Meet Hayley Tharp | Music Journalist | Host/MC | Content Creator | Founder of Ear To The Underground

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

Hi Hayley, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is 100% necessary. Growth can’t happen without discomfort. In every season of my life so far, I’ve had to make the jump and hope I land. Anytime I’ve made a risky move, it has led me to something even better than I imagined or taught me a lesson I didn’t know I needed. I think it’s extremely important to trust yourself when taking a risk and do what feels most authentic to you. My career has been a journey full of ups and downs. I’ve made money, I’ve given up money. I’ve made genuine friendships and I’ve probably made some enemies. I’ve been steadfast and driven but have also pivoted. I always try to stay true to myself and my goals though. I will never jump out of a plane or climb the side of a mountain but when it comes to my career, I’ll take the risk. I’ll bet on myself and my goals. If you don’t advocate for yourself, who will?

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Ear To The Underground is my baby. It’s just the beginning but I’m so proud of the work I’ve done so far. It’s been a long time coming. The fact that I finally put myself out there and decided to create a platform is huge and I’m so proud of myself.

At its core, Ear To The Underground is a creative space for emerging artists. I hope to provide exposure to up-and-coming talent. I’m tired of hearing about Drake, Ice Spice, Taylor Swift, etc. There are so many talented people out there making such quality music and stepping outside of the box. They are just getting overshadowed by the industry machine. I want to hear their stories and support their dreams.

Building a brand in the music industry isn’t easy. It’s extremely difficult to break through the noise on social media and grow. Artists also don’t want to be highlighted on my small platform. They want the big names that are only covering the mainstream. They don’t realize there’s a lot of politics that go into that. Growing platforms like this one are promoting the music because we truly like it and support what they are doing. I want to get back to true music discovery and artistic integrity. I want to do as much as I can to spotlight the hidden gems and become a leading source of new music.

Throughout this process, I’ve learned to notice and appreciate progress. I’m learning to appreciate the unknown and trust my intuition. We have a lot of big things planned for the future and I’m trying to trust the process. There will be more interviews, a new format for interviews, bigger events, and stronger relationships built. This is just the beginning.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My itinerary for LA is short and sweet – good food and good music venues.

For food (in no particular order): Sawtelle neighborhood for noodles and Korean corn dogs, any street corner taco stand to get carne asada tacos or fries, Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, Big Dean’s Santa Monica, Del Monte Speakeasy in Venice, and visit Olvera Street for a stuffed churro.

For music: The Roxy, The Goldfish, Adults Only, El Cid, El Rey, Winston House, and the classic Whisky a Go Go

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give the biggest shoutout to Lauren Camp at On Record. Without her, I wouldn’t have hosted my first event which was the jumping-off point for Ear to the Underground. Every single time I talk to her I walk away from the conversation energized and motivated. She has given me so much insight and encouragement. No idea feels unattainable when we chat. It has been an honor getting to know her and the knowledge I’ve gained is so valuable to me. I owe her big time!

Website: https://eartotheunderground.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayleytharp/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hayleyrtharp

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd1iPhn2C8anx7sVZ2OYddw

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hayleyrtharp?lang=en

Image Credits
Personal photo credit: Joe Welkie @jhotophoto