Miami-based trio Mustard Service are putting their own spin on indie rock with a vibrant sound they dub “zest pop.” Blending elements of surf, funk, jazz, bossa nova, and Latin rhythms, the band—made up of Marco Rivero Ochoa (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Leo Cattani (keyboard), and Adam Perez (drums)—bring a warm, genre-blurring sound that’s just as emotionally rich as it is rhythmically infectious.
Their latest single ‘Conversation Overtime‘ builds on that signature feel, pairing a mellow groove and velvet-soft vocals with lyrics that tap into the breakdown of communication—where calm discussions slowly tip into conflict. Produced by Chad Copelin (Wilderado, Broncho, Sasha Sloan), the track captures that strange middle ground where silence can sting just as much as words. It’s introspective without ever feeling heavy, and another example of Mustard Service’s knack for wrapping weighty themes in sunny, effortless charm.
We caught up with Marco to talk about the new single, what fans can expect from their upcoming album, and what’s in store for their 2025 tour.
Congratulations on your new single ‘Conversation Overtime.’ The track feels both introspective and mellow—what sparked the idea for this track, and how did it come to life in the studio?
This song was actually a demo that didn’t make the last album. It was written probably at some point in late 2020, at the height of the pandemic when a lot of couples were starting to spend a little too much time with each other. The song is essentially about arguing or fighting with your partner and knowing when to say something, when to keep it to yourself and the fine line between arguing and fighting, the holding back and the cold shoulder, so part of the delay in releasing it was the idea that people would read into my own relationship at the time and after all, it’s just a song and the implications come with the territory but it’s hard to remember no one really cares about your life as much as you do. The guys and I also couldn’t get the demo to sound right either. We didn’t realize its potential until we sent a bunch of demos over to our producer, Chad Copelin and he hand picked it as his favorite. Shoutout to Chad Copelin he’s the man.
The concept of a conversation tipping into argument is so relatable. Was this inspired by a personal experience, or something you’ve observed more broadly?
A little bit of both. I started watching reality TV during the lockdown and I’ve come to the conclusion that reality tv shows might as well be anthropological case studies. Like Ron knew he was being filmed when he made out with two girls and put his head in between a cocktail waitress’ breasts. Also he was grinding with multiple fat women. When Sam left crying from Klutch Ron was holding hands and dancing with a female and took down her number for all of America to see. Much like Schrödinger’s uncertainty principle, we are also formless until something is observing us, locking us into their mold of who we are. Like us, Ron’s true character is shrouded in a cloud of context and the lack there-of. In relation to the song: Ron stepped into the conversation overtime, where arguing ends and fighting begins, while Sam retreated leaving far too much on her chest.
Who in the band is most likely to start an argument that turns into “conversation overtime” IRL?
Probably me lol but I think it depends on the person. I tend to be very confrontational with my friends but less so with romantic partners. Maybe ‘cause your friends probably won’t leave you if you start acting crazy, but I’ll save that talk for my therapist.
You’ve coined your sound as “zest pop”—can you define that for someone who’s never heard your music before?
It’s a little zesty, a little poppy idk.
It’s just Mustard Service.
You also recently released a track called ‘Big Time.’ It tackles the emotional weight of cutting off someone you care about, even though it’s necessary. What was it like writing about something so heavy within such an upbeat, sun-soaked sound?
I have a kink for sonically uplifting tracks with sad lyrics. I don’t even think it’s a juxtaposition. Beauty can exist in melancholy and I don’t think happy music and happy lyrics are mutually exclusive. I think Butters from South Park put it best : “Well yeah, and I’m sad, but at the same time, I’m really happy that something could make me feel that sad. It’s like, it makes me feel alive, you know? It makes me feel human. The only way I could feel this sad now is if I felt something really good before”.
– Leapold “Butters” Stotch
‘Big Time’ and ‘Conversation Overtime’ both explore heavy emotional territory, but they approach it in very different sonic ways—how do you see the two tracks complementing each other, and do they hint at the direction you’re heading with future releases?
You know, I think our albums are usually very different sonically from track to track. We used to worry, hearing bands come out with a sonically concise album but as I get older I’m glad we don’t put ourselves into a box like that so we can be free to explore different sounds not just album by album but track by track. The songs are all composed over the course of a couple years and a lot can change in someone over that amount of time.
You’ve opened for Bombay Bicycle Club and sold out El Rey—how has your live show evolved, and what can fans expect on your upcoming tour?
Over the years we start using more and more tech. As a classical guitarist from Miami, I didn’t really use a pedal board until I was 21, let alone Ableton and live tracks with in-ear-monitors but it’s been fun learning how to play with new toys. We typically show up with little to no plan in each city but watching the pros like magic city hippies and Bombay bicycle club really lit a fire under our ass to put on a sick show and spare no expense. We can’t wait to get out there and show people what we got.
Follow Mustard Service on Instagram
Words: Alexander Williams