For his debut record, 鈥淎ngel Face,鈥� travels back in time with songs that you can imagine listening to in a Ford Thunderbird or watching a performance of on 鈥淭he Ed Sullivan Show.鈥�
鈥淎ngel Face,鈥� out Friday, is a concept album, about a fictional musician in the late 1950s, known as The Troubadour Sanchez, who finds fame with a hit single. The Troubadour meets and falls in love with a woman named Evangeline and ends up in a dangerous love triangle.
鈥淭elling stories that aren鈥檛 entirely my own I think is a lot more fun,鈥� said Sanchez, 鈥渢hen I鈥檓 not having to relive like a devastating moment over and over and over again.鈥�
Sanchez is only 20, but he's been a fan of retro music since he was a child, listening to his grandfather's record collection. He feels 鈥渉onored鈥� to be 鈥渃arrying the torch鈥� by sharing his version of the sound with a new generation, and hopes to delight older fans with its nostalgia.
The record comes after a whirlwind year. Last September, he released the ballad 鈥� 鈥� which now has more than 1.5 billion streams. He performed the song at Sofia Richie鈥檚 April wedding to music executive Elliot Grainge, and . At first, the plan was that they would perform one of John's songs, but John later decided he should sing 鈥淯ntil I Found You.鈥� He was also . The song is also a popular cover by aspiring musicians on social media.
鈥淚 used to do the same thing, so to have people do that for my song, it's a very cool thing," said Sanchez. He and his bandmates like to listen and create an evolving Top Five list of the covers.
He expects to explore other genres in the future, too.
鈥淚 definitely want to try new stuff, 鈥� he said, adding that 鈥淎ngle Face鈥� 鈥渋s a singular story that has a start and it has an end.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying it a lot right now, you know, and I think until I stop enjoying it, then I鈥檒l go do something else.鈥�
Sanchez grew up in the Sacramento area where he would bring his ukulele to high school 鈥渆very day" until learning to play the guitar. He became known as 鈥渢he guitar kid鈥� who would forego eating to hold 30 minute concerts in the school cafeteria during lunch.
Despite his musical talent and showmanship, Sanchez insists he was 鈥減retty dorky in school.鈥�
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really have a lot of girls like me in high school. Or maybe they just never came up to me and told me... I鈥檓 still a dork now. Like, nothing鈥檚 changed other than I dress a little better, do my hair a bit better. I hope."
The self-professed 鈥渄ork鈥� does have the support of his hometown and former classmates.
鈥淚鈥檝e had folks from high school just reach out like, 鈥極h my gosh, this is so insane. Like, it鈥檚 happening.鈥� where in November he will return to Sacramento and play a sold-out show at the Ace of Spades theater. 鈥淚'm really excited for that because teachers, family and friends from high school are going to be in that crowd... It's going to be really cool.鈥�
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
