A Sound You’ve Never Heard Before – Enter the World of Ambergrove
- STAFF
- Feb 14
- 8 min read
By: Staff
We had the chance to hear the latest release by Ambergrove, “stills” and we were so impressed we wanted to know more about it.
There are some artists that create music, and then there are those who craft entire worlds. Somewhere in between, where genres blur and borders fade, exists a project that refuses to be defined by names, faces, or convention. It is music that is both familiar and entirely new, a shimmering paradox of sound, built by many hands and bound by a single vision: to create something timeless.
Their latest offering, Stills, is a song that breathes in contradictions, melancholic yet uplifting, intricate yet effortless. It moves like a cinematic montage, capturing fleeting moments in sound. With layers of rolling basslines, hypnotic vocals, and an exhilarating crescendo, Stills is a track that invites you to listen, relisten, and discover something new each time.
But who is Ambergrove? And how did this boundary-pushing project come to life? We connected with the minds behind the music to talk about their creative process, their ever-expanding collaboration, and what the future holds for this enigmatic collective.
Begin Interview:
Hello Ambergrove, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. What was the inspiration for your stage name?
A. thank you! likewise! i really love what y’all are doing with cageriot. you cover some fantastic talent.
the stage name Ambergrove came from two words that I really like, “Amber” and “Grove”. i have this weird thing where i like the way some words sound, despite their meaning. i thought, why not combine them? it honestly didn’t take too long to come up with it and there wasn’t too much thought around it, i just said it out loud a couple of times and thought “this is the one.”
Q. Your new release, Stills, is an absolute thrill ride! From the punchy drums driving the intricate arrangement to your melancholic yet hypnotic vocal delivery, the track feels like a sonic journey. The rolling bass, chiming guitars, and glowing synth crescendo create an exhilarating atmosphere, while the violins add an emotional depth that makes the gentle acoustic ending even more touching.
For those who may be discovering your music for the first time, would you say Stills is a signature representation of your sound, or does it mark a new creative direction for you?
A. heeeeeeeaaaaaay!! really appreciate your kind words about the song! as for “stills” being a solid representation of our genre, this is where it gets a little bit tricky. Ambergrove is legitimately equivalent to like a child’s art project, in which it takes new form and doesn’t adhere to one style. there’s no real boundary, which makes this project that much more fun. i get that it’s tricky to put a label on us and properly define the genre, since we blend so many genres into one, but i’ve been calling it “indie world music”. maybe just calling it “pop” is easier? i don’t know, all in all, i’d say if you like MUSIC, then our debut album is gonna be one for you.
Q. We read: "stills" is the lead single from our upcoming debut full length album "I Love You As A Bright Horizon", which is releasing 05/02/2025. While "stills" comes out on valentines day, it serves as an oxymoronic "good feels" heartbreaker.” We loved this! We have not had a song with a description like this before. Can you tell us about the story behind this?
A. ahhh yes. okay so, “stills” has been a tricky one to conceptualize, even my own interpretation of it is “still” a bit skewed, as it’s evolved a lot over time. like all of the songs on our upcoming album, it’s kinda up to the listener to create their own narrative for it. what i can say about the song, is that it “still” serves as a musical photograph for my brain to always go back to, during a weird weird time. at least i think that’s what it’s about haha.
Q. We read:
“Ambergrove is a global art project, formed in 2019, with many hands involved. Its core songwriters reside on the central and southern coast of California. The band is not defined by its members or the faces involved, but by the music and the connections shared among each other. A collaborative project with one goal in mind, to make something timeless that will stand-out through the ages. It has many hands, many feet and many faces. It is partnered with global artists from all walks of life and with different musical backgrounds. We believe that all genres of music are a gift and we are attempting to create what has yet been created.”
Wow! This is a very exciting statement and something we have not heard before. It does explain a lot, but we really need to know more. Can you tell us how this began and what are some of the challenges of this type of structure to your creative core?
A. so i started playing west african music at a very young age in the band that my dad was in (he’s a session bass player), and i was raised in a very musical household. genre wasn’t really a boundary and was certainly not discriminated against. i was exposed to so many different artists from everywhere, some from my own discovery and some from my parents. once i became a teen and into adulthood, i spent time in various bands recording albums and touring non stop, but i was kind of getting sick of the redundancy around the genres of music that i was stuck with.
i then had this idea, which was like “let me create something that i would actually want to listen to”, but do it in a way that is unique and takes me back to the beginning. i wanted to take a daring leap into actually creating a new genre of music, which is a very risky thing to even say. it even feels weird and delusional even saying that out loud as someone could literally turn that back on me and say “this isn’t original”, and i wouldn’t disagree with them. i most certainly realize that it’s a very hard thing to do, especially because so many amazing musicians have already done the unthinkable. but i definitely wanted to take a stab at it, so from there i thought “why not take it to the next level and marry every genre of music that i ever listened to and fuze them into one package?”
while i do play and perform a lot of the instruments on this album, i knew that i couldn’t do it all alone. so borrowed musical talent from all walks of life and who perform distinct genres of music, and had them bless these songs with their magic.
as for challenges, there are actually a lot less than you’d think, which is what’s most freeing about everything. i’ll sometimes have an idea (or a skeleton of a song) that i’ll show them. but then i’ll also leave the canvas open for them to paint over. from there, anything that gets recorded will absolutely stay on the album, even if it sounds like it shouldn’t belong. this is what diversifies all of these songs, so again, it’s very freeing in that regard. i’d say the biggest challenge was probably mixing everything together at the very end, as there are so many layers and tracks!
Q. Your album began as a collection of “flimsy skeletons trapped in a digital ether.” What was the turning point that brought these songs to life, and how did the collaborative process shape the final sound?
A. i’d say this whole album was like a half-finished puzzle with scattered pieces laying everywhere. the half finished puzzle were my skeletons of songs, but then each musician served as those missing puzzle pieces. the collaboration aspect was easy, it was literally just “play feels best”, but it was only at the very end, when we were mixing everything, that i got to hear that pieces are no longer missing. frankly, it was all a bit mysterious, which made the experience even cooler.
Q. Each musician added their own unique touch to the record. How did you compile the varied contributions and did it transform the song in a way you didn’t anticipate?
A. so the way they were compiled kind of varied? a good chunk of the artists sent us their files digitally, since we had folks from all parts of the world, but then some came into the studio to record, so it was a little bit of a double-whammy. once we had all of the tracks down, we then blended all of the colors together and took a step back to see the work that we had created. some of the songs turned out exactly as expected, but a lot of them took new form in the studio, which was such a neat thing to experience.
Q. The album features an incredible lineup of artists, from AJ Perdomo and Chris O’Connor to K-pop singer RUSHA and a children’s choir from Australia. How did these collaborations come about, and what was it like working with such a diverse range of talent?
A. thanks for calling that out, these artists definitely need to be highlighted! honestly, almost all of it was just me reaching out to them blindly, letting them know that i really admire their work and then asking if they’d like to come paint with me. don’t get me wrong there were also probably more people that rejected the idea, which doesn’t hurt my feelings, because i do get that this is a little bit of a different experience. but i was always so excited when someone else got excited by the idea! to me, it wasn’t ever about the level of stardom that these musicians had, because we have folks on the album who have done major things in music and then we have other folks who have not, but are just as talented. i just wanted each musician to be intentional, and come from a different genre and musical background than their neighboring artist.
in summation, working with these amazing people (and more who you’ll see in the album credits) was a dream come true.
Q. Do you have a favorite song from your personal early years of listening to music that you would like to cover in the studio, with this lineup of talented artists, that makes you feel connected to who you are as an artist today?
A. i love this question so much, because YES. choosing a favorite is like choosing your favorite kid, but at this present moment and from memory, i would say “cars and girls” by prefab sprout, but with everyone on the record. although there is a chance that we will turn that into something bonkers. i don’t know if i’d want to ruin its beauty in that way haha.
Q. You’re relocating to LA full-time and booking as many shows as possible, what excites you most about this next chapter? Are there any dream venues or festivals you’re aiming for?
A. oh boy, any and all! that’s the goal after this album comes out. just shows, shows, and more shows. patience is a virtue though. the live shows will be just as much of an experience as the album is. light shows, projectors, glass mirrors, etc.
Q. What was the most challenging part of bringing this project to life, from the initial idea to the final recording?
A. remembering to stay free. sometimes old musical habits and tendencies want to come back, but it’s easier to stay free.
Q. We feel like we have learned so much about you from this one song, and that’s such a great way to connect with fans. But what’s one surprising fact about you that fans might not know?
A. i’m not of this earth, but i have arrived for your eardrums.
Q. You hinted at some “secret surprises” dropping in 2025. Can you give us any cryptic clues about what fans can expect?
A. a new horizon
Ambergrove, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Ambergrove’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more on Spotify & YouTube
