December 8, 2023 • 30 mins
On Season 2, Episode 12 of U&I, Kickoff Kevin sits down with Allie Keck. Kevin saw Allie perform at a small venue in Nashville and approached her after her set to find out a little bit about her. After talking with Allie about her not feeling like she fit the mold for "The Voice", Kevin wanted to find out more. Allie started trying out for TV shows as a teenager, she has sold phone book ads in Nashville for extra income, and talks about her love/hate relationship with social media.
Socials:
- Instagram: AllieKeckMusic
- TikTok: AllieKeckMusic
Follow: @KickOffKevin
Podcast Description:
Unsigned and Independent is a six episode season podcast hosted by Kevin O’Connell that features unsigned and independent artists and bands in Nashville. The purpose of this podcast is to highlight the journey and grind musicians go through trying to make it in the industry; the journey most fans don’t see leading up to national success. People move to music city from all over the country to chase something they have only dreamed of – making music and performing for a living. This podcast will dive into stories on the road, late nights and early mornings on the infamous Broadway, their background story, and if there is an ultimate goal for each artist or band. The artists featured on this podcast don’t have the backing of a label or sometimes even management, or a publishing team to handle their bookings, travel, etc.… But what they all have in common is a genuine passion for the love of music and performing. There is hidden talent spread throughout music city and the aim of this podcast is to give this hidden talent an opportunity to have a platform for an audience to hear their story, what the process is really like in the industry, and hopefully gain a new fan or two.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
What's up, everybody. It's Bobby Bones here with another episode
of Unsigned and Independent. We do this show, so maybe
you find some new music to listen to. Maybe you
find new artists to support if they're playing a show.
Maybe you want to buy some merch because that's a
big deal to artists too, because that's money that they
actually get they get to pay their bills with. And
this is another episode of that show with Kevin O'Connell
aka kick Off Kevin. So we're talking about Ali Kick
(00:34):
Ali was on the voice and she said she didn't
have the best experience because she didn't really fit the
mold of what they were looking for when it comes
to a dramatic story, because they are, I can tell
you from experience, always.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Looking for a good storyline.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
She stopped playing on Broadway the street here about a
year ago, and she now focuses on music and also
to make money. She's a real estate leasing agent, so
she was selling phone book ads when she first moved
here in twenty sixteen, so she could pay the bills
in order to make music, which is a very common
theme with pretty much all the artists unless they come
from like a ton of family money that happens sometimes too,
but most artists have to grind do two jobs until
(01:06):
they make it. And I wanted you guys to hear
this interview with Ali Keck, so here we go. She
moved to Nashville to chase her dream. Check her out
on social media, but she says she has a love
hate relationship with social media because she moved here before
that was a big part of what she was doing
and now she's had to kind of adapt and adopt.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
But you can't follow her.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Ali Keck Music A L L I E K E
C K Ali Keck Music. Enjoy support if you can.
Here's another episode of Unsigned and Independent with Kickoff Kevin.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Ali. How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
I'm good?
Speaker 4 (01:35):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I'm doing good? Glad we got to get together again.
This is not the first time we've met in person.
The first time we met was at Whiskey Jam. Actually, yes,
maybe what a few months ago during the summer at
some point, and I remember hearing you play and I
was like, I gotta just see what her story is about,
you know, because I have this podcast and this is
what I love to do. I love to see these
(01:56):
artists that go out and play at these local venues,
especially a whiskey jam, which is great, and then kind
of find out more about you. So I went up
to you and I said, hey, how you doing. We
talked a little bit and then you said you're on
the Voice, and so this is what drew me to you,
and I want to jump right into it, your experience
on the Voice. I've had a couple of people in
here that have been on the Voice and they've talked
about how great their experience was and how it was
(02:18):
all you know, daisies and dandelions great, and you kind
of said you enjoyed your experience with a great experience
and good exposure for you, but it wasn't exactly what
you expected. Am I saying that right? Or can you
explain that more?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I think I met some wonderful people, and the people
who are running the show are wonderful. I think what
I struggled with the most was COVID. There was like
quite a few COVID rules and things like that that
resulted in you know, you kind of had to be isolated.
So it wasn't as wasn't as much fun as I
thought it would be. And then when it came down
(02:52):
to I mean I think at the end of the day,
they're casting a television show and it's a contest on
it's basically around a television show. More so so I
wasn't exactly I didn't exactly have like the story that
they were looking for, and so I struggled with that,
and I think that's why part of the reason I
maybe left a little earlier than I would have.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Liked to what, I mean, what is that story?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Then?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What is what is your story? Were you too vanilla
from maybe yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, I maybe that was it. I don't know if
it was.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
It just had something to do with like I didn't
really have any drama to give them, or like a
maybe just there's could be something with being too relatable.
I don't know, Like it was just I have all
four of my grandparents. I'm very blessed to like not
even have to deal with anything really sad, Like I'm
very privileged, and I just kind of didn't really have
(03:47):
I didn't really have anything a SOB story. I didn't
really have anything too exciting. It was kind of like
I was a real estate agent by day and a
rock star at night. And the amount of real estate
agents I know on Broadway is insane. I'm not the
only one, so I think I just wasn't as like
special as they'd like.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Did you ever feel any pressure to feel like maybe
I should try to act like I'm somebody else just
to fit that mold and be able to stick around
a little longer than I want to, or then I
guess that they're gonna have me here.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Uh, yes, one hundred percent. I mean people all the
time are like, well, why don't you just make up
a story? Because it wasn't the first time I had
auditioned for these shows, so this was probably the sixth time. Wow,
I had done this one, and then I think I've
done American Idol about seven times. So just my dad
and I would go for fun when I was younger,
and obviously, you know when I was younger. I can
blame it on that, like I was just not ready
(04:34):
for it. And I think maybe I was a little
bit more seasoned with because I had really picked up
on Broadway playing more often, and that's probably why initially
I made it this time. But yeah, I think when
it came down to it, I just couldn't even people
were like, oh, you should just make up a story,
make up this you know, and I'm I'm seen people
get in trouble for that, so really when it came yeah, yeah,
there's a few articles you can look up where people
(04:57):
have made up stories to get on these shows and
then they figure out it's true and yeah, it doesn't
end well.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
So and now we live in a world where you
can find out pretty much anything about anybody with a
nice Google search or some type of Instagram or social media,
whatever it might be. So you've been going at it
for a long time. Then you said, as a kid
you were trying out for all these shows. Yes, how
old were you? You're very first one. Do you remember fifteen? Wow?
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Because when I turned fifteen, they had actually changed the
age at American Idol. It was around the justin Bieber time,
and like I watched all these boys with bowld haircuts
get sent through and they were like, you know, don't
sing the Adele song. Like they were just like being
particular about what they wanted at the time. And my
dad and I waited in line all day and we
(05:41):
did that again like I think the next year and
the year after that, and then we started doing like
the they started doing the bus tours that would go
to the state Fair.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
We did that. I did online stuff, you name it.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I've yeah, wow, was this all in? You're from Illinois?
Where what's city?
Speaker 4 (05:57):
So I'm from a town called ne Yoga, but it's
right outside of like Effingham area, if you're familiar with that,
but like central southern central Illinois.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Okay, And do these auditions come to you, said of
state Fair? Or do you have to go to different locations?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
No? So the we would drive to Chicago, we would
drive to Saint Louis, we would drive the furthest we
ever went was Milwaukee, and that.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Was because it came to the State Fair.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
So it was an hour and a half to Springfield
and that was like the shortest drive. He's you know,
you just just go figure it out.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Wait in line. And he went and worked at like
a coffee shop.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
And that was the one time I made it to
the second round of like cattle call auditions. And the
follow up or the callback was in Milwaukee, so we
had to drive like eight or nine hours.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
It was supposed to be a really easy thing.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
And I was in college at the time, and I
told one of my professors. I was like, you can't
tell anyone I'm not going to be in class on Friday.
He announced it to the entire lecture hall that I
had a callback from American Idol, and I was just like,
I was so scared I was gonna get in trouble.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I didn't even make it through it in the next round.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
But it was just like one of those things where
it was kind of a disaster the entire time.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
So you have to keep all that on secret, yes, everything, Yes,
And they tell you that when they call you, Hey,
this is like our number one rules. You got to
keep everything a secret. If anything gets leaked, that's pretty
much a pr nightmare for them right now.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Yeah, for social media purposes, and it makes total sense. Yeah,
they just they ask you to keep it a secret
no matter what.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Process. Absolutely, and filling out some stuff before this, And
you talked about being a child and stopping people on
the streets, so this goes way back your auditions, right,
Can you talk a little bit about that. I need
to hear more about you being a child stopping people
in the streets and singing to them.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
So my go to song was my Heart Will Go
on slandy On, which says a lot, but basically, I'm
from such a small town. I knew who the music
teacher was, and so I would specifically stop her on
her walks. And my older sisters would have these parts
in the spring singing or whatever, and they would sing
(07:55):
them to practice in front of us, and I would
learn them and I would stop her and I would
say them to her to let her know that, like
when I was in her class, I was ready.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
I was ready for whatever she had to hand to me.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And for a while I would do that, and then
I went through this phase where I was really shy
about it, but she would still give me parts. And
then like there was a point, I think like in
the fourth or fifth grade where I actually ended up
singing like a little big talent song and like just
ripped into it for the first time in a long time,
because before I was just doing selindon, no problem. And
then I got a little shy for a little bit,
and then it just all came out one day and
(08:30):
I haven't stopped since.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So You've loved singing since you can remember, yes, probably
since you can walk, Yes. And your parents have always
been the big supporter of you. It sounds like since
day one.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Yeah, my dad always says that, you know, we didn't
travel for sports.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
We traveled more for music and that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
And they still to this day go out in Effingham
has like a great music scene and they're out like
every week and no, we're seeing so and so, so
and so, you know just all the time.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, that's awesome. And what was the inspiration, like, like
what were they listening to? Were maybe some Celine Dion
or what were they listening to that would inspire you
that you kind of would take and run with.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
So I kind of got I would say screwed for
lack of a better word, because my dad would listen
to Bonnie Rait, he would listen to sha Ka Khan,
we would listen to like all these female artists. So
I just thought everybody listened to girls. And I grew
up and I was like, oh no, like not very
many people do. And so I was I always tell
(09:29):
people that, I'm like, I really thought that, like everybody
listened to females all the time. But but we listened
to that. We listened to Jackson Brown and the Eagles.
Then my mom was like Madonna, Michael Jackson all over
the place. But but yeah, we grew I grew up
with a lot of female artists in the house, and
mostly because I'm one of four daughters.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Oh okay, well my next question, siblings, are you the
only one that plays any instrument or musically talented at all?
Speaker 4 (09:53):
We all did pet band, like, uh, just we didn't
have a football team, so we would play at basketball
game games.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Oh yeah, I grew up with no football either. Coming
to the South was a like in high school. No,
I didn't have it in high school.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
I went to community college, so I didn't even have
I didn't go to my first football game until I
was nineteen.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
What I know? I know, did you crazy?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Yeah? That just seems that's wild to me. But did
you know at the time, like growing up, how big
football was even though you didn't have it, or was
it just kind of like a foreign thing to you?
Speaker 3 (10:28):
No, I had no idea.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I knew that it was a thing like in other
areas in Illinois, like we have it there, but our
school wasn't big enough. Like we don't even have a track.
We have a track team that goes to state every year,
but we don't have a track. They run on the asphalt,
which or they run on the street, which is why they're.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Probably so good.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Wow, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
So honestly, like I, I didn't grow up with football
like it. When I moved to the South, I did
not realize like what Saturdays and Sundays looked like here
at all. And then you know, people will text me, Oh,
we're going to go watch the game, like one game,
you know, it's like.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Who, Like there's twenty of them today, you pick. I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Exactly we're going to this bar because it's you know,
X bar. I'm like, I don't, okay, cool.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
What color do I wear today? Who? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Who am I a fan of today? Because I just
really don't have any allegiance to it. But I'm working
on it.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I'm learning.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I'm learning how to be a sevener. I've been here
seven years, so I need to figure it out that well.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I mean, it doesn't take very long because I'm from
southern California and football is big, but the South is
a whole different ball game. College football in the South
is a whole different ball game. You go out, like
you said, to a bar. Every bar has a designated
school that they're tied to, and all these fans are there.
It's amazing, but it's definitely an adjustment, especially if you
(11:46):
have never even been around it.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
So we I went to Illinois State and it was
the one year that we actually like did pretty well.
I think I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure
this is when Colton Underwood was playing for us, and
I could be making that up.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
That's what we'll go with it with it, but we
actually ended up doing pretty well. And my friend and
I end up like on ESPN just like waving to
the camera, and my Dad's like, you've never even been to.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
A football game? How are you on the TV? How
are you on the TV right now?
Speaker 2 (12:16):
That's awesome?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
So you went to Illinois State and then you came
straight to Nashville after you graduated.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, like a month later.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
You knew the whole time. What did you major in? First?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
I majored in public relations.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Okay, And did you know in college, I'm going to
move to Nashville when I'm done here and pursue my
music career.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Yeah, because I couldn't get into music school, so I
ended up just after that kind of fell apart. I
wanted to be a music therapist, but I didn't know
enough of the technicality basically behind it to get into school,
and I was like, Okay, well, if I'm going to
pursue this, I'll go to Nashville when I'm done here.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
And I didn't know anything, honestly. I moved here.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
I thought Broadway was Music Row and I was telling
people that I was going to sing on Music Row.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, They're like for what label exactly?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
We're like, okay, cool? Where like tutsies.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah, you've never been You've never heard of it? You said,
music therapists, Yes, what what is that? What would that?
Speaker 3 (13:11):
So a lot of them work.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
My plan was to work like kind of side by
side with speech pathologist and help with that or I
also liked the idea of working with just special needs kids.
I had always kind of uh volunteered in high school
doing that and so it was just the thought. And
it's how like, you know, stroke patients will learn to
speak again, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Interesting. I've never heard of that, but that sounds I mean,
I think there are Music in general is kind of
a therapy for all of us in some way, right,
whether it's a happy therapy or a sad therapy when
you need it, Has it always been that kind of
therapy for you?
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Music? Oh? Yeah, I mean especially I've been writing since
I was sixteen, so just being able to get that
out on paper, and it was just originally a homework
assignment from my guitar teacher. He's like, you're gonna go
home and you're gonna write a song, and then I
just never stopped.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Do you remember what song it was?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Yeah, it's called Reasons.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
I think I took it down off of YouTube to
the chagrin of many people I went to high school with.
They love it, yes, and it was very Taylor Swift,
like Taylor Swift was obviously huge, you know. Teardops on
my guitar was I think eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
So yeah, okay, So then you first moved to Nashville.
What you're a month in? Go back to being a
month in Nashville? What do you think and what's going on?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I am working at Ruby Tuesdays. My car has broken
down the day after I moved here. Oh no, I
where I think I had maybe had internet for a
week at that point. I quit Ruby Tuesdays and I
get a job selling phone book ads in a county
in Tennessee that doesn't Basically it's twenty sixteen and I'm
(14:42):
selling phone book.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Ads going to say, was this nineteen ninety.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
No, it was a lesson my parents let me learn.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Oh my god, yeah, how do you even How is
that even a job in twenty sixteen?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You know, it might still be if you looked hard enough,
But basically, I it felt like a real job. Like
they flew me to Chicago for t for a week.
I came back, and that's actually when I would listen
to the Bobby Bones show the most, was because I
was like, I had an hour and a half commute. Wow,
it was far, and so I would listen to Bobby
Bones and that was kind of like my first month
(15:13):
here was just kind of crazy doing that, but that
was like the one light of my morning of being
able to listen to that. And then eventually I got
hired on to do I started leasing apartments and got
hired at.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Tutsi's all in the same like weekend, so it was crazy.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Wow, that's a lot. And then so you're playing downtown
for how long?
Speaker 4 (15:35):
So I did that for probably a few months and
then ended up just deciding to do leasing for a
little bit and then work on writing and writers rounds
and things like that, and I'm glad I did and
then twenty eighteen, I went back to Broadway basically full time.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
What was that? Like, what's your relationship like with Broadway
as an artist?
Speaker 3 (15:54):
It's non existent anymore.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
And that's a good thing.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
At first, I was pretty upset because it comes down
to one of those things where you know, you know
that you're a lot of people down there who are
super talented get the shorten of the stick when it
comes to playing down there because I am not the
type of performer who who's gonna take a shot with
you because I have three more hours to go, Like
I'm I am not a partier necessarily when it comes
(16:19):
to being on stage, and those people tend to get
more shifts.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Interesting.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
So basically, at the time when I was losing gigs,
I was upset. But now I'm kind of like it's
a blessing in disguise. I'm not closing the bars anymore.
It's sometimes being up there makes you feel unsafe because
you can see everything that's going on and it just
it feels chaotic, to be honest.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yeah, what did it ever? Because some people have talked
about not being able to play their own music, and
if you're on Broadway, you're pretty much never playing your
own music, right, You're always doing covers, and it is
what it is. It's part of what makes Broadway Broadway.
And they you know, these tourists come in and pay.
Was that a big thing for you as well, you
weren't playing your own music, I think for sure.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I mean especially because the one thing Broadway opened up
for me was being able to write as much as
possible because I could make my own schedule and kind
of figure out, okay, I can fit in or write
here right there. And that was when I was writing
the most. And so you're spending your morning's writing these songs,
and then you're up until three am singing other people's
songs that you just don't even part of me couldn't
(17:20):
even register what I was writing and what I was
doing every day because I was so focused on making
sure I made money singing other people's songs.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
So you're not playing there anymore, you're playing anywhere local still.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Yeah, I'm still doing writers rounds pretty regularly, anything down
on like Demumbrian or Division.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
And then I'm just kind of playing Illinois.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
I go back up there quite a bit and play
every so often, and then just places here in Tennessee around,
but I don't necessarily go down to Broadway anymore, just
because it felt it felt a little exhausting after a while.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, I'm sure they could take a toll on you
the long nights, early morning. I'm sure if you have
another job. Do you still have another job?
Speaker 4 (17:59):
So I at the time, like at last year, at
this time, I was working part time leasing, I was
still doing real estate, I was still writing, and I
was still closing the bars. So I decided that I
needed to take a second and basically Broadway went away.
I focused more on writing, and then I took my
(18:20):
license over to apartment locating. So I'm with apartment insiders
now and I do that and I make my own schedule.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
So it's been way different.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Awesome, way different. Okay, So what's the last year year
for you been? Like making that adjustment and kind of
has it been better worse?
Speaker 4 (18:36):
The stuff that I've gone through this year, it doesn't
feel real like it's I moved, I lived by myself
for the first time. I had to basically pivot my
entire career that I've been used to since the pandemic,
both real estate and Broadway. And then I was on TV,
and that's obviously a huge turning point. And then you know,
(19:01):
also just dealing with like the Internet, TikTok things like that,
learning how to add all of that into my schedule
because that's so important these days too, and learning how
to just kind of work with how quickly the music
industry has changed in the past few years, Like especially
this last year in general, has been like chaotic for
(19:22):
me to be able to figure all of it out.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Now, what's social media like for you? Because it's a
big part of what I talk about on this podcast,
just because most artists on this podcast are huge on
social media because as an independent artist, you kind of
have to be to stay relevant, right, And it could
be a real love hate relationship. Like that's how I
feel about social media. It's a it could be a
great thing, but it can also be exhausting, it can
be overwhelming, it can be unhealthy. So as an artist,
(19:52):
for you, how what is that relationship like for you?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
I have a love hate relationship with TikTok. I think
most musicians do, especially people who have been here longer.
Because the thing I struggle with the most is that
I've been here for seven years and when I moved here.
It was a ten year town, and you do this
and this is how it works, and you go in order,
and it feels and if you're putting in the work
(20:19):
and posting the tiktoks and writing the songs, I'm all
for it. But sometimes it just feels like people skip
the line a little bit. And that's what I struggle
with the most because I have done the things. You know,
when I first started singing, I was fifteen or sixteen,
I'd upload a YouTube video every week. That was the
thing to do. And then on when Instagram became the thing,
I would upload a video a day. That was the
thing to do.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
TikTok is three to five a day.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
That's insane that I would be mentally unwell if I
had to do that.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Do you feel like music has the quality of music
has taken a dive a little bit because of that,
because everyone's always looking for the next thing. Like people
are coming with songs every week now, like dropping in
like almost like a single every week. It seemed like
a on every Friday. It's like so and so, like wait,
they just came out with an album of twenty songs
two months ago, and I have more music coming out already, right.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I think definitely.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
I don't know if it's quality necessarily, I think the
biggest thing I wonder whenever I see people doing that,
I'm like, where are you getting your money from? Especially
if they are independent, I'm like, what are you doing?
How are you doing this? Like do you know somebody?
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Are you?
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Are you dating a producer? Like what are you doing?
Like do I need to learn how to do this myself?
That sort of thing?
Speaker 4 (21:26):
And yeah, I just that's the one thing I struggle
with the most is like where the money's coming from?
Because I can't that's I think right now. When I
first moved here, it was maybe like a song a chorder, yeah,
and now it's six to eight weeks. Is what you're
really shooting for?
Speaker 3 (21:42):
That's minimum because you.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Have to pay for all that studio time and recording.
And I'm sure it is not cheap.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Yeah, I mean average right now, I would say two
thousand of song, Yeah, if you want something quality and
the one of the things. And this sounds like I
don't know how else to explain this, but with my
voice some times it's hard to like it can sound
bad because if it's too loud or it just needs
to be compressed correctly. And if it's not done correctly,
(22:09):
I can hear it, everybody else can hear it, versus
like if you have an easier, softer voice like mine
is here and all over the place, and so I
do have to pay more to get that done on
some or make sure it's done right basically, because I've
had instances where I've had to redo something and spent
even more money than I planned because it was not
done right the first time.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Do you think that's what's the hardest thing about being
an independent artist?
Speaker 4 (22:33):
Probably the money? Then, yeah, I still think it's the money,
because that's just a song. Okay, we need visuals, Okay,
we need you need visuals.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Are we gonna pay for playlisting on this one? Are
we gonna, you know, outsource it too, Like I've outsourced
playlisting before, just like to another country, because I don't
know how else I'm supposed to afford it, versus like
using playlisting here like and a lot of people I
don't even know how many people really know what that means.
But basically, you have somebody basically curate playlists and send
(23:04):
out your song and hopefully it ends up on playlists.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And you're doing all that yourself, and it's I'm sure
it can be hit or miss, and sometimes you make
You're looking at me like, yes.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
It's been all the bus It's been everything.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
What's the best part about being an independent artist for you?
Speaker 4 (23:18):
I can pick whatever I want to put out, and
I can post whatever I want and do whatever I
want on social media, And you know, I think if
I if I had I think, if I had restrictions,
I don't know if I'd even prefer that. To be honest,
I'd prefer money. But at the same time, I don't
know if i'd prefer the restrictions.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
And then what do you How would you describe your
style of music? Because I've heard a few of your songs,
seen you perform, and at first I'm like, oh, this
is like some heart, it's like a rock chick. So
you get it, you know, and then you look. You
hear some of your songs like the Vanilla song is
more like a softer song. And you talked about your
voice a little bit, So how would you describe your
your type of music? Genre of music? Is there a
(23:56):
certain description I always.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Tell people kind of like a southern rock anywhere from
like Morgan Wade, el King, Cassie Ashton, Like in there,
I get compared to Cassie Ashton vocally a lot, so
anywhere in there, and I think she's kind of the
same way where they're like she's pop, she's country, she's this,
she's that, you know, a little bit all over the place.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yeah, which is that versatility can can definitely help you.
Who have been some of the people out here in
Nashville that have helped you, you know, when you're struggling
or say, been a shoulder to lean on in the
industry because I know it can't be easy. There's obviously
a lot of dark days with some good days, but
there have been somebody kind of look to for whether
it's advice or what to do in a certain situation.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Yeah, Jackie Stevens, So she I don't know, do you know, Jackie,
it might sound familiar.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Word.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
She worked with UMG for a long time or for
she was with Brothers and Eric Church and Kylie Morgan,
John Langston. She was basically in radio with them and
then now she's the producer on Nights with Elena.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Oh really yeah, Okay, how'd you meet her at Whiskey Jim.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
She had Yeah, at Whiskey Jam, of all places, she
had heard a song.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
This is so funny, she's going to die that I
told the story.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
She had heard a song that I had written for
my friend Williams, who's an awesome artist, and she was like,
I love this song. I want to figure out if
I can help you. And at the time I thought
she was an accountant. When somebody said she was something accounts,
I was like, she's an accountant at Universal.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Got it cool, Like, but what what can she really do?
Speaker 4 (25:32):
And I just told people for the longest time that
she was an accountant, and she's like, Alie, I work
in radio, like I actually like work with these artists personally.
Like I was like, oh, I'm still going to tell
people you're an accountant, because like, if you're I just
want to be your friend, Like I just want this
to be normal.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I can't think of you as this like you.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Know every she knows everyone, really, yeah, she knows everyone.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
She's kind of seen it all, so I always go
to her for advice for sure.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Nashville for me has been I've met a lot of
people who have helped me or wanted to help me,
and it seems like that kind of town. I know,
everyone can be a little bit different experience wise outside
of her even Do you feel like you've gotten a
lot of help out here in the last seven years.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I do. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I feel like, especially in the past few years with
just the voice and like things kind of building up
a little bit more, I feel like I've gotten some
more help, some more meetings, just like things like that.
But yeah, I feel like Nashville has always been a
super a super friendly town. That's the one thing that
hasn't changed. There's been a lot that has changed since
(26:40):
I moved here, but the one thing that hasn't is
most musicians are willing to help help you out if
they can tell that you're a good person.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Do you have like a a envision in your brain
where you're like, if I do this, I know I
made it kind of thing. You know, whether it's make
a big viral TikTok video, but that's probably not your thing,
but you know, like or is it signing with a
record label, is it performing at a certain venue. Do
you have something in your head where you're like, Okay,
(27:08):
I'm successful now right, I made it?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
I think well and it's funny.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Jackie and I went to Beyonce actually I'm gonna bring
it up again, and she was like, do you want this?
And I was kind of like that feels like a
little big for me, But I love like the Ryman
maybe would be like huge for me, Like I would
be I would be cool with that.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Basically, especially with like what Jason is a bull. He
just sells it every October like a whole week out
or whatever. Like I think that's dope.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Yeah, that would be. That would be amazing. Yeah, have
you would you have a certain venue that you played
at that's been your favorite, most memorable venue you've ever
played out?
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Man, I I'll say that.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
I I recently did a festival that's new to Effingham
that they're really trying to bring some like bigger acts there.
Cooper Allen did it. Uh, I'm trying to think of
who else. Cooper Allen Big and Rich Brett my Goals
And then I was on the same bill as BlackBerry
Smoke and they put up this whole big I mean,
it was a huge festival. It was their first year
(28:07):
and I just did that and I have to say
that that's still my favorite because it was kind of
cool to see it in my hometown.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah, that area for sure.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Do you ever play? Have you ever played? And you
probably have, but recently in your your small hometown.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Yoga yoga, I haven't.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
Actually I was asked to do hometown Christmas but I
unfortunately I'm not going to be there for it. But
I haven't played there since I think two years ago,
and I did their like little Christmas thing and it
was super cold, but it was cool because my nephew's
got to see me play. And yeah, no, I haven't
played there in a long time. We don't have too
many venues. We're not a huge like drinking town has more.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Bars, gotcha?
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah, Okay, what else? As we kind of wrap this
up here, you talk a lot about music. What else
do you like to do? What are some of your hobbies?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I am.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I try to stay in shape. I like to exercise
just for mental stability. I actually am like a huge
I'd listen to podcasts all the time, comedy podcast specifically.
I love stand up I love anything along those lines.
What else did I do? I hang out with my friends.
I wish I had more cool hobbies, but music is
like pretty much all.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
I do Do you ever go to Zanies?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I went to Zanies. I saw Jared Freed there for
the first time. I had lived here for so long,
but I finally went to Zanies.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
It was really cool.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
I saw a Nate Bargatsi do the Opry out there.
That was really really cool to see because I had
never been to the Opry and saw him perform there
and it was awesome.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Yeah, that's one of my favorite things.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Do you ever do any stand up for any comedy?
Speaker 4 (29:42):
I've considered it in the past, but I don't think
that I I have like told jokes on Broadway and bombed,
And the differences is I can just go into a
song and if I'm on stage, I don't think I'd
be able to handle that.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Bring your guitar.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
I feel like I've seen enough rejection in my life already.
Now the time to start.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
That's true. Little PTSD for you. Yeah, Well, what else
do you have coming up? Maybe at the beginning of
next year or throughout twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
Yes, I am planning on releasing quite a bit of
music next year. I know my first single will be
called Fallout. I wrote that with Taylor Davison, Matt Morrisey.
So I'm super excited to have that one out in
the world and then plenty more to come after that.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
So that's the plan.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
I had a couple hold ups this past year from
releasing all that I wanted to, so plenty next.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Year will be on the lookout. Follow her on social media,
Ali keech Music, check her out streamer music. Support her. Ali,
thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
This has been a Bobby Cast production.
What's up, everybody. It's Bobby Bones here with another episode
of Unsigned and Independent. We do this show, so maybe
you find some new music to listen to. Maybe you
find new artists to support if they're playing a show.
Maybe you want to buy some merch because that's a
big deal to artists too, because that's money that they
actually get they get to pay their bills with. And
this is another episode of that show with Kevin O'Connell
aka kick Off Kevin. So we're talking about Ali Kick
(00:34):
Ali was on the voice and she said she didn't
have the best experience because she didn't really fit the
mold of what they were looking for when it comes
to a dramatic story, because they are, I can tell
you from experience, always.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Looking for a good storyline.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
She stopped playing on Broadway the street here about a
year ago, and she now focuses on music and also
to make money. She's a real estate leasing agent, so
she was selling phone book ads when she first moved
here in twenty sixteen, so she could pay the bills
in order to make music, which is a very common
theme with pretty much all the artists unless they come
from like a ton of family money that happens sometimes too,
but most artists have to grind do two jobs until
(01:06):
they make it. And I wanted you guys to hear
this interview with Ali Keck, so here we go. She
moved to Nashville to chase her dream. Check her out
on social media, but she says she has a love
hate relationship with social media because she moved here before
that was a big part of what she was doing
and now she's had to kind of adapt and adopt.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
But you can't follow her.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Ali Keck Music A L L I E K E
C K Ali Keck Music. Enjoy support if you can.
Here's another episode of Unsigned and Independent with Kickoff Kevin.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Ali. How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
I'm good?
Speaker 4 (01:35):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I'm doing good? Glad we got to get together again.
This is not the first time we've met in person.
The first time we met was at Whiskey Jam. Actually, yes,
maybe what a few months ago during the summer at
some point, and I remember hearing you play and I
was like, I gotta just see what her story is about,
you know, because I have this podcast and this is
what I love to do. I love to see these
(01:56):
artists that go out and play at these local venues,
especially a whiskey jam, which is great, and then kind
of find out more about you. So I went up
to you and I said, hey, how you doing. We
talked a little bit and then you said you're on
the Voice, and so this is what drew me to you,
and I want to jump right into it, your experience
on the Voice. I've had a couple of people in
here that have been on the Voice and they've talked
about how great their experience was and how it was
(02:18):
all you know, daisies and dandelions great, and you kind
of said you enjoyed your experience with a great experience
and good exposure for you, but it wasn't exactly what
you expected. Am I saying that right? Or can you
explain that more?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I think I met some wonderful people, and the people
who are running the show are wonderful. I think what
I struggled with the most was COVID. There was like
quite a few COVID rules and things like that that
resulted in you know, you kind of had to be isolated.
So it wasn't as wasn't as much fun as I
thought it would be. And then when it came down
(02:52):
to I mean I think at the end of the day,
they're casting a television show and it's a contest on
it's basically around a television show. More so so I
wasn't exactly I didn't exactly have like the story that
they were looking for, and so I struggled with that,
and I think that's why part of the reason I
maybe left a little earlier than I would have.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Liked to what, I mean, what is that story?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Then?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What is what is your story? Were you too vanilla
from maybe yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, I maybe that was it. I don't know if
it was.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
It just had something to do with like I didn't
really have any drama to give them, or like a
maybe just there's could be something with being too relatable.
I don't know, Like it was just I have all
four of my grandparents. I'm very blessed to like not
even have to deal with anything really sad, Like I'm
very privileged, and I just kind of didn't really have
(03:47):
I didn't really have anything a SOB story. I didn't
really have anything too exciting. It was kind of like
I was a real estate agent by day and a
rock star at night. And the amount of real estate
agents I know on Broadway is insane. I'm not the
only one, so I think I just wasn't as like
special as they'd like.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Did you ever feel any pressure to feel like maybe
I should try to act like I'm somebody else just
to fit that mold and be able to stick around
a little longer than I want to, or then I
guess that they're gonna have me here.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Uh, yes, one hundred percent. I mean people all the
time are like, well, why don't you just make up
a story? Because it wasn't the first time I had
auditioned for these shows, so this was probably the sixth time. Wow,
I had done this one, and then I think I've
done American Idol about seven times. So just my dad
and I would go for fun when I was younger,
and obviously, you know when I was younger. I can
blame it on that, like I was just not ready
(04:34):
for it. And I think maybe I was a little
bit more seasoned with because I had really picked up
on Broadway playing more often, and that's probably why initially
I made it this time. But yeah, I think when
it came down to it, I just couldn't even people
were like, oh, you should just make up a story,
make up this you know, and I'm I'm seen people
get in trouble for that, so really when it came yeah, yeah,
there's a few articles you can look up where people
(04:57):
have made up stories to get on these shows and
then they figure out it's true and yeah, it doesn't
end well.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
So and now we live in a world where you
can find out pretty much anything about anybody with a
nice Google search or some type of Instagram or social media,
whatever it might be. So you've been going at it
for a long time. Then you said, as a kid
you were trying out for all these shows. Yes, how
old were you? You're very first one. Do you remember fifteen? Wow?
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Because when I turned fifteen, they had actually changed the
age at American Idol. It was around the justin Bieber time,
and like I watched all these boys with bowld haircuts
get sent through and they were like, you know, don't
sing the Adele song. Like they were just like being
particular about what they wanted at the time. And my
dad and I waited in line all day and we
(05:41):
did that again like I think the next year and
the year after that, and then we started doing like
the they started doing the bus tours that would go
to the state Fair.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
We did that. I did online stuff, you name it.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I've yeah, wow, was this all in? You're from Illinois?
Where what's city?
Speaker 4 (05:57):
So I'm from a town called ne Yoga, but it's
right outside of like Effingham area, if you're familiar with that,
but like central southern central Illinois.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Okay, And do these auditions come to you, said of
state Fair? Or do you have to go to different locations?
Speaker 4 (06:11):
No? So the we would drive to Chicago, we would
drive to Saint Louis, we would drive the furthest we
ever went was Milwaukee, and that.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Was because it came to the State Fair.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
So it was an hour and a half to Springfield
and that was like the shortest drive. He's you know,
you just just go figure it out.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Wait in line. And he went and worked at like
a coffee shop.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
And that was the one time I made it to
the second round of like cattle call auditions. And the
follow up or the callback was in Milwaukee, so we
had to drive like eight or nine hours.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
It was supposed to be a really easy thing.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
And I was in college at the time, and I
told one of my professors. I was like, you can't
tell anyone I'm not going to be in class on Friday.
He announced it to the entire lecture hall that I
had a callback from American Idol, and I was just like,
I was so scared I was gonna get in trouble.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I didn't even make it through it in the next round.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
But it was just like one of those things where
it was kind of a disaster the entire time.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
So you have to keep all that on secret, yes, everything, Yes,
And they tell you that when they call you, Hey,
this is like our number one rules. You got to
keep everything a secret. If anything gets leaked, that's pretty
much a pr nightmare for them right now.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Yeah, for social media purposes, and it makes total sense. Yeah,
they just they ask you to keep it a secret
no matter what.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Process. Absolutely, and filling out some stuff before this, And
you talked about being a child and stopping people on
the streets, so this goes way back your auditions, right,
Can you talk a little bit about that. I need
to hear more about you being a child stopping people
in the streets and singing to them.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
So my go to song was my Heart Will Go
on slandy On, which says a lot, but basically, I'm
from such a small town. I knew who the music
teacher was, and so I would specifically stop her on
her walks. And my older sisters would have these parts
in the spring singing or whatever, and they would sing
(07:55):
them to practice in front of us, and I would
learn them and I would stop her and I would
say them to her to let her know that, like
when I was in her class, I was ready.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
I was ready for whatever she had to hand to me.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
And for a while I would do that, and then
I went through this phase where I was really shy
about it, but she would still give me parts. And
then like there was a point, I think like in
the fourth or fifth grade where I actually ended up
singing like a little big talent song and like just
ripped into it for the first time in a long time,
because before I was just doing selindon, no problem. And
then I got a little shy for a little bit,
and then it just all came out one day and
(08:30):
I haven't stopped since.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So You've loved singing since you can remember, yes, probably
since you can walk, Yes. And your parents have always
been the big supporter of you. It sounds like since
day one.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Yeah, my dad always says that, you know, we didn't
travel for sports.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
We traveled more for music and that sort of thing.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
And they still to this day go out in Effingham
has like a great music scene and they're out like
every week and no, we're seeing so and so, so
and so, you know just all the time.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, that's awesome. And what was the inspiration, like, like
what were they listening to? Were maybe some Celine Dion
or what were they listening to that would inspire you
that you kind of would take and run with.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
So I kind of got I would say screwed for
lack of a better word, because my dad would listen
to Bonnie Rait, he would listen to sha Ka Khan,
we would listen to like all these female artists. So
I just thought everybody listened to girls. And I grew
up and I was like, oh no, like not very
many people do. And so I was I always tell
(09:29):
people that, I'm like, I really thought that, like everybody
listened to females all the time. But but we listened
to that. We listened to Jackson Brown and the Eagles.
Then my mom was like Madonna, Michael Jackson all over
the place. But but yeah, we grew I grew up
with a lot of female artists in the house, and
mostly because I'm one of four daughters.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Oh okay, well my next question, siblings, are you the
only one that plays any instrument or musically talented at all?
Speaker 4 (09:53):
We all did pet band, like, uh, just we didn't
have a football team, so we would play at basketball
game games.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Oh yeah, I grew up with no football either. Coming
to the South was a like in high school. No,
I didn't have it in high school.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
I went to community college, so I didn't even have
I didn't go to my first football game until I
was nineteen.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
What I know? I know, did you crazy?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Yeah? That just seems that's wild to me. But did
you know at the time, like growing up, how big
football was even though you didn't have it, or was
it just kind of like a foreign thing to you?
Speaker 3 (10:28):
No, I had no idea.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I knew that it was a thing like in other
areas in Illinois, like we have it there, but our
school wasn't big enough. Like we don't even have a track.
We have a track team that goes to state every year,
but we don't have a track. They run on the asphalt,
which or they run on the street, which is why they're.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Probably so good.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Wow, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
So honestly, like I, I didn't grow up with football
like it. When I moved to the South, I did
not realize like what Saturdays and Sundays looked like here
at all. And then you know, people will text me, Oh,
we're going to go watch the game, like one game,
you know, it's like.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Who, Like there's twenty of them today, you pick. I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Exactly we're going to this bar because it's you know,
X bar. I'm like, I don't, okay, cool.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
What color do I wear today? Who? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Who am I a fan of today? Because I just
really don't have any allegiance to it. But I'm working
on it.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I'm learning.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
I'm learning how to be a sevener. I've been here
seven years, so I need to figure it out that well.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I mean, it doesn't take very long because I'm from
southern California and football is big, but the South is
a whole different ball game. College football in the South
is a whole different ball game. You go out, like
you said, to a bar. Every bar has a designated
school that they're tied to, and all these fans are there.
It's amazing, but it's definitely an adjustment, especially if you
(11:46):
have never even been around it.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
So we I went to Illinois State and it was
the one year that we actually like did pretty well.
I think I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure
this is when Colton Underwood was playing for us, and
I could be making that up.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
That's what we'll go with it with it, but we
actually ended up doing pretty well. And my friend and
I end up like on ESPN just like waving to
the camera, and my Dad's like, you've never even been to.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
A football game? How are you on the TV? How
are you on the TV right now?
Speaker 2 (12:16):
That's awesome?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
So you went to Illinois State and then you came
straight to Nashville after you graduated.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, like a month later.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
You knew the whole time. What did you major in? First?
Speaker 3 (12:24):
I majored in public relations.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Okay, And did you know in college, I'm going to
move to Nashville when I'm done here and pursue my
music career.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Yeah, because I couldn't get into music school, so I
ended up just after that kind of fell apart. I
wanted to be a music therapist, but I didn't know
enough of the technicality basically behind it to get into school,
and I was like, Okay, well, if I'm going to
pursue this, I'll go to Nashville when I'm done here.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
And I didn't know anything, honestly. I moved here.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
I thought Broadway was Music Row and I was telling
people that I was going to sing on Music Row.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, They're like for what label exactly?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
We're like, okay, cool? Where like tutsies.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah, you've never been You've never heard of it? You said,
music therapists, Yes, what what is that? What would that?
Speaker 3 (13:11):
So a lot of them work.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
My plan was to work like kind of side by
side with speech pathologist and help with that or I
also liked the idea of working with just special needs kids.
I had always kind of uh volunteered in high school
doing that and so it was just the thought. And
it's how like, you know, stroke patients will learn to
speak again, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Interesting. I've never heard of that, but that sounds I mean,
I think there are Music in general is kind of
a therapy for all of us in some way, right,
whether it's a happy therapy or a sad therapy when
you need it, Has it always been that kind of
therapy for you?
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Music? Oh? Yeah, I mean especially I've been writing since
I was sixteen, so just being able to get that
out on paper, and it was just originally a homework
assignment from my guitar teacher. He's like, you're gonna go
home and you're gonna write a song, and then I
just never stopped.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Do you remember what song it was?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Yeah, it's called Reasons.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
I think I took it down off of YouTube to
the chagrin of many people I went to high school with.
They love it, yes, and it was very Taylor Swift,
like Taylor Swift was obviously huge, you know. Teardops on
my guitar was I think eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
So yeah, okay, So then you first moved to Nashville.
What you're a month in? Go back to being a
month in Nashville? What do you think and what's going on?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I am working at Ruby Tuesdays. My car has broken
down the day after I moved here. Oh no, I
where I think I had maybe had internet for a
week at that point. I quit Ruby Tuesdays and I
get a job selling phone book ads in a county
in Tennessee that doesn't Basically it's twenty sixteen and I'm
(14:42):
selling phone book.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Ads going to say, was this nineteen ninety.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
No, it was a lesson my parents let me learn.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Oh my god, yeah, how do you even How is
that even a job in twenty sixteen?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You know, it might still be if you looked hard enough,
But basically, I it felt like a real job. Like
they flew me to Chicago for t for a week.
I came back, and that's actually when I would listen
to the Bobby Bones show the most, was because I
was like, I had an hour and a half commute. Wow,
it was far, and so I would listen to Bobby
Bones and that was kind of like my first month
(15:13):
here was just kind of crazy doing that, but that
was like the one light of my morning of being
able to listen to that. And then eventually I got
hired on to do I started leasing apartments and got
hired at.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Tutsi's all in the same like weekend, so it was crazy.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Wow, that's a lot. And then so you're playing downtown
for how long?
Speaker 4 (15:35):
So I did that for probably a few months and
then ended up just deciding to do leasing for a
little bit and then work on writing and writers rounds
and things like that, and I'm glad I did and
then twenty eighteen, I went back to Broadway basically full time.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
What was that? Like, what's your relationship like with Broadway
as an artist?
Speaker 3 (15:54):
It's non existent anymore.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
And that's a good thing.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
At first, I was pretty upset because it comes down
to one of those things where you know, you know
that you're a lot of people down there who are
super talented get the shorten of the stick when it
comes to playing down there because I am not the
type of performer who who's gonna take a shot with
you because I have three more hours to go, Like
I'm I am not a partier necessarily when it comes
(16:19):
to being on stage, and those people tend to get
more shifts.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Interesting.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
So basically, at the time when I was losing gigs,
I was upset. But now I'm kind of like it's
a blessing in disguise. I'm not closing the bars anymore.
It's sometimes being up there makes you feel unsafe because
you can see everything that's going on and it just
it feels chaotic, to be honest.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Yeah, what did it ever? Because some people have talked
about not being able to play their own music, and
if you're on Broadway, you're pretty much never playing your
own music, right, You're always doing covers, and it is
what it is. It's part of what makes Broadway Broadway.
And they you know, these tourists come in and pay.
Was that a big thing for you as well, you
weren't playing your own music, I think for sure.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I mean especially because the one thing Broadway opened up
for me was being able to write as much as
possible because I could make my own schedule and kind
of figure out, okay, I can fit in or write
here right there. And that was when I was writing
the most. And so you're spending your morning's writing these songs,
and then you're up until three am singing other people's
songs that you just don't even part of me couldn't
(17:20):
even register what I was writing and what I was
doing every day because I was so focused on making
sure I made money singing other people's songs.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
So you're not playing there anymore, you're playing anywhere local still.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Yeah, I'm still doing writers rounds pretty regularly, anything down
on like Demumbrian or Division.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
And then I'm just kind of playing Illinois.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
I go back up there quite a bit and play
every so often, and then just places here in Tennessee around,
but I don't necessarily go down to Broadway anymore, just
because it felt it felt a little exhausting after a while.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, I'm sure they could take a toll on you
the long nights, early morning. I'm sure if you have
another job. Do you still have another job?
Speaker 4 (17:59):
So I at the time, like at last year, at
this time, I was working part time leasing, I was
still doing real estate, I was still writing, and I
was still closing the bars. So I decided that I
needed to take a second and basically Broadway went away.
I focused more on writing, and then I took my
(18:20):
license over to apartment locating. So I'm with apartment insiders
now and I do that and I make my own schedule.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
So it's been way different.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Awesome, way different. Okay, So what's the last year year
for you been? Like making that adjustment and kind of
has it been better worse?
Speaker 4 (18:36):
The stuff that I've gone through this year, it doesn't
feel real like it's I moved, I lived by myself
for the first time. I had to basically pivot my
entire career that I've been used to since the pandemic,
both real estate and Broadway. And then I was on TV,
and that's obviously a huge turning point. And then you know,
(19:01):
also just dealing with like the Internet, TikTok things like that,
learning how to add all of that into my schedule
because that's so important these days too, and learning how
to just kind of work with how quickly the music
industry has changed in the past few years, Like especially
this last year in general, has been like chaotic for
(19:22):
me to be able to figure all of it out.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Now, what's social media like for you? Because it's a
big part of what I talk about on this podcast,
just because most artists on this podcast are huge on
social media because as an independent artist, you kind of
have to be to stay relevant, right, And it could
be a real love hate relationship. Like that's how I
feel about social media. It's a it could be a
great thing, but it can also be exhausting, it can
be overwhelming, it can be unhealthy. So as an artist,
(19:52):
for you, how what is that relationship like for you?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
I have a love hate relationship with TikTok. I think
most musicians do, especially people who have been here longer.
Because the thing I struggle with the most is that
I've been here for seven years and when I moved here.
It was a ten year town, and you do this
and this is how it works, and you go in order,
and it feels and if you're putting in the work
(20:19):
and posting the tiktoks and writing the songs, I'm all
for it. But sometimes it just feels like people skip
the line a little bit. And that's what I struggle
with the most because I have done the things. You know,
when I first started singing, I was fifteen or sixteen,
I'd upload a YouTube video every week. That was the
thing to do. And then on when Instagram became the thing,
I would upload a video a day. That was the
thing to do.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
TikTok is three to five a day.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
That's insane that I would be mentally unwell if I
had to do that.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Do you feel like music has the quality of music
has taken a dive a little bit because of that,
because everyone's always looking for the next thing. Like people
are coming with songs every week now, like dropping in
like almost like a single every week. It seemed like
a on every Friday. It's like so and so, like wait,
they just came out with an album of twenty songs
two months ago, and I have more music coming out already, right.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I think definitely.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
I don't know if it's quality necessarily, I think the
biggest thing I wonder whenever I see people doing that,
I'm like, where are you getting your money from? Especially
if they are independent, I'm like, what are you doing?
How are you doing this? Like do you know somebody?
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Are you?
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Are you dating a producer? Like what are you doing?
Like do I need to learn how to do this myself?
That sort of thing?
Speaker 4 (21:26):
And yeah, I just that's the one thing I struggle
with the most is like where the money's coming from?
Because I can't that's I think right now. When I
first moved here, it was maybe like a song a chorder, yeah,
and now it's six to eight weeks. Is what you're
really shooting for?
Speaker 3 (21:42):
That's minimum because you.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Have to pay for all that studio time and recording.
And I'm sure it is not cheap.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Yeah, I mean average right now, I would say two
thousand of song, Yeah, if you want something quality and
the one of the things. And this sounds like I
don't know how else to explain this, but with my
voice some times it's hard to like it can sound
bad because if it's too loud or it just needs
to be compressed correctly. And if it's not done correctly,
(22:09):
I can hear it, everybody else can hear it, versus
like if you have an easier, softer voice like mine
is here and all over the place, and so I
do have to pay more to get that done on
some or make sure it's done right basically, because I've
had instances where I've had to redo something and spent
even more money than I planned because it was not
done right the first time.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Do you think that's what's the hardest thing about being
an independent artist?
Speaker 4 (22:33):
Probably the money? Then, yeah, I still think it's the money,
because that's just a song. Okay, we need visuals, Okay,
we need you need visuals.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Are we gonna pay for playlisting on this one? Are
we gonna, you know, outsource it too, Like I've outsourced
playlisting before, just like to another country, because I don't
know how else I'm supposed to afford it, versus like
using playlisting here like and a lot of people I
don't even know how many people really know what that means.
But basically, you have somebody basically curate playlists and send
(23:04):
out your song and hopefully it ends up on playlists.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And you're doing all that yourself, and it's I'm sure
it can be hit or miss, and sometimes you make
You're looking at me like, yes.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
It's been all the bus It's been everything.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
What's the best part about being an independent artist for you?
Speaker 4 (23:18):
I can pick whatever I want to put out, and
I can post whatever I want and do whatever I
want on social media, And you know, I think if
I if I had I think, if I had restrictions,
I don't know if I'd even prefer that. To be honest,
I'd prefer money. But at the same time, I don't
know if i'd prefer the restrictions.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
And then what do you How would you describe your
style of music? Because I've heard a few of your songs,
seen you perform, and at first I'm like, oh, this
is like some heart, it's like a rock chick. So
you get it, you know, and then you look. You
hear some of your songs like the Vanilla song is
more like a softer song. And you talked about your
voice a little bit, So how would you describe your
your type of music? Genre of music? Is there a
(23:56):
certain description I always.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Tell people kind of like a southern rock anywhere from
like Morgan Wade, el King, Cassie Ashton, Like in there,
I get compared to Cassie Ashton vocally a lot, so
anywhere in there, and I think she's kind of the
same way where they're like she's pop, she's country, she's this,
she's that, you know, a little bit all over the place.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Yeah, which is that versatility can can definitely help you.
Who have been some of the people out here in
Nashville that have helped you, you know, when you're struggling
or say, been a shoulder to lean on in the
industry because I know it can't be easy. There's obviously
a lot of dark days with some good days, but
there have been somebody kind of look to for whether
it's advice or what to do in a certain situation.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Yeah, Jackie Stevens, So she I don't know, do you know, Jackie,
it might sound familiar.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Word.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
She worked with UMG for a long time or for
she was with Brothers and Eric Church and Kylie Morgan,
John Langston. She was basically in radio with them and
then now she's the producer on Nights with Elena.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Oh really yeah, Okay, how'd you meet her at Whiskey Jim.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
She had Yeah, at Whiskey Jam, of all places, she
had heard a song.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
This is so funny, she's going to die that I
told the story.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
She had heard a song that I had written for
my friend Williams, who's an awesome artist, and she was like,
I love this song. I want to figure out if
I can help you. And at the time I thought
she was an accountant. When somebody said she was something accounts,
I was like, she's an accountant at Universal.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Got it cool, Like, but what what can she really do?
Speaker 4 (25:32):
And I just told people for the longest time that
she was an accountant, and she's like, Alie, I work
in radio, like I actually like work with these artists personally.
Like I was like, oh, I'm still going to tell
people you're an accountant, because like, if you're I just
want to be your friend, Like I just want this
to be normal.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I can't think of you as this like you.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Know every she knows everyone, really, yeah, she knows everyone.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
She's kind of seen it all, so I always go
to her for advice for sure.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Nashville for me has been I've met a lot of
people who have helped me or wanted to help me,
and it seems like that kind of town. I know,
everyone can be a little bit different experience wise outside
of her even Do you feel like you've gotten a
lot of help out here in the last seven years.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I do. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I feel like, especially in the past few years with
just the voice and like things kind of building up
a little bit more, I feel like I've gotten some
more help, some more meetings, just like things like that.
But yeah, I feel like Nashville has always been a
super a super friendly town. That's the one thing that
hasn't changed. There's been a lot that has changed since
(26:40):
I moved here, but the one thing that hasn't is
most musicians are willing to help help you out if
they can tell that you're a good person.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Do you have like a a envision in your brain
where you're like, if I do this, I know I
made it kind of thing. You know, whether it's make
a big viral TikTok video, but that's probably not your thing,
but you know, like or is it signing with a
record label, is it performing at a certain venue. Do
you have something in your head where you're like, Okay,
(27:08):
I'm successful now right, I made it?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
I think well and it's funny.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Jackie and I went to Beyonce actually I'm gonna bring
it up again, and she was like, do you want this?
And I was kind of like that feels like a
little big for me, But I love like the Ryman
maybe would be like huge for me, Like I would
be I would be cool with that.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Basically, especially with like what Jason is a bull. He
just sells it every October like a whole week out
or whatever. Like I think that's dope.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Yeah, that would be. That would be amazing. Yeah, have
you would you have a certain venue that you played
at that's been your favorite, most memorable venue you've ever
played out?
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Man, I I'll say that.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
I I recently did a festival that's new to Effingham
that they're really trying to bring some like bigger acts there.
Cooper Allen did it. Uh, I'm trying to think of
who else. Cooper Allen Big and Rich Brett my Goals
And then I was on the same bill as BlackBerry
Smoke and they put up this whole big I mean,
it was a huge festival. It was their first year
(28:07):
and I just did that and I have to say
that that's still my favorite because it was kind of
cool to see it in my hometown.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah, that area for sure.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Do you ever play? Have you ever played? And you
probably have, but recently in your your small hometown.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Yoga yoga, I haven't.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
Actually I was asked to do hometown Christmas but I
unfortunately I'm not going to be there for it. But
I haven't played there since I think two years ago,
and I did their like little Christmas thing and it
was super cold, but it was cool because my nephew's
got to see me play. And yeah, no, I haven't
played there in a long time. We don't have too
many venues. We're not a huge like drinking town has more.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Bars, gotcha?
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah, Okay, what else? As we kind of wrap this
up here, you talk a lot about music. What else
do you like to do? What are some of your hobbies?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I am.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I try to stay in shape. I like to exercise
just for mental stability. I actually am like a huge
I'd listen to podcasts all the time, comedy podcast specifically.
I love stand up I love anything along those lines.
What else did I do? I hang out with my friends.
I wish I had more cool hobbies, but music is
like pretty much all.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
I do Do you ever go to Zanies?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
I went to Zanies. I saw Jared Freed there for
the first time. I had lived here for so long,
but I finally went to Zanies.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
It was really cool.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
I saw a Nate Bargatsi do the Opry out there.
That was really really cool to see because I had
never been to the Opry and saw him perform there
and it was awesome.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Yeah, that's one of my favorite things.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Do you ever do any stand up for any comedy?
Speaker 4 (29:42):
I've considered it in the past, but I don't think
that I I have like told jokes on Broadway and bombed,
And the differences is I can just go into a
song and if I'm on stage, I don't think I'd
be able to handle that.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Bring your guitar.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
I feel like I've seen enough rejection in my life already.
Now the time to start.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
That's true. Little PTSD for you. Yeah, Well, what else
do you have coming up? Maybe at the beginning of
next year or throughout twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
Yes, I am planning on releasing quite a bit of
music next year. I know my first single will be
called Fallout. I wrote that with Taylor Davison, Matt Morrisey.
So I'm super excited to have that one out in
the world and then plenty more to come after that.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
So that's the plan.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
I had a couple hold ups this past year from
releasing all that I wanted to, so plenty next.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Year will be on the lookout. Follow her on social media,
Ali keech Music, check her out streamer music. Support her. Ali,
thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
This has been a Bobby Cast production.
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