His family knows him as Mark Gregory Damboragian, but his 18 million monthly listeners on Spotify know him as Mark Ambor. Ambor started making music in 2019, when he first released his single “Fever”. Subsequent to “Fever”, he also dropped his EP Hello World and singles from his first ever album, Rockwood, which he officially released this year.
Ambor, an American-Armenian singer and songwriter, discovered his musical talents after graduating high school. Learning to play piano as a child, he didn’t start writing songs until he was about to go to Fairfield University.
Ambor released a few songs here and there throughout college, but after receiving his marketing degree the COVID pandemic struck, shutting down public offices and giving him a chance to pursue making music from inside his home.
During the pandemic, Ambor also downloaded TikTok and would upload videos of him singing covers as well as his own original songs. His videos eventually caught the eye of producer Kyle Thompson, who helped Ambor take his music to new heights. In fact, Ambor’s 2024 single “Belong Together” reached No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 21 weeks.
Rockwood, centers about his experiences with his friends and family growing up. The album name itself is actually the name of a park from Ambor’s hometown of Pleasantville, New York. The songs discuss Ambor’s feelings towards growing up and experiences with his friends. Many people think that the album is a compilation of love songs, but a decent amount of the songs actually center around Ambor’s appreciation for his hometown and parents (“Belong Together” is about his friends and parents, while “My Love” is about Pleasantville).
Ambor’s earlier music is slightly more on the pop side of the indie pop spectrum and features heavier drums and peppier beats. While these songs are definitely fun, personally I think the music style featured in Rockwood better explains Ambor as an artist.
Throughout the album, Ambor highlights his skill on both the piano and guitar, which pairs nicely with his authentic and somewhat raspy voice. Overall, Rockwood is the perfect debut album for Ambor because not only does it showcase his talents, but it also showcases the authentic, indie, “bedroom pop” vibe that makes his music distinctly Mark Ambor.
The instrumentation on his songs are very minimal, which really helps harness the authenticity of his music. His music is mostly slower paced, especially those reminiscing on past relationships. However, many of his songs celebrating life and loved ones are more upbeat – not as hyper as traditional pop and definitely more towards the indie side of the indie pop spectrum. However, that chill, deep vibe is what allows people to authentically connect with his music and thus has helped him garner such a large following.
My Top Ten:
- “Belong Together” (Rockwood)
- “Good To Be” (Rockwood)
- “Hate That I Still Love You” (Rockwood)
- “Curls in the Wind”
- “I Hope It All Works Out” (Rockwood)
- “Rockwood” (Rockwood)
- “Company” (Hello World)
- “The Long Way” (Hello World)
- “Second Best” (Rockwood)
- “Hair Toss, Arms Crossed” (Hello World)
For fans of Noah Kahan, Henrik, Gracie Abrams, and Alex Warren.
