Today we’d like to introduce you to Magenta Harley.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up in Melbourne, Australia with a single mother, living in community housing. I was a shy only child and really found an escape from reality in music. I was drawn to soul and blues from day one and would spend hours upon hours listening to the same Aretha and Otis record. I felt quite uncomfortable in my skin. I was smart, good at sports, pretty, yet extremely insecure and terrified of most human beings so having somewhere to hide and to have music as a safe space to land was and still is one of the great loves of my life. In my early 20’s I got my first record deal and it was very hard on me psychologically.
It was impressed upon me to lose weight, to be more sexual, wear less clothes on stage and so on. At that point in time I just wanted to focus on creating my musical identity and my own sound. While waiting out the contracts I moved to the US for love and though that didn’t work out I stayed for music and have fallen I love with the scene in LA. I had a 2-year stint in Nashville but found that LA really felt like the right place to be. After a crowd funding campaign and years of challenges I finally released my debut EP self-titled Magenta Harley. It was a labor of love and I’m so happy to have stuck to my soulful roots on this record!
Please tell us about your art.
I sing and write mainly pop and soul music. I have so many musical influences that I entertain and try new genres all the time but I always feel at home with soul and blues.
I play the piano (by ear and not proficiently) but that is how I start most of my ideas. A cup of coffee, a piano and usually my dog howling along next to me.
Most of my songs include topics such as love, loss and a need for acceptance and stories of my personal growth (or lack of). I feel like telling a story and honesty are what I can Bing to the table. My songs are always very personal and cathartic to me. It is such an innate thing for us to want to understand ourselves and the world around us that this makes my songs relatable and universal. I tend to write about things I think I understand but really don’t. This is why love is at the top of that list. Romantic love and self-love.
I hope for people feel moved by my music. May you feel joy, sadness, hope, loss, fear, encouragement. Whatever it is. I find music healing because makes me feel less alone. It would be wonderful to know other people may find something similar when listing to my records.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
When I was younger I was torn between science and music. Music really had my heart so that is what I followed, but naively I thought it would also be easier. I WAS WRONG! haha.
Making money as a full-time musician is still something that alludes me. I will say that the longer I work in the industry to more I see that it is all persistence and consistency that gets you jobs and keeps you employed. Talent is of corse a key element but the more you treat music as a business the better off you are.
A big wish of mine is to see better pay for live music across the city of LA and around the world. Quite often we (musicians) put in days of work for one show for two drinks tickets (a meal if we are lucky) and barley enough to cover the bands gas tanks. This makes it so hard to really give to music and to put on a good show while juggling a full-time job so as to keep a roof over your head. Please encourage the arts by getting out and going to support live music!! Show the venues that we are worth their money because we are worth your time!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can find my work on all major streaming outlets such as iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Sound cloud etc.
Please support me by following me on
Instagram/MagentaHarley
YouTube/TheMagentaHarley
Twitter/MagentaHarley
Facebook/MagentaHarley
Soundcloud/MagentaHarley
For all show dates and further information please go to
Contact Info:
- Website: MAGENTAHARLEY.COM
- Phone: 3107285073
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram/MagentaHarley
- Facebook: Facebook/MagentaHarleyMusic
- Twitter: Twitter/MagentaHarley
- Other: Youtube/TheMagentaHarley
Image Credit:
Eric Smith-Gunn, Lilly Lawrence, Bar10, Moshe Levi
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
