Interview with the songwriter Ayelle

Swedish-Iranian Ayelle has been songwriting ever since she learned how to write.

The currently New York-based singer grew up in Sweden and Spain and continued on to pursue music in London, where she developed her unique cross-over brand of soul/r&b and electronic pop, garnering support from the likes of Billboard, Pitchfork, Complex, BBC 1Xtra, Majestic Casual, and Highsnobiety.

Ayelle received the PRS Momentum Fund in early 2019 whilst releasing a single every month, performed at SXSW and Icelandic Airwaves, signed a publishing deal with UMPG US, and relocated to New York City.

1. How did you get your start in the music industry?

I used to make up songs about my surroundings and my feelings as a child so I started songwriting really early on, but it wasn’t until I was around 12/13 that I had a music teacher in Sweden who took an interest in my songwriting that I started thinking about it more seriously. I moved to Spain to live with my mom at 14 and somehow managed to find producers making r&b in Valencia. One of them taught me how to use Cubase and so I started recording songs in my bedroom, at 18 I moved to London to study music and a few years into my degree I started my artist project.

2. What have you been working on lately? (Here you can showcase your latest project — please include a link so we can direct people to learn more).

I’m currently rolling out my upcoming mixtape ‘NOMAD’ which will be out May 15th and is a collection of songs written over the last two years whilst I’ve been traveling and collaborating with a lot of different producers. There’s been a theme of un-rootedness throughout my life and the last two years have been a very self-reflective time and the songs on there are all about exploring parts of oneself that are sometimes uncomfortable yet necessary to fuel ones growth.

The latest single ‘Fast Life’ can be found here: https://fanlink.to/FastLifeAyelle

3. What is your ultimate goal and how are you working to accomplish it?

I want to be part of creating a music industry that is kinder to creatives, more compassionate, and softer.

There’s still a lot of perpetuating behaviors of a”cut-throat” industry but I think that needs to change for the sake of all involved.

I’m passionate about mental health and choosing kindness as a lifestyle in general. I am always looking for opportunities to have those discussions, create positive and uplifting safe spaces and encourage healing through music.

4. How has the current pandemic/crisis-affected your work day-to-day, and what have you done to shift gears? What has been the greatest challenge? What has been the silver lining, if any?

In some ways, it’s allowed me to shift my focus back to why I really make music and to get really honest with myself about the path I’m on, what’s working and what isn’t.

I’ve had more time to focus on creative initiatives and build more genuine relationships with fans.

Day to day I’ve tried to keep a morning routine of yoga, working out, gratitude journaling and mindfulness. Some days go better than others (haha ) but I find that the days when I manage to get my mornings right I continue throughout the day in a much better headspace.

The greatest challenge for me has been being so far away from my family (I’m in New York and my family is in Europe) and not knowing when I’ll see them again in the midst of all this uncertainty.

5. What advice would you give your younger self? What advice do you have for women entering your field?

Believe in your own worth. Don’t confuse it with anything else, what people think of you, what’s happened to you, what you look like etc, just know that your worth is always there regardless of everything, nobody can touch it, it is wholly yours and unique to you.

It’s so difficult cause even writing this now, I don’t know if my younger self would’ve understood it anyway, I needed to go through what I needed to come to my own realizations.

My advice for other women would be to not be afraid to stand your ground, whether it’s in the studio trying to get the sound you want, or during negotiations, or fending off unwanted advances. You’re allowed to say no and you’re allowed to take space.

6. Success is such a personal concept — we all define it differently. How do you personally define success?

I define success as a state of mind. At peace, in acceptance, and in gratitude. Material success is its own category entirely and varies from person to person, but regardless of what you can achieve in that field if your mind’s not in one of the states I listed above, how do you enjoy it? Also, sometimes the things that we think we won’t come at great costs to our mental health. I will always prioritize my mental health first, and as long as I’m able to live a life that accommodates me to do so I will continue feeling successful.

7. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned being a part of the entertainment/music industries?

Not to see people as enemies or as in competition to you. There’s enough cake for everyone, there really is, and sharing feels much better.

8. Can you share with us some of the challenges you’ve faced in your career journey?

The tricky part about the music industry is that there is no blueprint. There are of course certain things you can do but none of them guarantee a certain outcome, so you have to have blind faith and continuously throw yourself into uncertainty. Some people in this industry get very uncomfortable with that uncertainty and will try to fit you into some blueprint they’ve made up based on someone else’s journey, but that is not your journey, you have to trust that there is a unique journey out there perfectly molded for only you.

9. What do you think is the most pressing issue women in the music industry face (in your region, where applicable)?

I think a lot of us are forced to sacrifice the softer parts of ourselves to build this thick skin so that we don’t get taken advantage of or walked all over. As creatives, we are already sensitive beings, and as women in an industry dominated by masculine traits, that sensitivity is often looked down upon as a weakness. Up until now, the onus has been on women to “toughen up” to be part of this industry but it’s high time we mirror it back on the industry and demand for a softening to occur, to let through compassion and vulnerability, qualities that are often so vital to artistry in itself.

Follow Ayelle on Instagram and Twitter