Meet Ally Bakst | Artist

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

Hi Ally, what principle do you value most?
Authenticity is something I’ve alway valued highly. As an artist, I’m constantly exploring my voice and trying to figure out who I am and what I enjoy making most. But at the root of my evolution, I make a big effort to ensure that my core remains unwaveringly consistent. I’ve always been an extremely creative and curious person, so allowing myself to try new things and let my mind create freely is key to my authenticity. I think the coolest art is unique and screams the identity of the artist who made it—as if you kind of know them somehow just by listening to or looking at what they made. Now with the presence of social media, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other people, whether it be with art, music, style, or really any area of life. I think it’s important to know who you are before changing yourself to be like everyone else. It’s great to take inspiration, and observing other people is one of the greatest ways to learn and grow, but I try to pick and choose the things that feel honestly authentic to me and leave the ones that don’t. Especially in the music industry, it can often feel as though you need to come up with some crazy, over the top, possibly even controversial branding and marketing strategy to make you stand out. While I think it’s incredibly important to create a look and sound for yourself, it’s easy to subconsciously change your behavior based on the content you consume, so I always have to check in with myself to make sure the things I’m doing actually feel like me. I find that sometimes taking a break from social media is necessary to block out the noise and remember who you really are.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’d say the raspy tone and deep range of my voice sets me apart from others. I use it to create layers of haunting harmonies and atmosphere within my music that is unique to me. I also feel as though I’m honing in on a dark, descriptive, and visual songwriting style that authentically conveys my thoughts and vibe. The story of how I got to where I am today starts many, many years ago when I was just a kid. I’ve always loved music, and practicing singing was something that I couldn’t help but do. It always felt fun to me, so working to improve never felt like work to me. My producer Mark heard a very raw, untamed version of my voice that I’d developed mostly on my own and helped me refine it. Once we started recording together, I was able to listen back and hear my growth as an artist and singer so clearly. I’m just starting my career, so I always put my best foot forward hoping it will take me in the right direction, and that has worked so far. Although I love music and found that singing and writing came easily to me, I wouldn’t say it’s been easy creating a career out of it. Every day is a new grind. On top of creating new music that I love, theres a business side of it that I’m learning constantly. The path is very unclear, and the market is oversaturated, so it can feel overwhelming. Finding a knowledgeable mentor like Mark has helped me overcome some of those challenges. Along the way, I’ve learned how painful growth can be, but how good it feels when you push yourself and achieve more than you thought you could. Become a better artist is not linear and can be confusing, but telling myself that everything I make is perfect is never going to make me better. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone to try things I might dislike or be terrible at is essential. I’ll know I’m doing something right if the world can feel my passion through my art and music. That’s all I can hope for.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My boyfriend and I love exploring different areas of LA through wine bars and food, so we’ve found some of the cutest places around the city doing that. I’d take my best friend to places like Stanley’s Wet Goods in Culver City, Bar Monette in Santa Monica, and Hippo in Highland Park. We’d probably take a hike in Malibu and go to the beach to enjoy the weather and outdoors, since it’s such a huge bonus of living here. The last time my best friend was here, I actually took her to the recording studio with me to show her how that all works. I also recently got a record player and have been getting into vinyl, so I’m trying to build my collection. There are a ton of cool record stores around LA, so we’d definitely pop into a few in different areas. I bought my player at Supervinyl in West Hollywood, and the people there are super cool, so I definitely suggest popping in. And I always have the best time walking around vintage stores and flea markets, so we’d probably go to the Silverlake Flea or Rose Bowl market.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could go on for ages talking about my people. My mom and dad have been my biggest supporters since day one. They saw my passion for art and music and have always encouraged me. They believe in me and my talent so unconditionally and deeply that they have never questioned my life choice to turn my love for art and music into a career. That’s something truly special that I’m incredibly grateful for. My two older brothers are also always there for me, listening to my music and helping me mull over all kinds of decisions. We even make music together, which is incredibly fun for me. On top of that, the composer for Full House, Mark Vogel, is my mentor and has changed my life for the better in every way. We met at a really low time in my life when I didn’t have the creative outlet I desperately needed, and he saw something in me that he knew exactly how to develop. He’s taught me nearly everything I know about singing for records, songwriting, music theory, piano, and music history. I have so much to learn from him and feel so lucky to have him in my life. He understands me on an intellectual and musical level that no one else does. He continues to open exciting doors for me, both within my mind and within the industry. I also worked with my guitar teacher Ed Russell throughout middle school and high school and really learned how to jam with him on my favorite classic rock songs. Sadly he passed away recently, but he had a huge impact on my life that I’ll never forget.

Website: allybakst.komi.io

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allybakst/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVCvzRN6EiBGUwkFuPqyTxQ

Other: @allybakst on Tik Tok 🙂