Rising Stars: Meet Priscilla Ahn of Laurel Canyon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Priscilla Ahn.

Hi Priscilla, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m originally from a small town in Pennsylvania. I moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19. After 2 years of playing open mics and waiting tables, I was about to pack it in and move back home to PA and go to college. A friend of mine was very adamant that I needed to stay and persevere a little longer. So I quit my restaurant job and gave myself a little more time to really try and move the needle in the music scene. A few months later, I met my now manager (of 20+ years), who set me up with percussionist and producer Joey Waronker, made en EP together and was signed to Blue Note Records soon after that. This EP was released back during the height of myspace. Through myspace, I kept receiving orders by the hundreds from Tower Records in Japan for my EP. This led me to touring in Japan and doing some work there, including writing music for a Studio Ghibli film. Throughout my career I’ve gotten to tour. many parts of the world and alongside artists such as Willie Nelson, Ray Lamontagne, Jason Mraz, and Amos Lee. Now I’ve settled down a bit and have 2 children who take up a majority of my time. But in the little bit of free time I have, I’m finishing up a 2 volume album of cover songs. I’ve also been collaborating with ambient artists around the world, LA based producers, and lending vocals to films, video games and commercials from time to time, and even branching out to work on a new fragrance line (not music related).

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
At the beginning of my career, as I mentioned before, I was pretty resolved to move back to Pennsylvania and pursue the originally intended college path. The open mic scene in LA kind of plateaued for me, and to be honest, waiting tables really was the wrong job choice for me. As an introvert and a sensitive empath, I found this kind of work to be emotionally exhausting. But then again, perhaps it was the exact thing I needed to do to kick my butt into gear and really prioritize music again. Looking back at my 20’s when my career was in full swing, I regret turning down some of the opportunities that were offered to me. The only reason I turned them down was because I was shy and afraid of rejection if I had said “yes” to the thing. Also, early on in my career, I would play for a&r reps for big music labels and try to play into what they were looking for. One day I asked myself why I was trying to sell them something that I didn’t want to be — in this case, a mainstream pop artist, basically. So I changed gears a bit, and played the songs that I enjoyed singing and that I felt represented me authentically. But until I reached that realization, I felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. And now that I’m older, have less time, and less resources, it’s a struggle for me to make my own deadlines. Things take longer to get made. And it’s a whole new world as far as how music is released, marketed, and sold. Now you have to make content to sell the content. I feel a little overwhelmed by the learning curve and the hustle of it all, but I’m also excited to see what happens.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a singer-songwriter with a range of music varying between folk to indie pop to ambient to synth pop. I’m best known for my song “Dream” which has been used on a number of films and tv shows, as well as my album “Just Know That I Love You” that was released in conjunction with the Studio Ghibli film “When Marnie Was There”. I think what sets me apart from other could be my vocal range and pure style of singing. I’m also a Korean American singer-songwriter, which was less common to find in 2007. I’m most proud of all the wonderful, amazingly talented people I’ve been able to collaborate and work with. I am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given and connections I’ve been able to make with other artists who inspire me.

What are your plans for the future?
I’m finishing a 2 volume album of cover songs. I’ll release each volume separately. I’m very excited for it! And now that I’ve finished the covers album, I’m itching to write more songs. I’m starting an ambient collaboration project with producer Dave Sitek and finishing up another collab with French ambient artist Stegonaute. And non-music related, I’m starting a new fragrance line with my best friend that we’ll be debuting in the Fall.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://priscillaahn.world
• Instagram: priscillaahn
• Twitter: priscillaahn
• Youtube: priscillaahn

Image Credits
Jason Watanabe