Tempo Talks: A Conversation with ARO
THE RELEASE
ARO (arrow) is a Los Angeles-based American singer-songwriter. She spent a considerable portion of her life in Pennsylvania and attended an art and design school in Philadelphia, having grown up with many transfers. ARO is an artist who courageously discusses her challenges with mental health and her inner journey, using music as a powerful catalyst to transcend the darkest sides of her soul. She goes on a road of personal growth through her lyrics, enabling each song to reveal significant pieces of herself, promoting integration and self-awareness. ARO, which embraces neurodivergence as a reoccurring subject, offers a forum for confronting the traumatic experience of living in a one-size-fits-all society. She thrives in the liminal area, rejecting conventional expectations and boxes, and she strives to inspire people to accept their true selves.
"Let Me Go," ARO's first song, masterfully recounts the story of grief from the perspective of a persistent saboteur in relationships. The artist romanticizes her avoidant inclinations by drawing connections to enormous natural forces that crave turmoil and devastation. ARO finds inspiration in the dark feminine archetypes that transcend old mythology and, on a more personal level, in the aftermath of a breakup in this intriguing song. The artist partnered with the great alternative pop producer Caden Jester to create the evocative music for this composition, embracing the concept that destruction and creativity are two sides of the same coin. ARO recorded the song in her DIY home studio to capture the spirit of her talent, resulting in a captivating and emotional experience.
THE INTERVIEW
What song or moment in time sparked your passion for music?
I think I’ve always been passionate about music. When I was a kid I’d put on concerts for my parents in the living room, complete with choreography and costume changes. I was the kid who always had headphones on, I would just lay in my room after school, listening to music and reading lyrics. I always wanted to make music but I didn’t have the confidence or guidance to pursue it.
But there was a pivotal moment just a year ago when I decided that I needed to explore music for myself. I was in the middle of doing some deep work on myself and my life, going to therapy, getting really clear on what was important to me and what wasn’t. I went to a Halsey concert ( it was the first concert I’d been to in a few years since before the pandemic) and something happened there, something moved inside me. That weekend I came home and started writing lyrics that I never thought I’d share, and then I just never stopped writing. It was like as soon as I allowed myself to open that door all of this creative energy had just been waiting for me.
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?
I think every artist has that one artist that cracked them open, that gave them access to a part of them that they didn’t know existed. For me that artist is Halsey. Many of her less popular songs feel like lyrics that could’ve been ripped from my own heart, and worded better than I could’ve ever felt. I owe a lot of my drive to pursue making my own music to her.
Banks is another artist who deeply inspires my work. I love her unconventional approach and dedication to her own vision. Personally I believe her work is hugely underrated.
Aubrey Plaza is another creative who I really respect. Although she’s not in music I’m a big fan of her work. One interview she did really stuck with me, she was talking about her career success and attributed so much of it to having a really “delusional” mindset. A lot of times when I’m feeling uncertain about my own work I put that sentiment into practice. What’s the most positively delusional outlook I can have about this moment right now? How is this moment all part of my story of success? And honestly being delusionally positive about my work tends to really help me.
My personal coach, Kathleen Lee, of Empowered Curiosity has to be included in this line up. She’s not an artist, but she has steadily guided me towards my own light. Being a creative is hard, it’s really hard work to pour yourself into your creations and believe in them relentlessly, especially when first starting out. Kat has taught me how to stay grounded in my own creative energy, how to navigate rejection and feelings of disappointment, and how to keep coming back to the joy of it all.
How does your creative process work from the moment you develop the idea to the completion of the record?
My creative process is very intuitive. I have a notes folder for my music on my phone where I keep all of the lyrics and chords for songs I’ve written, and in that folder there’s one really chaotic note that’s just a dump for any and every piece of inspiration that comes to me. It could be a concept for a song, it could be a random line that popped into my head, it could be imagery, whatever it is I throw it into that note. So when I carve out time to sit down and write I have some strings to pull on. Some songs just pour out of me in 20 minutes and some songs I’ll spend a month or two writing. Sometimes I’m starting with lyrics first and finding a beat and chords after the fact, or sometimes I’ll have a beat or melody that I really like and I’ll find lyrics to go with it. My creative process needs a lot of freedom to explore and shapeshift, I don’t do well in rigidity. Once I have lyrics and a melody I’ll record a rough demo for my producer so he can get a feel for what I’m trying to achieve. I’m completely self taught, I don’t have a lot of technical language to describe what I’m wanting to hear (yet). So it’s really important for me to work with producers who can understand the *feeling* of what I’m trying to capture when I compile inspiration for them to work off of.
As for this release, who is the producer and what about the production moved you?
Caden Jester produced this piece with me. I came to him with finished lyrics, a melody and some sound inspiration, and he really ran with the creative vision for the instrumental. I love how the beat turned out, I think it’s a really cool alternative pop piece that feels mainstream enough to be well received by a wide audience but alt enough to be interesting. I was literally in tears when he sent me the final product, it was just so cool to see something I worked so hard on come to life.
When it comes to the songwriting on this record, what is the message you want to get across to your listeners?
This first single is going to be rolled into an EP that I’ll be dropping later this year. Most of the songs on this record are some of the first songs I wrote, that I never thought anyone else would ever hear, so they’re very real to me. This collection of songs explores the complicated emotions that I have about my own inner messiness. I’m admittedly a very messy person. I’ve had countless jobs, identities, and passions. I’m always shifting and changing who I am and then resenting the person I was just five minutes ago. It’s hard for me to keep a lot of close relationships in my life because not a lot of people can keep up with the way I move through life, and who can blame them. And on the one hand I kind of like this restless part of myself, she’s wild and brilliant and fiery. But on the other hand she stresses me out, she’s chaotic, and she keeps me kind of lonely. I believe that I’ll likely attract listeners who can somewhat relate to this inner experience, all the kinda weird, loner, hot girls out there. I hope that the people who are meant to resonate with my music find it and feel badass and cool listening to it, and know that however messy they might feel inside, they're not alone.
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