Californian singer Avonlea has already lived lives in musical theatre, America's Got Talent and now, on her own as a singer/songwriter in her humble 19 years on this planet.
Starting out on YouTube recording covers (like many artists we know today), Avonlea's highly controlled voice and strong personal lyrics soon stood out on their own. Now, songs like It Sucks and Cars And Boys have garnered nearly a collective two million YouTube views (and many, many more on Spotify). She's rocking over 200,000 Instagram followers too.
She's just released a brand new song called Big Kid, a hopeful song about wanting responsibilities and aspirations for your life, so before she blows up big time, we caught up with the young star to really get to know her.
So when did you start exploring singing and writing music of your own?
I first started out in musical theatre from a very young age. I guess I got to songwriting around 11 or 12, when my parents put a piano into my bedroom. We were moving to a new house and we were downsizing and there was no room for it anywhere, so begrudgingly I let it live in my room for a while. Then I just kind of starting poking around on it, realising I could create whatever I wanted and from then on I’ve been writing songs and writing in general pretty much every day! For the past 7 to 8 years. It was a great sense of freedom for me.
Do you think your parents knew that you would eventually start playing around with it?
I honestly have no idea! I don’t think I’ve ever asked them. Maybe there was a hidden motivation?
Tell us more about your musical theatre background!
I started musical theatre maybe around ages 5 or 6, that’s kind of when it all started for me and I just couldn’t stop. It was so much fun for me, I was Annie in the musical production of Annie when I was 10. It was around that time that I started songwriting because I realised that, you know, I could create whatever type of song I wanted to.
You were Annie!
Oh my god, I dyed my hair red and everything.
Who were your musical inspirations growing up and now, as you start to develop your own style and brand?
Well, the people that I looked up to when I was younger… I actually didn’t listen to a lot of radio because I was home-schooled my whole life. So the people that I listened to were like, Carole King, Billy Joel, Freddie Mercury was a huuuuge, huge huge inspiration to me and actually, Aretha Franklin was a huge inspiration to me too so I was just so so devastated with the news of [her passing]. She was such an inspiration to me personally.
As far as people on the radio right now, I listen to a lot of R&B and hip hop, I listen to a lot of Amine, Isaiah Rashad, SZA, I love their lyrics and their tracks. That’s the stuff that I gravitate towards more when it comes to music that’s coming out now.
Tell me about the writing process behind your song Cars And Boys? It kind of looks sadly back on your youth.
Yeahh, [there's a] lyric [that] is “sweet sixteen don’t feel quite like the films”. I actually wrote that song when I was 15, when I was going through that time kind of feeling like an outcast, especially being home-schooled. You’d see kids go to prom and high school dances and hanging out and going to parties, and I didn’t really have that lifestyle but I also realised that the whole high school experience is really romanticised. It’s definitely not as glamorous as it looks in, like, Sixteen Candles! That’s basically where the song stemmed from: a very very real, personal home-schooler’s experience, but I think that people who weren’t home-schooled can relate to the song too, about how that time that’s supposed to be the time of your life is actually total bullshit and really stressful.
What’s been the highlight in your music career so far?
Creating an EP has been SUCH a highlight. Bringing in all of my experiences and songs together, it’s so rewarding and I’m so proud of everything that I’m able to do. I’m able to follow my passion every single day and I’m so blessed, so that’s an overall highlight for me. Another one would be me going on tour with Jhene Aiko’s European tour, that was so incredible. I had shows in Paris and London and Glasgow and Birmingham and it was incredible. I got to sing every single night and interact with beautiful, beautiful people, it was wonderful.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What are your goals and aspirations?
Oh my goodness. That is a hard one. I hope that I’ve released a couple of albums, so many concept albums that I’m really proud of. And maybe I’ll be in a loving, steady relationship, that’d be fire! Just yeah, feeling content about what I’m putting out. My main goal for my entire life is just to be happy, so that’s a big thing for me. I feel like I’m there, and I know there’s ups and downs along the way but I’m really excited for that time and to look back on this time fondly.
So you love concept albums, huh?
Yeah! I’m such a fan of creating worlds for people to listen to, I think it’s kind of a lost art? I know there are a lot of artists right now that are doing amazing things like that, so I just kind of want to create something beautiful and give people an experience, I hope I can make a LOT of those. I think that would be amazing.
There’s one by Queen, A Day At The Races, but anything by Queen basically. I listen mostly to songs and not albums, so I’m gonna get into that if I want to start creating some [concept albums] but literally, anything by Queen gave me such an experience.
If you had to describe your sound in 5 words for someone who hasn’t heard your music, what would you say?
A very personal musical experience!
What do you do in your spare time, when you’re not playing music or singing? Do you have any hobbies or a passion you like to make time for?
Not really, I just do music all day, every single day! I eat food and chocolate, and try to go outside, and that’s pretty much it!
What are you digging on Netflix at the moment?
Oh my god, Queer Eye! Freakin’ love that show. It’s so good, oh my god, I cry like EVERY freakin’ episode. And I know what’s gonna happen but I cry! It’s so good. And I just keep on rewatching The Office and Parks And Recreation. SO GOOD!
Parks And Recreation is my favourite show of ALL TIME.
What! Mine too! I never meet people who love Parks And Rec!
WHAT?! What terrible people are you hanging around?
I know! They gotta up their game! I just rewatch and sob, even though I know what’s coming every single time!
