The amazing indie singer/songwriter, Ally Burnett graciously answered a few questions I sent to her. In true Ally fashion, she didn't pull any punches. Enjoy!
For those readers who might not be that familiar with you, can you tell us a little about yourself, and how long you've been pursuing music as a career?
Hi readers! I'm Ally Burnett. I'm a pop/rock singer/songwriter and lover of cats. I've been singing since I was 4, writing since I was about 10 and I've been actively pursuing a music career for about 7 years now.
I've seen you speak out about how difficult it is to get signed to a major label, could you expand on some of the difficulties you've faced with record labels?
The industry is just really broken right now and it seems like there's very little room made for real talent and real artists. Sure, I could show some skin and write mindless songs about getting "wasted" and partying just to get signed and make money, but that's not who I am and labels don't seem to like that. Despite the fact that I've had my music on numerous TV shows, written a theme song for a show on MTV and once sold over 14,000 songs in a single month, not a single label has knocked on my door. I don't really care much at this point because at least being unsigned means I actually get to see the money I make!
What is the biggest challenge you face as an independent artist?
Money. Being an independent artist is a lot more expensive than people realize. For example, to release new music I've got to pay for: studio time, a plane ticket (and the ridiculous checked baggage fees!), a hotel for anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, mastering of the songs/record, fees to copyright the music and about $50 to get it onto iTunes. Then there are all the other costs: merchandise, pro accounts on websites like Purevolume, photo shoots for up to date promos, web design, and Facebook advertising. Promotion is also challenging because there's only so much you can do on your own and there's only so much reach through social networking no matter how hard you are working at it. Labels invest hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to promote their "artists"; that also means they get to tell people who and what to like. You can make anyone a star with enough money. That's why most of what you hear on the radio is crap. Haha
Where does your songwriting inspiration come from? Is it fair to say that some of your music is autobiographical?
Pretty much all of my songs are autobiographical. I write what I've been through, what I've felt. I feel like, if I've got to sing something over and over again it's got to be something I can sing with conviction. It's got to be real. I guess I just like feeling truly connected to it, really being able to express myself and hope that other people appreciate the honesty.
I know you use social media a lot for promotion, would you say that it is something essential for a independent artist to embrace in this day and age?
I can't imagine trying to be an independent artist without using social media and social networking. It's such an important tool for artists these days.
Some people look at music piracy as a victimless crime, I've even seen people suggest that artists give away their music for promotion's sake and earn money from shows and merchandise. I'd like to know the artist point of view. What is your opinion?
Is there any chance of a tour in the foreseeable future? I for one would love to get a chance to see you live. Anything else in the works that you would like to let us know about?
I'm not currently planning any tours. One off shows and here and there and hopefully getting some college shows in the near future. I'm currently focusing on writing and prepping for more studio time (and maybe a new music video) this fall!
Thank you so much for your time Ally!
Please check out Ally Burnett on iTunes (she just added her "Heartbreaker Sampler") and follow her on Twitter Facebook and Purevolume.
