Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliek.
Hi Aliek, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to LA when I was 18 because I had gotten into a performing arts school. I got my BFA in musical theater. I’ve always had a deep love for music and storytelling. After I graduated, I quickly realized that I wasn’t really interested in being in the musical theater world, but I wanted to hold onto those parts that I loved so much, so I continued acting and I started to write poetry and songs on my own. I’m not sure I thought it was what I would be pursuing all these years later but it felt really important and cathartic to express myself in that way so I did so privately for a long time. I sang backups for a few not so great bands and for some awesome ones over the next few years and really started making a community of artists and musicians. People who had seen me perform out at those shows started to ask me to sing on their tracks and to collaborate with them and write. I was pretty scared because I had never shared that personal side of myself with people but I decided to push myself and rise to the occasion, so I started doing collaborative sessions and I fell in love with the writing process so much.
After a few years of that, I started to long for full creative control, to see what would come out of me without influence from others so I started writing more and more on my own, with the intention of actually completing work and was lucky enough to find a friend and amazing producer, LOUALLDAY, who was willing to help me bring them to life. At the beginning of 2020, I finally released my first song under my own artist name with a music video that I made with my friends that I am so incredibly proud of (directed by Caitlin Stasey). It really seemed like things were finally happening, so I started to get a band together so that I could sing my music for the first time in front of people, and then we got to March…Since the pandemic hit, I have had to shift focus back to writing and learning what I can about production, but I am currently finishing up two songs I’ve been working on and planning music videos for the ones I have released already. Staying busy until I can find myself back on a stage again because that is where I feel the most happy and the most like myself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing up, I was always such a people pleaser and had a hard time advocating for myself or asking for what I want. When the collaborations started, I found myself in a lot of male-dominated spaces, and those same feelings of inadequacy just shot to the top. Those men made a point to show me how they only thought of me as a vocalist; quick to shoot down my ideas, talk over me in sessions, would rewrite things I wrote with no notice, the list goes on. I even worked with a guy for months on multiple projects, wrote and recorded stuff with him, spent months in mixing sessions and then one day he said “Huh, Keila you’re actually pretty talented” like I hadn’t been working at his side for months. My friend told me after that, “You are an asset to these people as much as they are to you. Act like it.” I realized I had been doing that same stuff from childhood, making myself smaller to not ruffle any feathers, I kept hearing my friend’s words in my head. So I wrote some free-writes and songs in my bedroom to work through all those feelings of not being seen or heard, I made a list of what skills I bring to a session and I decided that from then on, I would unapologetically take up space because I have a unique perspective to offer. It won’t work with all people, but it’ll work with the ones I’m aligned with, and that’s all I need. Realizing that I didn’t have to say yes to every opportunity that came along allowed me to create space for the work that resonated with me and I’ve been so much happier since.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a vocalist, writer, actor, and performer and I’m in love with every aspect of that. I feel like I was destined to be on a stage. When I’m performing, there is nothing else but that moment. I’m more present and aligned with myself than any other time in my life. I love writing and recording in the studio and bringing an idea to fruition. All of it is about story and connectivity for me; connecting with other humans on this planet. The reciprocity you can feel onstage, with all these people, sharing in an experience you are creating together is absolute magic. It means so much to me that I can write a song and have someone in the same room or in another part of the world relate to it, and have it affect them and feel less alone. I felt really lonely growing up, and music did that for me. It connected me to something greater than myself, and I want to do that for other people.
What are your plans for the future?
I am really looking forward to when things feel safer out there, and I can perform my own music live for the first time. I daydream about it every single day. And I’m also looking forward to releasing more music that I’m working on. It doesn’t truly feel finished until I give it away.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliek_music/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3LPJXEKMuSkIuK950iTNhA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/aliek-mgmt/tracks
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1i6mTxwWLa5LFVKMU7GkmH
Image Credits
Jazz Aguon and Brit Manor
