Omar Apollo, born Omar Velasco, is a first generation Mexican-American singer/songwriter from Hobart, Indiana. Apollo comes from his middle name, Apolonio. He played guitar in church when he was young, but quit because he didn’t like the music they played. When he was 11 or 12 his parents bought him a guitar for his birthday, but it was an electric guitar and there was no amp. He traded this in for an acoustic guitar at a pawn shop that he eventually learned to play on YouTube. A newer guitar he’d bought later on, got stolen when he was 15 and it took him a couple years to get a new one and get back into playing. He then also learned how to sing on YouTube, after receiving criticism on his voice from his dad and friends. Omar attended Indiana University Northwest, but dropped out two weeks in because he felt like he was supposed to be doing something else and wanted to focus on music. He makes psychedelic indie pop/r&b/jazz.