Formed and fronted by singer-songwriter and producer Robert Allen, Downtown Mystic is an American rock band known for its guitar-driven sound, anthemic hooks, and a modern twist on classic rock influences. Over the years, the group has released multiple studio albums and singles that have gained a fair amount of radio airplay and placement across streaming platforms. Robert Allen recently agreed to an interview, giving us the opportunity to ask him a few questions about life, love, and of course ... making music.
Robert, can you tell us a little bit about your childhood. Where are you from?
I’m from Maplewood, NJ, in the USA. My childhood was fairly normal—whatever “normal” is. Like most kids, I was hooked on TV and would recreate what I saw with my friends. One day we were cowboys, and the next day it was Superman!
I got hooked on music early because the radio was always on in my house. I would teach my friends a background part so I could sing lead over them.
Were your parents musical?
My mother sang in the church choir. My father would whistle because he couldn’t carry a tune. They bought records, so I got into collecting them.
Do you remember that one all-important and magical moment that made you want to pick up the guitar?
Not really. My mother gave me a guitar and guitar lessons for my 12th birthday. That was the start. I didn’t ask for the guitar or the lessons, so it’s not like I was expecting that as a birthday gift. To answer your question, it was not a magic moment!
Where did the impetus for writing songs come from?
The Beatles. They were very inspiring to me, and as soon as I learned some chords, I was writing songs. They were being hailed as SONGWRITERS! I thought it was so cool that John & Paul could write such great songs. It inspired me to want to do that… write a song! I started writing songs at 13 with my cousin Gordon. We wrote like maniacs!
Can you tell us about your first band?
I think we were called The Lookouts. Back in the day, you would be in a band, rehearse for a few months, and then break up. I was in three or four bands that never got out of the basement. The Lookouts made it out. We played an 8th-grade dance and then broke up!
On “Hard Enough” you have quite a few people backing you up—names like Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent of The E Street Band. How did that happen?
That’s a long story. Here’s the condensed version… I was in a band that played in NYC and met Garry through a waitress who was his girlfriend. We got a production deal from playing at the club and got Garry to record with us. I left the band and recorded a solo project. About two years later, I hooked back up with Garry to continue my solo project. I gave him a cassette with two songs, and he picked “Hard Enough” to record and brought Max in to play drums.
What is “Hard Enough” about?
As it turns out, I went to the same high school as Max, but he graduated a year before me. We were getting ready to record “Hard Enough” and were reminiscing about high school. He asked me if I remembered this girl, and we both said her name at the same time! The irony was that we were about to record a song that was probably about her—straight from my subconscious. I didn’t put it together until much later. She was the hottest girl in the school, and every guy would drool when she walked by.
The other irony is that the song is perfect for today, with all the women who like to parade around on TikTok and Instagram. It’s easy to imagine all the men they attract to their pages. “Hard Enough” is about a guy trying to date one of these women. She’s hot and she knows it. She has him where she wants him and isn’t shy about making demands. He knows that if he wants to keep her, he needs to keep up—in more ways than one.
You’ve released quite a few albums. Do you have a personal favorite—an album that you are particularly proud of?
I’m proud of all of them, but the AmeriKarma album is special to me. The album was created during the COVID pandemic and recorded just as we were getting back to “normal.” Working on that album lit a fire in me that made me get back into recording and producing again. I’m very grateful for that.
There’s a vibe about that album, and I consider it to be my first “hit record”! My streams jumped from 500,000 to over 3 million with that album, putting me in front of a larger audience. That’s six times more! In the old days, that would be called a “hit record”!
You’ve been called a rock’n’roll revivalist. Are you one?
Nah. Who says that? I mean, I get it. Reviewers might mention it because they haven’t heard my style before and find it fresh-sounding. I don’t consider myself a revivalist because rock’n’roll has always been around. It didn’t really go anywhere. I’m presenting it my way, which might be more classic-sounding than what’s currently out there, but it’s just me writing and recording what I want to hear.
I’ve made it my mission to update rock’n’roll in the 21st century, not revive it. It’s a certain style of rock that needs to be played a certain way—something kids today might not be familiar with. There’s a certain vibe or frequency I want to put out into the world, and this music is it.
What’s your approach to recording—analog or digital? Why?
My approach is the same for both. I don’t see much difference. We just don’t use analog tape anymore. It takes a bit more skill to make it sound like it was recorded on tape, but I can’t be bothered limiting myself to just 24 tracks. Why would anyone want to do that in this day and age?
What’s your all-time favorite album?
I don’t know. There are so many great records that I’ve heard and own. To pick just one would be impossible. But I’ll say Abbey Road to answer the question.
If you could change one thing about the modern music business, what would it be?
I’m not sure. There used to be a standard that all music was judged by. That’s kind of been lost because there’s so much music out there now. I watch the Grammys and think, really? That’s the best out there?
The record labels used to keep it a close-knit community, but that’s gone now. I think part of the reason is that the labels have lost touch.
What’s your take on SUNO and AI as music-making tools?
I haven’t used AI or SUNO, so I’m not the person to ask. I do have five AI-generated videos that are kind of cool, but they were created by other people. I think AI can be useful for making demos, but not for a real release. And using AI to create an artist feels lazy.
I saw that a country artist recently went to #1 and was entirely AI-generated. That should make people pause. I also think it says a lot about how formulaic that genre has become if an AI release can compete at that level.
What’s your philosophy on life?
Be responsible for yourself. Live in the moment. Remember that everything that happens to you is for your benefit.
People get hung up on the past, and it robs them of the present. You can’t change the past, so let it go. The future hasn’t happened yet, so don’t stress about specific outcomes. That only creates anxiety.
The present moment is really all that matters.
Listen here: "Hard Enough" & "AmeriKarma"
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Interview by staff at MBTM
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