Mark Ambor tells us all about his crazy year on social media, “The Long Way,” and upcoming releases

Everything is coming up roses for 23-year-old Mark Ambor, who just released his infectious new single, “The Long Way.”  Filled with optimistic lyrics and feel-good melodies, the track sends a valuable message about taking your time with the people and things you love – something that Mark has experienced first-hand with his music.  His rise has been slow and steady, putting out demos and covers of songs on his social media for the past few years to only a few thousand followers.  Recently, however, Mark has finally found a sweet spot – those 2K followers on Instagram have jumped to over 238K the past year alone!  We were happy to chat with Mark about his crazy year, his relationship with TikTok and Instagram Reels, and what it has been like to get to this point as “one of this year’s most exciting new artists.”  

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Melodic Mag:  How long have you been making music?  Where did it all start?
Mark Ambor:  I’ve played piano my whole life.  My mom signed me up for lessons when I was seven, and I did it until I was about 14, which is when I decided to quit since I was only learning classical songs, and it was getting in the way of hanging out with friends on Friday after school.  A few months went by and I realized I missed it.  On my own, I started to learn songs that I was listening to by ear, and if I couldn’t, I’d go on YouTube and learn them. I did this throughout high school until it was the summer before college.  I had a friend who was a songwriter in high school, and freshman year, I had asked her how she did it.  She told me her method was to come up with a riff and then write her feelings down over it.

I kept that in mind until that summer before college.  I was home alone, my friends had left for school, I had just broken up with my girlfriend, I was scared about leaving, and overall I was feeling really lost. So, I decided to write a song.  I recorded it on voice memos to remember it, and went to work that night.  I had never sung for anyone up to that point, but that night I was proud of the song I had written, and was feeling bold.  I sent it in a group chat to my parents, who weren’t great with technology at the time.  About an hour later, I got a text from my mom that said, “Who’s this artist?  Dad and I love this song.”  It was that moment that I started really getting into music.

MM:  If you had told yourself ten years ago that you would have been a legit artist releasing songs, would you have believed it?   If not, what do you think you would be doing today instead?
MA:  I definitely would not have believed it.  As I said above, I had never sung for anyone.  I guess the roots of playing piano had been building for a while, but nothing really kicked off until that summer going into college.  I had always been into music and theater, but I was always a “behind the scenes” kind of guy.  If I wasn’t doing music, I’d probably be doing some marketing job since I majored in marketing and minored in business analytics in college.

MM:  Your new single, “The Long Way,” just made its debut.  Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind it and how it came together?
MA:  “The Long Way,” as well as the songs that I’ll be releasing in the coming months, are all about the journey these past two years have been for me.  They’re my attempt to understand coming-of-age and life for what it is. “The Long Way” is specifically about truly great things taking a long time.  Although in the moment it can be frustrating that you can’t instantly achieve what you want, I think anything gotten too easy never turns out to be worth it in the end.  I first wrote the song in March with my songwriter friend Jesse Fink over Zoom. Then in May, we got in the studio and Jesse, myself, and my producer friend Brandon Shoop put the final touches on the song.  It was a great time.  It was also my first co-writing session which was cool since, up to that point, I had mostly made my music on my own.

Photo by Shervin Lainez

MM:  Your music has really taken off this past year through outlets like TikTok and Instagram.  Is it weird to see your songs resonate with so many fans through these platforms?
MA:  Yeah, it’s been a crazy year!  In the beginning of 2020, I had a friend who kept telling me to make a TikTok for my music, and I kept saying I didn’t want to because I thought it was just for e-boys.  Luckily, I eventually made one, and got serious about posting.  It’s been so flattering when people say nice things about my music and my voice.  That never gets old!

MM:  There is a vlog on your YouTube channel from two years ago where you make “the best pump up song ever.”  Have you officially left the vlog world behind for TikTok or do you think you’ll take up vlogging again?
MA:  Wow.  You did your research, and I’m mildly embarrassed about it!  I think for now I’m done with vlogs, but that is NOT to say they will never return again.  This year has been all about TikTok, Instagram Reels, and making the music that is coming out in the next few months.  I’ve definitely thought about taking “the best pump up song ever” video down a few times though.

MM:  Will your next releases have a similar feel to “The Long Way” or will they be different?
MA:  For the most part.  All the songs that are coming have these anthemic pop hooks.  I do everything I can to make a song catchy in terms of melody and structure.  I guess “The Long Way” might be slightly more minimal than the rest.  But, the mindset going into all these songs was to create the vibe of being at a music festival with friends on a really nice day, jumping up and down, and singing.  Above all else, I think (and hope) that all these songs make people feel the deep joy you get in your stomach when you realize that you’re not alone.  There’s a certain magic to that feeling.

Photo by Shervin Lainez

MM:  On Spotify, your bio is “probably laughing rn.”  When was the last time you had a good laugh?
MA:  Hmmm.  I’m honestly laughing all the time.  I’m trying to think of some clean humor that I can answer with. Got one!  Last week, I was at the Jersey Shore, and my friends and I got a paddle board. One of my friends tried to go on it, and was falling for about 25 seconds before he finally fell in.  He was swaying back and forth a bunch and flailing his arms really trying to stay up.  It was pretty funny. We were also drinking, which might’ve made it funnier.

MM:  What are some words you would use to describe your sound?
MA:  Togetherness, harmony, homegrown, warm, a sense of independence, cathartic, humble but determined with a sprinkle of angst.

MM:  What has been the highlight of your year so far?
MA:  There have honestly been so many moments that have been highlights.  Just in general, this slow build of fans and growth and getting a manager, label, attorney, and everything in-between has been insane.  Overall, the greatest highlight of the past year has been the fact that I promised myself six months to try to make my music career happen after school, and now it’s working.

MM:  Thanks so much for your time!  Do you have any final thoughts or comments?
MA:  Go blast “The Long Way” in your car with the windows down, and stay tuned for the music that will follow <3!

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Thanks again for taking the time out to chat with us, Mark!  We are blasting “The Long Way,” taking in your “humble but determined with a sprinkle of angst” sound, and looking forward to all that comes next.  (“best pump up song ever” #2!?)

You can listen to Mark’s music on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.

Keep up with Mark Ambor:  Instagram // Twitter // TikTok // Facebook // Website