Misaligned to be Aligned

Armadillo's first EP released back in 2023. It became one of those album that just instantly hooked me. More so over the specific time it released for me. Now with misaligned well the same thing happened. What a coincidence. Seeing Armadillo's growth from their first show at Schneider's Beer Garden in Mcallen to their other shows down the road. With time passing it has lead to other singles such as I'll Say and Cosmic for example. Three years have passed and now we have Misaligned. An album that tells a story about a young man carrying longing in his pocket covered in pocket change to a weight so heavy on his heart it's bursting at the seems. There doesn't seem to a sunny day in this album, we are underneath expressway lights, bed sheets, an embrace, and faced to feel baby blue, faced to face a pair of eyes in front of you.

This is Armadillo's new album, Misaligned.

First of all for those who may not know, who is Armadillo? How would you explain your sound along with three songs to check out right now as he says "Armadillooo is this uhh reclusive, socially awkward, chill guy who makes music at home and performs live from time to time and wants to be bigger than what he currently is. If I could describe the sounds? Mmm descriptions are my worst skill but I'd say hints of alt rock, rnb, light pass of hiphop, indie for sure, as a whole? Id hope I get this like cyclical energy of sadness, like the chords mainly stay the same and the songs I feel evolve over the same foundation, which to me is my way of trying to represent a "boring" routine haha... idk man bahaha. Check out Underweight, want 2 stay, and cosmic. So so good" To catch the "true" essence you must listen to BUZZCUT, Richmond, I'll Say, Cosmic, and off the new album Want 2 Stay. Yes, there are notes of alt rock, rnb, a light pass of hip hop, but who cares of the labels! Armadillo most notably using the beat/drums to express the track fully! While the songs may feel "upbeat" they carry an undertone of what he truly feels through his lyricism. The way he makes it feel one way but it something else. A mixture of hopelessness, but hopeful. Contradicting, but haven't we felt that before?

So we had the Suburban Prodigy EP back in 2023 and now with Misaligned in 2026. I will share the differences I noticed when I share my thoughts, but I want to ask how you feel? While Suburban Prodigy held a sense of "longing" and "hopelessness" there's a particular sound to each song that held onto "grasping the edge." Not to let go, to persist through it all. Now, Misaligned, are there a few words that you can say to express the album? If so, how and why as Armadillo explains"Misaligned in few words ? Missed connections, people on pedestals, loveeee, unrequited but determined... humiliation maybe ?... yeah those seem like good buzzwords that kind of hit what I felt making these." Humiliation, that's heavy. Would you say "love" plays a factor in the "buzzwords" mentioned? What we do, say, pursue, think of, and feel embarrassed or rather "humiliated" by who we perceive as above, the one "loved". How one word connects, but we stay misaligned.

I know you produced a lot of the instruments in Suburban Prodigy, but here in Misaligned I feel and hear new sounds. The summer is over, the day is over and now we're out into a chilly night as our shaky palm grasps onto our only sense of warmth, a cigarette. What can you tell with what new beats/instrumentals you've been using to portray this new sense of "longing" and "romance" which now it feels like love has been "found" but you still carry something within...a sadness which can be solved by her...as Armadillo says "Wow, I love the scenery that you've painted with these sounds. It's actually pretty accurate I'd say to how I can picture it! Thank you . But to answer the question haha I believe the main instrument that got more use in these sounds was piano. Underweight the piano stabs in like memories flooding in (that's how I see it) bosa is.... a bossa nova of cheesy love haha. Eternal, (one of my favs) to me, has a nostalgic vibe as its based off a memory.... anyways u get the point haha. Piano seemed like the basis of all the tracks as I felt it resonated more with the somber feelings I had at the time. After Piano the drums came in which were programmed off of electric kits and if not that, then I tried using some sampling techniques and diving into that world to find some interesting grooves. Oh man I can actually write a whole 20 page essay on the sound selection and modifications of said sounds but..... this whole project was a testament about how much I've evolved as a producer! But yes piano made me sad and that is what I built most of these tracks on bahaha." Yes, listening back to Underweight. I can see it. Under the light post, camera circling you, moving around, dancing, leading to the album pose. Such an intro track to what's to come in the album. Like a fall...I will agree tho! Listening to the EP and the new album. There is growth, it can be heard and seen. Congrats on the album release!

Let's talk about album covers, Suburban Prodigy a summer's day/inside a pool/this green murky color tone with a star necklace. Misaligned, carries a desolate environment, but not alone. What can you tell me about the album cover attached to the title as Armadillo explains "Album covers were all labors of love, suburban prod, was with my good friend Jason and my ex at the time, where it was such a fun moment to jump in a pool and he took the pic through an aquarium tank to not get the camera wet, he makes a lot of saddish work so his style resonated with me." Actually that's pretty sick! I don't think that was mentioned in Suburban Prodigy EP section of our first interview. I'm trying to image the steps taken for the cover. Wow. He continues by saying "Misaligned, was the same feeling where a bunch of my friends (Bryan/Bruce, Julian, and Sebas) got together to take some pics for my media - we made a group chat called 'super duper mega crazy marketing team'. The photo that made it as the album cover felt like it was the best depiction where I'm curled up looking down from light, looking gloomy while the other person in frame (Sebas) runs across which could be seen as maybe a rush to rescue? Anyways that's the core of it, right. Hes up front doing something different, I'm in the back but center looking gloomy, rejecting the help and light. Feels like that in many cases where me and someone else are moving where the picture is offset with the audio" Yeah, light is the biggest image portrayed in the album. Especially for example in Want 2 Stay you mention a lot of driving, late night driving. Under lights, but not exposed to it. Light is ever so lightly mentioned that when it does...it hurts. We don't wish to stay where we are, we wish to stay elsewhere, somewhere warm and inviting. A friend to the rescue while we have someone in mind.

My favorite song off the album is Want 2 Stay. I feel like it encapsulates so much. That sharp sound in the beginning. Under expressway lights. Looking to your right and you see her face light up under each passing post. Like you just KNOW! YOU KNOW! Especially at the end when you choose to stay. Then Besides Me following up and thinking. It could have been days, weeks, hell maybe a month. "Did you miss me girl?" The way these songs go back to back as he says "Want 2 stay is such an insane song bahaha and I mean that in the way where like, I am extremely proud of it bahaha. The way u describe the passing post is beautifully put, as the whole song is from experience where its just that certain someone you'd do almost anything before and u cant help but be forgiving the moment they show a glimpse of affection or wtv the fuck it is that makes us roll over and say 'yeah, I love you still' its just that subtle nuance of a relationship where you know and dont know at the same time. Damn bahaha yeah not fun times. Yeah that song carries a lot of humility for me but also necessary. I love it all the same for the sounds and atmosphere it creates while being a grounded as I can. Besides me was basically building a little bit on the message but also being something else. As you pointed out that it back to back, I felt it was a great follow up to me because despite even being with whoever it was we chase, sometimes even there you feel alone still, then you get away and you see they still live life the same and can only wonder if they missed you or not ? Yeah. Something like that." Dude, ahhhhh! Just reading "wtv the fuck it is that makes us roll over" but it's the MOST SIMPLEST THING! I don't even want to continue. Want 2 Stay is insane.

Summer, a new summer night. What does summer day/summer night portray for you? The sun and the moon on your back. Two shades of emotions. 3 years and it's all in the span of another Summer as he says "Summerrrrr, I think how much i fkn hate the heat haha. But you know i cant attribute summer much to these, or if I did its probably those nasty summer days where its cloudy but its no raining but its all humid and you feel like you can just choke out at any point . I can be dramatic with people or aftermaths, to me all these little moments felt so grand... grand enough to put into songs. Misaligned felt like night to me however, felt like there was this urgency to rush over to your lover and state your case of how you work great, then mid project that quickly isnt the case so you take the longest way home, blasting gut wrenching songs in order to feel it out and process it. The end 'bluepanther' ends with some lines like 'im thinking maybe one day you could be my lover' and something about forgetting why it is we couldnt work since... well.... the delusional romantic will think, it takes more persistence." Man, reminds of _ years ago when I listened to Richmond driving through _____ looking at the neighborhoods. The summer heat, windows down, feeling chocked not by the humid, but the view to my right. As Armadillo mentioned the "delusional romantic" facing what was and what could be? Even though it's happened. A moment so grand, I agree. We are misaligned, but not so far off the path forgetting who we are. May the summers keep us warm, and may we be home these nights.

Start of the album, Underweight, the INTRO. Especially starting before New Years. The lonesome new year's heartache. Especially these desolate nights that keep us Misaligned and the chance of "keeping that head on tight" and "high." We can only dream of that morning, which is the ONLY instance into the album of MORNING. A wish to be told "I am worth it." Would these few words make you feel aligned? It would make me feel a certain way as Armadillo exclaims "Underweight was actually made on new years bahaha. Now in terms of visual mood. I would just love for whoever I crush on to give me all the reassurance I need." In my head the album plays out from December to pre-Summer. No warmth just yet, just a desolate breeze in these winter-esque nights.

Misaligned, but what would it take to be "Aligned?" as Armadillo says "If only they loved me, maybe then we'd be aligned"

Any final words about the album you'd like to make? "All these ideas are always mmmm lacking more context in my execution. Like its insane, this curse of not being able to fully communicate these ideas and themes. I think each work is me still finding a way to get these feelings across as best as I can. I'm hopeful one day I'll make something that makes sense for me and if anyone can understand from what I have so far then..... I love you. The next project I have will be in tandem with my live band so that should be alot of fun. I hope you all stick around and see more. Genuinely I have so much love for everyone I've ever come across. Thank you guys."