Otlo

Otlo is the recording project of Preston Alexander Bearden, born February 5, 2003, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.^[2] His music blends hazy indie-pop synthesis with 1960s pop sensibility and lo-fi bedroom production, creating a sound he has described as "dreamy, uncanny, lo-fi."^[3]

Bearden's earliest musical influences were unconventional: Nintendo 64 game soundtracks, singing toys, and his grandmother's piano.^[2] As a teenager, he began creating music by downloading beats online and layering vocals using Audacity, spending two years developing material before releasing anything publicly. His debut single was "But A Dream," followed by his first LP "Woozy" in 2023 and "Lovedrown" in 2025.

His production toolkit has grown to include tools like the Arturia Synthi V pad alongside his signature approach of layered vocal production.^[3] Among the artists he cites as formative influences are Roy Orbison, Stevie Wonder, Andy Gibb, Matthew Wilder, Mac DeMarco, Clairo, Men I Trust, TV Girl, and Dayglow, a range that reflects his interest in bridging classic pop craft with contemporary bedroom aesthetics.

In March 2026, Bearden released "Gameboy," his first single of the year and a preview of his forthcoming third studio album. The song draws on his childhood memories of carrying a Game Boy in his pocket while playing Pokemon Ruby, using the device as a symbol for the simplicity and connection of youth.^[1] He has spoken openly about his tendency to ruminate on the past and his reluctance to accept the terms of adult life, themes that run throughout his work and find their most direct expression in this single.