What’s your stage name and where are you from?
My name is Steven Montes and i’m from Adelanto, CA
What’s the story behind your stage name?
I’ve had a bunch of crazy stages names but I’ve decided recently that going by my real name is best, it feels more honest.
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
My musical journey started off as a hobby, until I realized how powerful words are and how passionate I was at creating new sounds and it became my obsession. Very DIY even until this day but that’s what keeps in interesting.
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
It was very interesting mixing this track since it’s a lot slower than most of my other ones, but I had fun playing with the sounds and there’s plenty of layers tucked away in this track. I actually mixed it 35 times, the most versions I’ve ever had to do so far.
What message do you want to convey through your music?
I would like to show people it’s okay to be who you are, even if that person sucks right now or is different from the rest. I want to show people the realest side of me so they know they’re not alone, that every struggle has a purpose, so find it, embrace it, and use it to help others.
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
Like I said earlier this is the 35th version of the mix and it still sounds a little rough, but I went for a vibe instead of what’s “correct”. Getting out of my own head was the biggest challenge with this one and I overcame it by making other stuff and then coming back to this one.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
My all time dream collab would be Ye, but that doesn’t seem to possible right now. I think Yelawolf and I would make some crazy stuff, or maybe Pouya. I like what those guys have done to push their genres forward.
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
I see my music getting more vulnerable and even crazier hopefully, got some stuff lined up so who knows, it’s all in God’s timing but I’m learning to enjoy the ride.
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
My next big step would be to drop this album and throw a show for it, I’m already planning it out so we’ll see how it goes. I’m just waiting for the world to see me, so whatever it takes get my ugly mug out there as much as possible this year.
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
My instagram @mistermayyo has all the most recent updates, and on all streaming platforms under Steven Montes!
