Chris Mardini belongs to the rare breed of artists born to give voice to our most complex emotions. At just 19 years-old, the Greenwich Village, NYC-raised artist merges the art of intense self-reflection with poetic social commentary—a dynamic made all the more potent by his innate talent for crafting spellbinding melodies. “Every so often an artist comes around who seems to capture the mood of a generation,” Flaunt Magazine reports. “Like when Rolling Stone’s Jon Landau called Bruce Springsteen ‘rock and roll’s future,’ rising songwriter Chris Mardini seems to fit into a similar place in the cultural landscape.” SPIN Magazine adds, “We’re keeping a close eye on him, you might want to do the same.”

A near-lifelong musician who took up guitar at age 10 and got his start playing Beatles covers at iconic venues like The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall and occasionally venturing down to Asbury Park to perform at the legendary Wonder Bar, Mardini sets his soul-baring songwriting to a singular collision of elements: the brooding urgency of classic alt-rock, kinetic rhythms of underground hip-hop, and hypnotic vocal work of timeless singer/songwriters like Jeff Buckley.

Viscerally charged, Mardini’s writing fuses perfectly with his exploration of alienation and insecurity, self-sabotage and social pressure. “I feel like I owe it to myself and to the people listening to be as genuine as possible in my music,” he says. “Being cheap with the lyrics or writing something that’s just filler is taking the easy way out, so I make sure to put real meaning into every line and melody.” 

By channeling so much raw vulnerability into his songs, Mardini has ultimately found his way to an emotional release that bares itself in every track he shares with the world. And while his lyrics often speak to the pain of isolation, he hopes his music might leave others with a powerful sense of empowerment, understanding and connection. “I want everyone to know that it’s okay to change and evolve or even feel like you have different personalities sometimes, as long as you stay true to yourself,” he says. “Hopefully people will get some kind of comfort out of these songs, and know that they’re not alone in dealing with all the problems that life throws at us.”

MANAGEMENT: Tom Lewis, Amusement Management // tom@amusementmgmt.com

PUBLICIST: Jon Bleicher, Prospect PR // jon@prospectpr.com