Hando Aguilar is a singer, songwriter and producer from Northern California who lives and breathes the DIY Indie aesthetic. From his home studio in San Jose, Hando makes his music with a refreshing experimental abandon. Without regard to the boundaries of genre or tradition, he writes songs that turn a mirror on his own life and on the society around him.
I believe music and art creation should be for everyone. Everyone should write their own music… I don’t try to perfect things or make singles and hits. I don’t take myself too seriously.
Hando Aguilar
In the past two years Hando Aguilar has produced an astounding volume of work. Since 2020 the prolific songwriter has written and published 7 full length albums and 3 EPs. “Make It Up As You Go” is the latest album from Hando Aguilar, released worldwide to all major streaming services on September 19, 2021. Throughout the 11 song collection he pairs Lo-fi Indie-Folk and electronic music with stream of consciousness lyrics about isolation, confused personal relationships and the dehumanizing effect of technology.
While listening to the album we are reminded of the late great Indie legend, Daniel Johnston. Like Daniel, Hando tells deeply personal narratives that mix intimate introspection with a dose of social commentary. He identifies his own failings and potential on songs like “Loveable Loser” by comparing his life to those of superheroes and even Futurama’s Philip J Fry. Elsewhere he effectively skewers our collective obsession with technology and ties it to his own insecurities in love on songs like “Notify Me” and “Left Me on Read.”
Stylistically, the songs on “Make It Up As You Go” alternate between Lo-fi Indie-Folk and experimental retro-electronic. His songs exist as a Dada-like reaction to a world gone mad. We can imagine the singer alone with his guitar as his stream-of-consciousness lyrics and music react in real time to the cacophony of Pop culture surrounding him.
From the Zen-meets-doom of anti-folk tracks like “Peace Before War” to the mostly instrumental Moog-like experimentation of “Need a Friend” and “Fifty-Fifty,” Hando Aguilar shows us our world, as he sees it. The sound is somehow detached from time while still being very much a product of the present. Listening to “Make It Up As You Go” is like reading someone else’s diary. At first, it may not make any sense. However after a few pages, you get it..
Check out “Make it Up As You Go” in its entirety below, or listen on your favorite streaming service. You can also hear the song “Lovable Loser” on the Deep Indie Songwriters playlist. Follow the links below to connect with Hando Aguilar. Get on his socials and stay up to date with all of the music to come from this uniquely talented new voice.