities.
Hitting us over the head with a velvet crowbar of a single, "Ambassador," Anthony Mascia allows his audience to prepare their ears for the rest of the album through this powerful and dynamic intro track. While his lyricism sinks us into themes of heavy reflection and facing inner demons, the sonics blast through with sounds of alt-rock and electro-pop, giving us the goods the entire way through.
Listening to "Ambassador," the song opens with his Lana Del Rey influence through a bright and lush string section, similar to the cinematic opening of a major motion picture. Once the reverbed electric guitars soak our speakers in lust and emotion, Anthony Mascia makes his way in and touches on his need to face the demons that linger in his mind.
We're completely and utterly astounded by Anthony Mascia's anticipatory delivery, as he exudes nothing but passion and energy that leads us towards the fiery beat drop. Reaching the second verse, Anthony Mascia's Lady Gaga influences shine through with help from his groaning electronic bass-like synth that gives us tastes of Artpop. As we move towards the outro, we feel more than pleased with this exhilarating single, and we're ready to feast our ears on the rest of the album.
Find Anthony Mascia's stimulating single "Ambassador" on all streaming platforms, and continue the adventure with his recent 8-track album, 'Ambassador, Vol. 1.'
Hello Anthony, and welcome to BuzzMusic. We want to start by congratulating you on the release of your recent album, 'Ambassador, Vol. 1.' How does the intro track, "Ambassador," set the tone for the rest of the album to follow?
Thank you so much for the congrats! I’m thrilled to introduce everyone to Ambassador, Vol. 1, but most specifically to the title track itself, Ambassador. It sets the tone for the entire record right from the start with its extended intro consisting of both strings and guitars. I wanted the strings to represent a celebration - a light at the end of the tunnel. You can even hear echoes of fireworks in the background symbolizing happiness to come, but the strings are abruptly cut off by guitars, intentionally meant to sound foreboding and ominous. I wanted this because it symbolizes my own personal journey of navigating through darkness and my own demons to get to the light. I call this album my journey towards “self-representation”, meaning everything I say and do, and how I act, is now an accurate representation of who I am; being comfortable in my own skin, confident, and not being afraid to be myself! This complex mix of instrumentation introduces a variety of sounds and emotions that the record continues to explore throughout the seven remaining tracks.
What was your central concept or lyrical theme in mind when creating the single "Ambassador?" What did you want to get across to your audience?
I wrote this track as if I was writing a letter to a younger version of myself. The chorus states “I’m here to free you...I represent the voices subdued...your scars, my patches...I represent your rise from the ashes”. The central concept is that I am now in a place where I feel I can take on the burdens and insecurities others feel that prevent them from being themselves, so they can live freely and navigate through life to truly find who they are. I wish I would’ve had someone guide me through what I went through, but not having that person has given me the motivation to want to do this for others. I look at my younger self with fondness that I was able to figure it out, and if I could say anything to him, I would say to him that I wear his scars like a badge of honor; a patch on a military jacket like an Ambassador serving as a representative for his people or country. I hope the lyrical theme of this song resonates with people, and that they feel free, supported, and represented by my music.
We can hear your Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey influence stand out heavily within the introductory track, "Ambassador." What was the song's creative process like when formulating the dense and intense sonic atmosphere?
Lady Gaga & Lana Del Rey are absolutely my two biggest influences in music, and their content harshly varies in taste and the genres they touch upon. Lady Gaga is a pop powerhouse with killer vocals who has left her mark on rock, EDM, country, singer/songwriter, and Jazz genres over the course of her career. Lana Del Rey is much more of a lyrically driven alternative artist with an amazing sense of melody, storytelling, and subtle range in her voice. I wanted to blend my love for these two artists in my music, and this can specifically be heard in Ambassador. I was inspired by the guitar-heavy influence of Lana’s second album, Ultraviolence, in the intro and bridge of my song, and I was inspired by Lady Gaga’s third album, ARTPOP, for the changeup that occurs in Ambassador around 1:48. The heavy, somewhat industrial synth production and the dirty bass combination give me a huge adrenaline rush, and that is what I always feel when I listen to Gaga’s music. It was a bit of a challenge bringing these two sources of inspiration together, but I am so proud of the end result. The dense and intense sonic atmosphere remains throughout the entire album but gets slightly lighter with each track as the darkness and fog lifts as we get closer to the light. I am hoping the listener will feel the same way listening to this track as I felt creating it!
How does the album 'Ambassador, Vol. 1' help us get to know you and your sound better? How does the project reflect who you are and what you stand for as an artist?
I worked on this album for roughly 13 months, and it was a long road to get to this point. I love music as a whole and am mesmerized by so many genres, so wanting to experiment with so many different types of music made it hard for me to zone in on one genre in the beginning. However, I was committed to making a sonically cohesive record compared to my previously released EP - Genesis, which was much more all over the place in terms of genres. I wanted to make a record that was didn’t sugarcoat the darkness that I went through, but instead embraced this with production that enhanced these emotions: electric guitar, dark crunchy synths, dirty bass, orchestral strings, rock n’ roll drum beats, and punchy brass. I truly feel I have found my sound with this record, which definitely represents my love for pop music with strong influences of rock. Listeners have told me it fits a “grunge” aesthetic with a pop of 80’s influence, which is awesome to hear because that has provided me with tons of visual inspiration. The other side of this record that I want listeners to pay attention to is the lyrics and my ability to tell a story. Pop music should not be kept inside a box limited to predictable melodies and generic production signed and sealed at a 3-minute length for radio. This album is a testament that you can have unique, experimental production along with a compelling lyrical theme, and still manage to keep it within the realm of pop music. Shorter songs are becoming incredibly mainstream for streaming purposes, but it is important to me as an artist to not sell myself short and do anything that will stifle my creativity; I urge all up-and-coming artists like myself to stick true to this if they agree! This record completely represents everything I stand for as an artist, not just being yourself because you have to, but because you should want to and you should be proud of it! It takes time to get to that place, and that’s why I am hoping I can help people along their own personal journey with this album.
What can listeners anticipate to hear next from you?
If listeners enjoyed Volume 1 of Ambassador, they can look forward to Volume 2 hopefully by the end of this summer! Volume 1 was all about myself, my identity, and my journey towards self-representation. Volume 2 takes that sentiment and explores the other areas of my life affected by this, including love, loss, and loneliness. There are songs dedicated to my current relationship, the loss of my grandmother, and other highly personal topics. I am taking a bit more of an indie singer/songwriter approach on Volume 2, but listeners can expect the same lush instrumentation and compelling storytelling, with an added focus on fluid melodies and detailed vocals. I am so excited for everyone to hear it! As far as the future goes? No genre is off limits!