“I want to win Grammys; I want my songs to end up in movies.”
On Jan. 23, 2026, Parkland student, MANDARRIUS, released his very first single, “CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN,” in collaboration with Parkland College’s official record label, Perimeter Road.
Following the success of his new single, we sat down with him to receive an insightful perspective of his creative process behind “CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN,” as well as his experience working with Perimeter Road. We also explored his background as an artist and his future career aspirations.
Familial Influences
MANDARRIUS’s story is one of impact – and it all started with his family. He mentions that his family was very music-oriented. “I vividly remember being a small child, I used to live with all my cousins…and my grandma would have this kid chorus situation in front of the piano, ‘hit this note, hit that note.”
Further explaining how the important people in his life encouraged and inspired his relationship to music, MANDARRIUS says, “My mom also always wanted to make music; she has a whole suitcase of songs.” Growing up, the love for music was present everywhere which naturally extended to him.
The starting point
While music has always been a part of his life, finding a sound to perfectly describe him has been a process long in the making. “I knew that music was always going to be something I wanted to create. I just never knew what direction I wanted to take it in.”
MANDARRIUS’s music is an offset of indie rock and he describes his enjoyment of making “anything weird.” As an artist, he draws inspiration from the likes of Doechii, Tierra Whack and Lady Gaga. “CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN” exposes MANDARRIUS’s raw, unfiltered sound and unique mix of layers. “There’s a ton of layers, it’s because of the guitar, my voice, there’s harmonies, there’s the bass, there’s just a lot going on, especially at the end.”
MANDARRIUS emphasizes the single as a result of collective group effort amongst his peers at Perimeter Road. He worked closely with other artists to bring his debut single to life.
I think it made it a lot more rewarding because when it came to having people contribute, I had a central idea of what I wanted, but at the end of the day, I gave them the freedom to try whatever might sound good, and that became a mutual consensus.
He goes on to mention his appreciation and recognizes the efforts of fellow artist, Jaiden Burgess. Together, they would often draw out ideas and spend lots of time fitting together the puzzle pieces of “CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN.” Jaiden would go on to compose and sing most of the backing vocals for the single. “Jaiden is genuinely endless, like they do so much.”
With this being MANDARRIUS’s first officially released single, he reveals he has created, worked on, and written several other demos and tracks. However, he opens up about never feeling confident enough about them to post it.
While he was nervous about taking such a monumental step forward in his music career, he eventually took the advice that would later become part of the message for “CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN.”
“My mom always said, if there’s a chance, take it, and if it gets to the point where you have an opportunity, you shouldn’t shy away from it.”
Finding meaning during the process
As a whole, there were several lovingly threaded messages in the single, but there was an even bigger message for his music as a whole. “What I want people to get from my music and me as a person is to be free to feel, and also to just start somewhere.” He described that Perimeter Road kept asking him if he would be interested in releasing a single, and it took at least three times until he was finally on board.
MANDARRIUS’s cover for the single was an ode to the dedication distilled into the project. From sewing his own glove to searching for props through the Parkland theater, he was determined to make his exact vision palpable. There was passion in every step of the project; from spending long hours re-listening to every part to ensure the right decision was made for the single, to stepping outside of his comfort zone, it is clear that he had something to share.
One of his favorite details of the song is the iconic scream at the end. He mentions that he felt free and unjudged, and it was his way of letting his emotions out in a less-than-perfect way. “I’m always overwhelmed. When something goes awry, the urge to let it out is immense.” The project is filled with personal meaning for MANDARRIUS as well; mentioning that the song was based on his grieving process after losing someone close, the yearning for connection that came with it, and the eventual acceptance.
While he is proud of his song, MANDARRIUS mentions the mix of emotions that came with releasing the single. “As an artist, I want to be as raw and honest as possible. For me, that was a huge obstacle because I’ve never been a person to talk about my struggles – even with myself.”
His final push for the project was the encouraging advice from Brennon Hightower, Parkland’s Student Life Director, who pushed him to get it published. “She told me that you can get as far as you want, but only after you start.”
A look toward the future‘
This project was just the tip of what he says will be a fully fledged EP, complete with six songs. He describes his style as maximalist and mentions that this song had been written in one sitting during April of 2025. The remaining time was used to make improvements on the song, before having the song be brought to life with the help of Perimeter Road.
MANDARRIUS’s single is only the first within a longer series: Perspectives of Parkland Volume 3, which is composed entirely of Parkland students through Perimeter Road. The other tracks will continue to be released over the rest of the Spring semester.
Perimeter Road gives artists the opportunity to make it what they want, as they are a flexible and supportive label. Students develop real world skills, not just on paper but also in practice. An example of this is the upcoming in person performance from each artist on Monday, April 20 during Parkland College’s annual Cobra Carnival, lovingly nicknamed “Cobrachella.”
In the future, MANDARRIUS hopes to work with Polyvinyl Record Co., a record label based in Champaign, IL. He also hopes to collaborate with local artists such as Lys Allen, panamaren, and “Anyone reading this, honestly.” He says, “I just love to work with people. And if anyone has a song they want [me to] feature on, I would love to be there.” In the far future, he would like to collaborate with Lady Gaga.
For Swift, music is a way of life. “It’s about creating in any capacity I can… It’s the creating covers, videos, clothes, etc.” His message and creative intent displayed through “CALL ME WHEN YOU CAN” was clear: to move others to step outside their comfort zone, creating through fear, and giving yourself room to grow through grief.
“I want to go very far. I will give it my best shot. I hope this inspires people to do the same. Among everything else, this is the starting point.”
Artist address
As an artist, MANDARRIUS has experienced the power of community through Perimeter Road and looks forward to collaborating more in the future. He commented on his love for all of those who dedicate the time to create at any capacity and his sincere appreciation for the world of art, not limited to just music.
I have a very high regard for artists in general of any medium. If you’re an artist, I love you. I think being an artist comes down to creating something true to you, whether that’s having commentary on the political atmosphere or just talking about internal issues because at the end of the day, someone’s gonna relate. With me, you know even though the message behind the song is peculiar and probably very specific to me, someone always gets something from your art and I think creating is very important for anyone to do. So, to all the artists out there, I love you!