We had the good fortune of connecting with Condor Matador and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Condor, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I think music chose me to be honest! When I was a kid music lit my brain up like fireworks. Nothing has ever seemed more important to me than music. When I was 5 years old, I set the Mother Goose poem “Hickety Pickety My Black Hen” to music and choreographed a little dance to it. It just became something that I did. I started playing violin around that time as well. I was also singing in church on Sundays and eventually I started guitar at 13 years old. I wrote my first song when I was 10.
During the summers of my childhood, I attended a musical summer camp in the Laurentians near my hometown of Montreal. There I learned a lot more about songwriting. In my adolescence I performed at high school Battles of the Bands and Variety Shows.
In my early twenties I played in bars and on University campuses all around Montreal in a band called Paisley Wilde. Once that ended, I started a band called Velvet, which lasted about two years. We played around Canada and I produced the music myself.
Three years ago, I started the band Condor Matador. It started off as a duo, but now I do it on my own. I make Pop Rock.
Creativity and music are my lifelong passions! I wouldn’t be the same without them.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am extremely proud of the music I am making with the Resort 46. We have produced two songs together so far: Tell Rita and Stuck in the Past. Tell Rita is an indie pop rock masterpiece, in which everyone on the track is really pushing themselves creatively and musically. Stuck in the Past is even poppier, filled with twists and turns throughout the track, but with a chorus you’ll be singing along to before the end of the song.
Making these songs has been a lot of work, but has been the most enjoyable experience of my music career by far. I truly feel that with this team and with the songs we’re making, we are on the verge of doing something huge. We go back into the studio september 7th, to continue producing music. Our next song will be in French.

What sets Condor Matador apart from other groups is the caliber of writing. The Resort 46 has a policy of songwriting until the song is an exciting and memorable experience when accompanied only by an acoustic guitar alone. We always start this way and build up from there. This makes the songs poppy but unpredictable. To top it off, I try to deliver these songs with flair and showmanship. I think I am a really unique frontman.

I have had to overcome numerous challenges. These range from mental blocks to twists of fate. My artistic career has been quite like Thomas Edison’s invention of the lightbulb: I’ve just about found 10000 ways how NOT to be a rockstar. Name the mistake, I’ve made it. But it’s my perseverance and positive attitude that has kept me pushing. I keep on learning. I truly feel I’ve improved tremendously through the years, constantly searching for the RIGHT way to do things. I feel like I’m almost there.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spot in Montreal is Rene Levesque Park. It is a peninsula that sticks out between Lasalle and Lachine, and it is filled with public art. There are over 20 sculptures for your enjoyment and almost 3.5 km of bike path to enjoy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The Resort 46, the production duo behind my upcoming musical projects. Resort 46 consists of Burton White and Nidal. They are based in the McGill Ghetto in Montreal, a part of town primarily inhabited by students of McGill University. They are the best musicians I have ever worked with. Nidal is an amazing guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and arranger and Burton White is an incredible producer, drummer, recording engineer and arranger. They have upped my game tremendously. We are making the best music I have ever made. They are also at the center of a supportive community, typically referred to as the Resort. This is a collective of likeminded and talented musicians I am proud to associate with.

Website: www.condormatador.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/condormatador/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLEYtA4gN7i6cpN6GdOISjw

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fSi2yKOE5X1yqJcNL5dvo

Image Credits
Erika Rosenbaum

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.