Meet Hailey Livingston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Livingston.

Hailey, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a 26-year-old artist born and raised in Los Angeles. I grew up in North Hollywood where I still live and love. As a kid my parents constantly filled my life with art and music. My dad, Barry Livingston is an actor who was on the hit TV show “My Three Sons” and always exposed me and my brother to many films and lots of music. When I was little my dad would play guitar or piano and I would dance around the house for hours. I always felt supported in my home to be creative and express myself.

I went to Millikan Middle school where I took dance and acting classes every day, then attended C.H.A.M.P.S., a performing arts high school in the valley where I was constantly exposed to the arts. After high school, I went to one year of college but found myself really only enjoying my dance and sculpture class. So I decided to get a full-time job instead of continuing college. I worked for five and a half years as an Emergency Dispatcher at Life Alert saving lives.

Being an Emergency Dispatcher was such an incredible experience that taught me invaluable life lessons, however, the creative side of myself was dying to get out. I began taking acting classes with Aaron Speiser and Eric Morris when I was 22 and fell in love with acting all over again. After auditioning and booking some roles, I became SAG-AFTRA which I was extremely proud of.

I started getting enough acting work to where I was finally ready to take the chance and quit my job. It was one of the scariest decisions I’ve ever made leaving a stable job to pursue an artistic career but now looking back it was the best decision I have ever made in my life. The thing that really changed the trajectory of my artistic life from acting to music was my poetry.

I have been writing poetry my whole life but never shared it with anyone. I have dozens of notebooks full of poetry, and the notepad on my phone has over 400 of my poems. I have always used poetry as a form of personal therapy and a way to get my thoughts out of my head, but I just did it for myself. In 2017, I started attending Da Poetry Lounge on Fairfax and performing my poems live.

The audiences response was amazing and really gave me the confidence to share more of my work. Poetry was definitely the gateway for me to start writing songs and creating music. The supportive environment there is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and it is a safe place to share your work with other artists. In 2016, I met a young man named Aaron Watson AKA Alexander Watson the rapper who is featured twice on my album “CLAP BACK” and we really connected with music.

When I first listened to his music on SoundCloud, I was blown away by his talent and definitely considered myself a fan. Hanging out with him and constantly listening to music inspired me to start creating beats and writing my own songs. He would play looped beats on YouTube and push me to freestyle which really made me open up more as an artist. I would share my poetry with him, and he really encouraged me to try songwriting. I started making beats using a free website and writing lyrics on my notepad, and I just couldn’t stop!

About a year earlier, I had met a producer Brendan Moore AKA Ferguson at The Brewery Art Walk in LA, and we connected instantly and exchanged numbers. I reached out to him, and we started meeting up weekly and recording music together. It immediately felt so natural working with him, and he truly let me be myself in the studio. Over the last nine months, we have created a body of work that we are both very proud of and genuinely love. That guy is magic, and my album would not have been possible without all of his hard work and support.

On 01/11/19 we released my debut album “CLAP BACK,” an edgy female anthem that touches on love, relationships, disappointment, and power dynamics. The album is an R&B/Pop vibe featuring the very talented rapper Alexander Watson who gives the male perspective. One of my favorite songs on the album is “PORCUPINE PLEASURES” ft. Alexander Watson. The song talks about how love can be full of pleasure and also pain. It is also probably my favorite music video we made.

For the album, I created all the beats, wrote all the lyrics, and produced/edited the music videos myself, so this project is a true piece of my heart and soul that I have invested so much into. Creating all the music video concepts and making them come to life was such an amazing experience. I would have dreams and wake up to sketch down the visuals in my head, and while listening to the songs, I always saw images to match. I felt it was very necessary to make as many music videos as possible to release with my album to complete my vision for the project.

Since the release, I have gotten so much positive feedback and support, especially from women. I think a lot of women can relate to my story and I really tried to be completely transparent with my experiences. Sharing my own experiences and struggles through music is like free therapy. I am very proud of the courage that I have developed over the years to share my emotions and experiences unapologetically. It is a scary thing to put your real thoughts and feelings out there for people to judge.

But when even just one person reaches out to me and expresses how my song has touched them, it makes it all worth it. I felt it was so important to have a strong focus on women’s empowerment and use my voice to stand up for other women. On the album, I also talk about living in a world where technology has become such a big part of the dating experience and the struggles with figuring out how to navigate that. The second to last song on the album is “ELEGY,” a living eulogy and love letter to my amazing grandpa Ben.

The majority of the album is pretty harsh towards men, but after writing the whole album, I realized that my favorite person on this earth is my grandpa who is a man that deserves a tribute. The music video for “ELEGY” was also filmed at the park where my other grandpa Hilliard’s ashes are spread, which I thought was pretty perfect symmetry.

Creating this album and music videos have been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I have so much more music and so many more ideas inside of me to share with the world. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. This album has helped me to heal and grow so I hope it can do the same for my listeners.

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?
I don’t think anyone who chooses the path of an artist experiences a completely smooth road. There have been a lot of no’s and rejection, but I have never let that stop me. I think that is the key to success. Never giving up. If someone says no to you, then you are just talking to the wrong person. One day back when I was pursuing acting, I had three auditions to go to around LA. I felt so prepared and excited to nail them.

The first audition went great, and I killed it, but the producer proceeded to tell me that I was too fat for the role and dismissed me. While driving to the second audition, my self-esteem was totally shot, and I didn’t do my best work. I headed to the last audition where after reading the scene the director told me that he really liked what I did but I was too skinny for the role and they were looking for someone heavier.

At that moment I had a realization. Absolutely nothing is wrong with me, and I am perfect the way I am. They were just looking for something different. I try to keep that same mindset with my music. Some people will love it, and some people will hate it, and that’s just the way it is. As long as I love what I create that is all that truly matters to me.

I am currently an independent artist, so all of the funding for creating the album and music videos came out of my own pocket. I feel like it is an investment in myself and I love the creative control that being an independent artist gives me. Of course, it would be awesome to have a labels support and a bigger budget to make my vision come to life but either way I am not going to let anything get in my way of creating until the day I die. Nobody is going to work harder for me than me.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Although I am an artist of many mediums, I fully consider myself a music creator and recording artist. I still love film and acting, but I enjoy creating music on a much deeper level. I think the thing that sets my music apart is my significant influence from poetry and the influences I take from many different music genres.

The producer and I had a hard time deciding what genre my album is because it pulls from so many different types of music. I have always loved hip hop and rap, so I took a lot of inspiration for beats and lyrics. My music also has influences from R&B and Pop music. One of the albums that really touched and inspired me was Ctrl by SZA.

I had never heard an artist that I related to so much, and I listened to that album on repeat dissecting every little part. I remember thinking to myself if I ever made an album I would want it to sound like that. I also take a lot of poetic inspiration from Bob Dylan and his edgy, witty lyrics. Despite the many artists that have influenced me in my life the most significant influence is definitely Beyoncé.

I am completely obsessed with Beyoncé! She is not only my idol as a musical artist but also as a woman and human being. Her work over the years has made an impact on me, unlike any other artist. From her amazing vocals and performing ability to her beautiful films and music videos, no one compares to her in my opinion.

Also, her strong focus on women’s empowerment makes me so proud to be a woman and use my art to stand up for other women. If I ever got to meet her or work with her, I could die a happy girl. I am so proud of the album I have created and feel like it truly captured who I am as an artist.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I feel so optimistic for the future and creating more music and music videos. My initial concept for “CLAP BACK” was to do a full visual album with a music video for every song, however being an independent artist I overestimated what I was financially capable of doing. I hope for my next project I will be able to make a full visual album.

I have always loved film and have created many short films over the years. In 2017, I made a short film involving poetry called “TICK TOCK,” and it was featured in a few film festivals. I am also excited to collaborate with more artist and evolve my sound. I don’t want to repeat myself, so I am always looking for ways to grow as an artist.

I have been working my butt off reaching out to promote my album and have many exciting opportunities coming up for the rest of 2019. It has been such a magical experience creating my album, and now I am just so happy to share it with the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.youtube.com/c/HaileyLivingston
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haileyliv/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hlivingston1
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/haileyliv
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7DdXH4mp7Ds8COnbfum7ed?si=KT6bSiCmRriCcQ-WFgUB9g

Image Credit:
Angie Keith, Erwin Solis

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