Most listeners of chillwave music would not expect for the electronic artist Galapagos to be an Arizona native.
Jacob McNaughton, the 19-year-old namesake behind the spacious sounds, began mixing music on his second-hand Macbook while he was attending high school in Mesa. Within the past year, his music blog became a sensation.
McNaughton is no newcomer to the hard work it takes to make it in music. He’s released four EPs in the past year alone, and spends about three to four months putting together each EP by using the music program Abelton Live.
Galapagos received much notice and praise from various media critics such as NPR, BBC Radio and Hype Machine.
McNaughton - now a full-time artist in Austin, Texas - has been humbled by his recent Internet success.
"It's just funny,” he said. “That's the way the Internet works. I didn't have to start playing shows or be well known that way to get notoriety".
McNaughton is one of many young artists benefiting from the music industry's recent upswing in Internet success. Online blogs have been a trend for musicians over the past year, and McNaughton realizes their potential.
"Eventually, that's where most people will discover their music,” he said.
While he is content with his online popularity, McNaughton is excited to be playing live at concerts and festivals throughout the Southwest.
“It’s a lot more exhilarating for sure - a lot more fun, a lot more exciting,” McNaughton said. “It also makes you creative in different ways because you think of making music from a live perspective - what people would enjoy listening to in that atmosphere.”
Maintaining success in a fleeting industry is also important to the Desert Ridge High School alum. McNaughton has big plans for his musical endeavors.
"(For) this next SXSW, I'm pretty positive that I'll be on at least a handful of showcases," McNaughton said.
Seeing local music flourish is always reassuring for the Valley. With the rise of Internet music collectives, musicians can succeed through the support of both an online and local fan base.
Galapagos is one of many musicians benefiting from Internet publicity. Fans will be excited to see him transition from creating music in his room to playing it in live concerts.
Reach the reporter at mbobman@asu.edu
