“For fans of Tom Misch, Bruno Major, Olivia Dean, Benny Sings, and Chet Baker,” reads Sebastián Mayor’s on-paper introduction to “Answers.” The track, released in early July, is the first offering from a much larger project set to drop later this summer — his self-produced debut EP. Descriptions like these are the kind I often find myself rolling my eyes at, yet I’m simultaneously drawn to them. There’s a certain boldness in inviting fans of such established artists and genres to explore your own sonic world — but what a pleasant surprise it is when that gamble pays off.

Here, no eye-rolling is needed. We’re happy to report that Mayor’s debut project is indeed worthy of a spot among the big leaguers—if, of course, you know how to savour a Bossa Nova-infused accent. Born on the Portuguese coast, Sebastián spent years living in South America’s creatively rich environments, which heavily influence his music. The track is buttery, evolving, and synesthetic, beautifully capturing the sonic signature he has developed over the years.

“Sometimes I call it sit-down-groove, because it’s the sort of small, slow groove that you can barely dance to, but not enough to make you stand up,” he tells Wonderland as we sit down to chat about all things “Answers.” “Other times, I call it café-napkin songwriting, because lyrically, I write very casually and quickly. Someone once called it Patio Soul, which I loved and now use all the time—I guess because it’s warm and naturally Latin-sounding.”

For fans of a crisp-cold caipirinha, warm evenings on Ipanema beach, squeaky wooden floors, lived-in linen shirts, green velvet couches, sweet peaches, late-night talking, Santal 33. The list could be endless, but Mayor invites you to discover some answers for yourself in this sonic journey. Listen to the track now and read our full interview below…

Hi Sebastián! Thanks for chatting with us. How have you been lately? What’s new in your world?
Hey, thanks for having me, I’ve been well! Releasing music is new in my world, actually… My guitar and I have been hanging out by ourselves for a long while, and it’s refreshing to be sharing it outside of the studio walls. It’s my first release in a couple of years, and it feels great. I’ve really been doing the explorative work, digging for my own sound, style and telling my story.

Can you tell us about your journey into music? When did you first realise you wanted to pursue it as a career, and how has your background influenced your sound today?
I think by the time I was twelve I had plagiarised about six versions of ‘Yellow’ by Coldplay and never looked back since. Being an only child, I had a lot of space and silence to fill; I guess music literally filled in the silence. Also, we moved countries around that age, so I had music and my guitar as constant companions throughout this nomadic upbringing. Coming into my teens in South America was a huge thing musically as it eventually exposed me to the wonders of Latin music. Boleros, Bossa, and more contemporary band music that I loved. Also, a very different, relaxed, and playful approach to creation compared to the finely-oiled music industry I later found in London. So I guess my background has given me not only sonic and artistic influences, but also a musical lifestyle — slow-paced, taking time to make the music that I want to hear.

Who were some of your earliest influences in music, and how have they shaped your sound and songwriting?
Before I got more into things like Brazilian music, Jazz, and Soul, some of my earliest memories, as a nine-year-old, are of feeling electrified by band music. Bands like 2000’s Phoenix and Coldplay. There’s something very universally appealing about that kind of sung-at-the-top-of-your-lungs type songwriting; anthemic melodies that are so singable. At around 13 years old, I fell in love with the singer-songwriter craft, the relationship between an artist and their instrument; artists like Jorge Drexler, John Mayer, and Jamie Cullum really inspired me. I think I still channel some of that in the music I make now, even though it’s sonically very different.

Congratulations on the release of “Answers”! Tell us a bit about the track and the inspirations behind it.
Thanks! It’s about that young adulthood feeling of not knowing anything. Having all of the questions and none of the answers. Writing it was an attempt to come to terms with being in that state, even celebrating it (the outro!). I think one cool thing about it is that the song falls down into the chorus instead of rising up to it! Which is fitting as it’s not a happy song; it’s more of a positively-contemplative song. In terms of inspirations, I’m a disciple of the tone and style of Brazilian guitarists like Luis Bonfá and João Gilberto, which I studied deeply. I love soft closed-mic’d drums, relaxed singing reminiscent of old jazz crooners, casual simply-phrased lyrics, intentionally messy basslines. “Answers” is inspired by all these things.

How do you define your sonic essence and the experience of listening to your songs?
Sometimes I call it sit-down-groove, because it’s the sort of small, slow groove that you can barely dance to, but not enough to make you stand up. Other times I call it café-napkin songwriting, because lyrically I write very casually and quickly. Someone once called it Patio Soul, which I loved and use all the time now, I guess because it’s kind of warm, Latin-sounding by nature. At the heart of every song is just me and the guitar, and I try to make sure that always comes across in the final mix.

“Answers” is the first single from your debut EP, a project you describe as being about all things second best. Talk us through your creative process working on this EP and what the experience was like.
I’m a huge perfectionist, and this record is me learning to live with second-best things, which are so often the actual best! So the process involved a lot of me trying to let go of my perfectionism and accepting the songs and productions as they came. That was extra hard with me producing everything, making all the decisions, and recording most things on it. So a motto ended up arising: careful imperfection. That became the intention for everything, and it is a great framework to work with. Working with friends and other musicians on some instruments was very freeing and made the whole project more fun.

What can listeners expect from this collection, and how does it reflect your musical journey so far?
A whole lot of warm nylon guitar, soft quiet drums, intimate vocals, messy basslines and danceable outros can be expected from this record. I think it sums up a lot of my influences over the past couple of years, as well as my geographical journey around the world and the sounds I’ve picked up from that.

How was the experience of producing “Answers” on your own? What were some of the challenges and rewards of handling the production yourself?
It’s very challenging! Having all of the decision-making power can be a huge problem for an indecisive perfectionist like me. But it was the only way, as at least for now, stumbling through indecision is the only way I know. It can be lonely and repetitive work sometimes, but very rewarding when you’re proud of your work once it’s out! I’d love to try having other producers involved in the future.

How has making music influenced your personal growth and development? Have you learned any life lessons through your music journey?
I feel like I’m still learning a lot and have loads to develop, but making music from a young age has allowed me to keep a constant tap of emotions and thoughts flowing. Which is quite healthy, I think. It allows me to navigate freely through any life terrain without too much baggage.

A life lesson I’ve learned is that things are always more fun with friends around.

Looking ahead, what are your personal and professional goals for the future? What excites you most about your upcoming projects and where you’re heading next in your music career?
I’m really looking forward to getting back on stage more towards the EP release, as that’s my absolute favourite part of this whole thing! That’ll bring me a lot of joy. After this EP, I’m excited to explore new ground musically, as I’ve already changed so much since writing these last few tunes!