We had the good fortune of connecting with Allee Futterer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allee, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I am probably way too comfortable with taking risks. As I get older, I am slightly more risk-averse, but I don’t think you get anywhere by playing it safe all the time. I try to avoid “stupid decisions” and give lots of thought to the things that I make riskier plays on. When I strictly play it safe my mental psyche and goals suffer so I always try to find a balance between risky immediate plans and long term goals.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
With out sounding too smug, I try to use my moral compass as a guide for all my decisions but especially with who I work for/with and where I spend money. This has it obvious limitations as an artist but it leaves me feeling confident about the people I surround myself with. There are all kinds of challenges that wouldn’t be done justice on paper; regular self doubt, anxiety about the future, anticipating how a release will be perceived etc. Being a musician in any facet is hard work but also such a blessing. I love the variety involved in a week (pre-covid), you get to work with people from all over the world and with various backgrounds and upbringings. On a micro level, besides the actual music, that was the most fun aspect of the Community Arts Project. Having 70 musicians and visual artists from all over the world was a challenge to navigate but great to be reminded just how small our international community is.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Oh, I’m a great tour guide! This is my favorite game but I hope they like eating because that’s all we are going to do and we are definitely skipping Hollywood all together. -Mh Zh, Silver Lake – Gosh I hope they make it through this pandemic. I love how unpretentious and low key this restaurant is. All their ingredients are incredibly fresh, their prices are fair and the food is incredible. Wood fired everything forever. -Doubting Thomas, HiFi – Noami is a boss. First of all love a lady chef and business owner. Second, everything on their menu is killer. She takes “typical LA” items and adds a personal touch that makes all the items so unique. Passionfruit Pie & Doubtless burrito are a must. -Loupiotte Kitchen, Los Feliz – Another lady owned gem. Such attention to detail and an authentic french menu, perfect croissants and -Angelo & Vinci’s, Fullerton – We would go to my hometown, hang out a park, get coffees, hopefully go to the Thursday Farmer’s Market and then we’d hit A & V’s. It’s owned by my god mother and her late husband was an actor/dancer he was in a few of the Godfather films and the Italian themed restaurant is packed with movie set props and delicious lasagna. It’s a vibe. -The Varnish, DTLA – I used to play at this amazing gem in DTLA and I still love it. It’s in the historic Pacific Electric Building at 6th & Main. An original speakeasy, it is behind the original Greene & Greene office. They have amazing music and stay true to the old world style of service and dedication to their craft. Hint: order the Dominicana or a Penicillin -Fish Tacos @ Baja Fish Taco’s, Newport Beach- First of all not “baja fresh” but Baja Fish tacos and specifically the 19th Street location. Blackened Salmon tacos let’s gooooooo. -Best Fish Tacos of Ensenada, Los Feliz- A very different experience from Baja Fish Taco’s but I think the best fish tacos in LA. Tommy Bahama Bar in Palm Springs for a Pina Colada because when in Rome… Other honorable mentions: Bar Ama (DTLA), Lola’s (Retro Row, DTLA) Badmaash, Le Petit Paris, Amara Cafe It this getting boring? I can keep going…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The success career of a creative is really a result of the community they surround themselves with. In the arts we all depend on our relationships to progress our path’s. As a musician my career has been greatly supported by hundreds of friends, teachers, bands, venues and of course, family. Our community has clearly been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and setting up Community Arts Project was initially cathartic project that I created to keep my community inspired and engaged. It turned out to be a much bigger task that I anticipated and I would not have been able to pull it off with out the help of Ryan Vaughn (Backline Creative), Phil Woods (Attorney at Law) and Vydia.

Website: communityartsproject.la
Instagram: @alleefutterer
Linkedin: @allee-futterer
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg4TorWS8hdPG8eOZN0-gbA/featured

Image Credits
Anna Azarov Becca Beberaggi Rick Schank Allee Futterer

Nominate someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.