Artist To Watch 2017: 1 AMVRKA Is Bringing Sonic Diversity To Music
At the heart of 1 AMVRKA’s dynamic sound are the divergent sensibilities of singer/lyricist Jesse Scott (an Oklahoma native who started out writing country songs on a three-string guitar) and L.A.-born producer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rudy Maya. The duo unify country music with gritty fragments of hip-hop, folk-rock, and pop to assure this already earthy genre further roots itself in the scope of humanity. Their aim is to break sonic barriers as a reflection of their desire to break social ones, as well.
As Maya explained. “In a lot of ways Jesse and I are the quintessential yin and yang, but we also come from similar backgrounds: blue-collar families where you had to fend for yourself, definitely no white picket fences. So when we started making music the idea was, ‘Let’s talk about real life and all these problems we’ve dealt with-all the things that we’re really passionate about.'”And passion is exactly what they serve by creating music that blends the sounds and sentiments of people trying to overcome the injustices that can occur race, class, creed, and the simple decision to be yourself. Whether you are seeking love from the world or your own self, the choice to be yourself can be a difficult but brave one when it means that not everybody will be supportive. Hence, the relatability of their debut single, “Raised In The Wild”.
