Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Coyle.
Ali, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist… and sommelier!
I have been in many bands over the years, but am about to release my first solo record. I also play bass in a Blues inspired band called “Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse.” When I am not working on music, I run an extensive wine program at my family’s three restaurants in Orange County. (Fable & Spirit, Dublin 4 Gastropub, Wineworks For Everyone.)
GROWING UP IN MISSION VIEJO
I have been writing songs since I was 12 years old. I was classically trained as a violinist, but it wasn’t until I picked up a guitar that I truly connected with music in a way that has become an integral part of who I am.
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THOSE ROOTS
When I was 17, I went to Ireland with a friend of mine, named Wesley. On that trip we traveled all over the country visiting my family (I’m 1st generation American). While on the road, we wrote folk style songs with minimal instrumentation. This was right around the time Garage Band came out, so we decided to record and post our music on MySpace. To our surprise, when we arrived home, we had a lot of plays and followers. We formed a folk style band called Oliver-Jane (Our aliases created abroad), and this was when I realized that writing and playing music was a plausible career path if I kept working to make it happen.
INDIE ROCK D.I.Y.
Next, I started a band called This Time With FEELING. As the band name might suggest, I made it my mission to sing about things that were most vulnerable to me. I was struggling with coming out, and Orange County was not very supportive of LGBTQ rights at the time. Music was my outlet to say everything I was afraid to say. We recorded two EPs with producer, Dave Tweedie, who later became one of my best friends and musical mentors, before …alas… the band split up.
NORTH EAST LA
I wanted to play music but needed a break from holding the reigns. I started playing bass for Alt/Shoegaze band, Sullen Ray. I jumped on the opportunity to move into a warehouse with my friends in Glassell Park. Art, music, rooftops, and drinking cold Tecates to cope with not having AC in the summer, became my new life. It was amazing while it lasted, but it became very difficult to find a stable living situation when the warehouse property was sold and we were all kicked out.
COMING HOME TO SANTA ANA
I feared that leaving LA would pull me further away from music. For the first time in my life, I felt like giving up. I was extremely depressed, and many parts of my life suffered. I started seeing a therapist and I began to write my own music again. I reconnected with Dave Tweedie and we started working on my first solo record, “Songs For My Therapist.” Here we are, one year later, and I will be releasing my first song this year. Santa Ana is such an amazing city to live in, and I feel as though I am finally part of a community where I can thrive and embrace who I am.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
At times, it has been smooth for me. I have always been influenced by my Dad’s entrepreneurial spirit, and feel as though I have learned how to apply that in my life. He and my mom emigrated from Ireland in their 20’s and went on to open three successful restaurants in Orange County. I play a large role in their business as a sommelier, wine director, and doer of those really annoying administrative duties that go on behind the scenes. I understand how to work hard, take risks, and pursue goals.
An intense struggle crept up on me when I moved out of LA and realized that I might not believe in myself anymore. Finding a therapist and working through my fears has really helped me. Joining the band, Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, woke me up from the slump that I found myself in as well. We started the band less than two years ago, and have already put out a record and toured The UK and parts of Europe. I have been reminded of the fulfillment that music brings to my life in any form, and it is worth every second of work.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’d categorize my solo music as Neo-Folk. The songs on the record all connect to tell a personal story. I wrote the entire album on a 1964 fender duo sonic guitar that belonged to my neighbor. I swear the second I picked it up, I started playing in fingerpicking styles that I had never knew I could play. It almost felt like I was harnessing magical powers from its decades of previous owners. “Songs For My Therapist,” will have that guitar sewn into the lining of the music, but will intertwine with other instruments such as violin, saxophone, kalimba, 70’s/80’s era synthesizers, and lots of percussion.
For a while, I really felt lost, and I am proud that I found strength to move forward. I realize that if I am playing and writing at all, I am successful. I also realize how lucky I am to work with my family, and to be such a big part of their business. They are extremely supportive of me.
I feel that through this album, I will truly find a way to say what has been on my mind for my whole life. I won’t hide behind the poetry, I will use it as a catalyst to express what I need to say. The process of creating this music as a solo artist has been healing. Now, I just want to share it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alialexandra.com; www.beauxgrisgris.com; fableandspirit.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @alialexandramusic @beauxgrisgris @fableandspirit
Image Credit:
Chris Chavez, Walter Wouters, Shirley Ganzek, Kyle Fierro, Joshua James
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