Meet Apollo is a collective that thrives in the intersection of soul, jazz, and modern R&B, blending intimate melodies with playful, organic energy. Their latest single Awaken, released on November 28, 2025, continues this journey, capturing the delicate balance between introspection and expression, stillness and motion.
The EP grew from the collaboration of vocalist and songwriter Pleun and saxophonist Daniel Daemen, who drew inspiration from artists like Moonchild, D’Angelo, and Bilal, as well as traditional jazz sensibilities. Joined by bassist and co-writer Jens Dreijer, the trio established a foundation for Meet Apollo’s layered, warm, and rhythmically alive sound. With co-production from Dave Menkehorst, whose expertise as a producer, drummer, sound designer, and engineer brought nuance and clarity to the sessions, the release resonates with depth and human connection.
Awaken stands out for its intricate arrangements, honest lyricism, and meditative qualities. The title track exemplifies the group’s philosophy: music as a breathing, living presence. It draws listeners into a space where vulnerability, intuition, and awareness coexist, offering a soundtrack that feels simultaneously intimate and universal. Recorded partly in an anti-squat studio in Den Bosch and completed in Pleun’s countryside home studio, the release reflects both raw energy and serene introspection.
Below, we explore the story behind Meet Apollo, the making of Awaken, and the philosophies shaping this unique project in an exclusive conversation with Pleun.
Interview with Meet Apollo
Meet Apollo: Daniel and I (Pleun, founder & vocalist of Meet Apollo) first met through jam sessions, and for a while we happened to live in the same village. We played a duo concert in a small jazz café, and the response was surprisingly positive. Not long after, we went to a Moonchild concert together and found ourselves completely aligned on the musical choices and inspirations we heard that night. It was that combination of playing together and experiencing music together, that made us think: “Shouldn’t we start a band?” That’s where our musical connection began to grow into something more than just a casual collaboration.
Meet Apollo: It’s really a blend of influences. From Gregory Porter, I’ve been inspired by the warmth and accessibility of his melodic writing, and the way his lyrics feel universal yet still poetic and meaningful. D’Angelo has always been an all-time source of inspiration, especially his laid-back rhythmic feel, the layered vocal arrangements, and the hypnotic, repeated grooves that create such a deep vibe. Esperanza Spalding brings in that sense of musical curiosity and freedom for me: the adventurous harmony and the subtle jazz elements that push the music in unexpected directions. And then, of course, Stevie Wonder ‘the GOAT’. His sense of melody, the way he builds hooks, and the emotional honesty in his writing are all influences on “Awaken”. His music comes straight from the heart without ever pointing a finger, and that’s something I deeply connect with.
Meet Apollo: The lyrics were inspired by a period in my life where I became much more aware of my inner world. I began experiencing my dreams very vividly, sometimes even lucid dreaming, breathing underwater, and sensing a kind of magic in those moments. It felt like a form of “coming home” to myself. At the same time, I was going through a year of personal growth. Through reading various spiritual books and reflecting on my own life, I found myself landing more fully in my body, becoming more present, more grounded, and more connected to my intuition. “Awaken” grew out of that combination: the dreamlike, almost mystical experiences, and the very real process of becoming more embodied and aware in my everyday life.
Meet Apollo: For me, the blend really happens naturally. I never start writing from a specific genre. It’s always about a feeling, a rhythmic pattern, a bass line, or a melodic fragment that keeps echoing in my mind. I let those ideas sit for a while, and they often grow when I’m cycling, walking, or spending time with the horses. That’s usually when new pieces of the song begin to surface.
I also grew up with a very broad musical upbringing, both at home and later during my conservatory studies. That wide range of influences is just part of who I am, so the mix of soul, jazz, and modern R&B comes through without me consciously aiming for it. It’s more a reflection of the personalities and musical histories within myself and the band, than a deliberate stylistic decision.
Meet Apollo: That’s such a good question, and honestly a difficult one to answer in a very concrete way. The song really did begin in a very minimal place: just me at the piano. But as I kept “playing it back” in my mind, I started hearing that the piece needed a moment of stillness after the main theme, and then a new section to keep the tension and curiosity alive.
The second part of the song, where I sing about breathing underwater, flows into the choir-like moment with the line “as long as it feels like music, it’s my home.” That line came to me a few months ago, and I knew immediately it had to be in the song. It captures exactly how the experience feels for me. In that section, the listener gets a very intimate window into my inner world, and ideally gets carried along with that journey. The faster vocal phrases in this part create a contrast with the calm theme before and after it, which makes the emotional arc feel more dynamic. The humming section acts as a kind of breath or resting point, and we brought it back underneath the outro to create cohesion between the different parts of Awaken.
In the final section of the song, I began experimenting with riffs, runs, and recurring patterns to build that repetitive, layered ending. At one point I got feedback that the outro was too long, so one of our saxophonists wrote several riffs for me to choose from. During the mixing stage we slowly built those elements up, making sure they supported the “I breathe in love, I breathe in life…” section and kept the listener engaged, creating the feeling that something is still unfolding, leading to a release and then gently settling back down.
Maintaining the intimacy came down to many small and bigger musical decisions: the balance between repetition and development, layering the vocals but also returning to unison at times, adding the horns only at the very end, weaving the main theme underneath the outro, and ultimately ending the song with just the piano again. All of those choices helped preserve the stillness at the heart of the track, even as the arrangement grew more layered.
Meet Apollo: It taught me a lot. I had to make many decisions in a very short amount of time, and almost everything about the process was a first for me. The pressure was intense, but in a way I actually thrive under that kind of focus. I also had to learn to accept that a project is never truly “finished,” and that sometimes good enough in this moment is exactly what it needs to be. That mindset helped me let go of control and trust the process. Once the band had recorded their parts, and they’re all such high-level musicians, they barely needed anything to deliver something beautiful. The songs came to life in a way the demos never could. Recording the vocals in my home studio over 4.5 days allowed me to respond to that energy. I added layers, experimented, and pushed the vocals much further because the foundation was strong. Another huge part of this process was working with our engineer and mixer, Dave Menkehorst. He contributed a lot, not only technically, but musically. He made production choices, suggested arrangement ideas, and helped shape the overall sound of the album. His input was very valuable, and it allowed the music to grow beyond what I had originally imagined. Most of the band members already knew each other well, but we only managed to rehearse with the full group once because of everyone’s schedules. Even so, that rehearsal immediately felt easy and natural. The energy in the room was warm, relaxed, and we laughed a lot.
In a way, the album feels like the beginning of something: a snapshot of where we are right now, with plenty of room to let the songs evolve live and continue shaping our collective sound.
Meet Apollo: It’s funny, because I didn’t choose those environments for symbolic reasons — they were simply the places available to us. But looking back, they did shape the atmosphere of the process in their own way. The anti-squat studio in Den Bosch had this raw, creative energy to it. It wasn’t polished or fancy, but it had a certain freedom built into the space, which worked well for tracking the instruments and the overall vibe. Recording the vocals at home was the opposite. I live in the countryside, surrounded by nature, and there’s a calmness there that allows me to sink deeper into the emotional side of the songs. Being in a familiar, quiet space helped me access the more intimate layers of the music. So even though it wasn’t intentional, those two environments naturally balanced each other out: the raw, lively studio energy and the grounded stillness of home. I think both ended up in the emotional landscape of the track.
Meet Apollo: What I hope most is that listeners feel a sense of calm when they reach the end of the song, almost like a brief pause from everything. The outro has indeed a mantra-like quality, and if it gives someone even a moment of peacefulness or stillness, then it has done what it was meant to do.
Meet Apollo: What excites me most is the chance to reimagine the songs specifically for the stage. I’m planning to create new live arrangements for each track, and I already know that some songs will evolve, while others may not make it into the set at all. It also depends on whether I can bring backing vocalists with me. If not, I’ll need to find new ways to translate all those layered harmonies. That’s going to be a challenge, but also a really fun one, because it gives me a creative framework to work within and forces me to approach the songs from a fresh angle.
I’ll be collaborating with our drummer to explore which tracks will work well in a live setting, and how we want to shape them for different venues. I’m honestly looking forward to that whole process: taking the music off the record and letting it evolve, finding its own life on stage!
Meet Apollo: Right now, I’m taking things step by step. The focus is on bringing this album into the world, creating a beautiful release show, and securing bookings for 2026. Beyond that, I’m open to where the journey leads. I would love to collaborate with other musicians, and I trust that the right people and opportunities will appear when the time is right.
Closing Summary
Awaken is a masterclass in balance — blending jazz, soul, and modern R&B into music that is both playful and deeply introspective. Meet Apollo demonstrates the power of collaboration, intuition, and trust in the creative process, producing a sound that is layered, human, and emotive. The single stands as a testament to the beauty of presence, and a hint of the transformative journey the full album promises in February 2026.
Listeners are invited to slow down, breathe, and join Meet Apollo in awakening not just to sound, but to the shared pulse of life.
