Meet STRLING | Pop/Alternative Duo (Alex Makris & Jake Ishler)

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

Hi STRLING, why did you pursue a creative career?
As a duo we thought we’d break this question down into a few sub categories to better reflect us individually and us as a “team”. Alex will share some of his experience first.

“I think I knew more intensely that I was meant to pursue my singing more seriously during my senior year of high school. I had a cheesy pep assembly choir solo (Bridge Over Troubled Water) and it was well received from the entire school so I clung tight to that moment. I also clung tight to the encouragement I received from my father. He spoke highly of my talents. He unfortunately passed suddenly during senior year, but his belief in me always remained with me and strengthened me to continue towards music. Music became my therapy and I really found myself through exploring my artistic side and gained a lot of confidence to start showcasing my queer side as well. I learned to be okay with being different and now understand that my artistry is never something to let go of. I pursue my artistry because I want to continue growing and chasing more of myself.

Passing things along to Jake:
“I chose a creative career because music has always been the single most important thing in my life. My dad played organ professionally in church and raised me on Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, and Alice n Chains. From there my tastes broadened into jazz and pop music as well. I always struggled with social anxiety but I absolutely idolized my first guitar teacher. Music quickly became an outlet for me. From there it grew into an obsession and 10 years later here I am.

In regards to why we chose to pursue STRLING:
“We came together through a random string of events that lead Jake to attending Alex’s solo show at The Elbo Room in Chicago. We quickly bonded over music a few weeks after the show and stayed in touch while Jake headed back to Berklee to finish his senior year. We had some success in our initial relationship from landing a deal to write a jingle for a bank. That linked us together and we began to continue making music together. We really appreciated each other’s musical chops and commitment to crafting great songs, so we stuck it out and STRLING quickly became a very unlikely brotherhood that somehow just made sense.

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.
STRLING (pronounced “ster-ling”) is ultimately never going to make passive music. The emotions are going to be big and the heartbreak and inner turmoil is going to have an upbeat confidence. We both are dynamic and dramatic individuals and try to bring that into our music. We’ve gotten to where we are by continuously making songs and learning how to produce and mix everything we do. Music is not only an incredibly difficult pursuit, it’s also an expensive one. Our ability to continue releasing music steadily is due to the work Jake has put into his production and mixing knowledge. We’ve learned to just keep going… as simple as that sounds.

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.
We live together in the heart of Koreatown and our two most frequented spots would be CoffeeMCO and Shatto 39 Lanes. The day would start with coffee at Mco and then maybe visiting the rooftop pool at the line hotel on Wilshire. It’s always fun to walk to Venice Canals so maybe that could be sometime type of sunset stroll. The night would round out at Shatto 39 for some nostalgic arcade games, shitty beer and bowling.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to Momager, Kat Kuziel, who housed us both during early covid and endlessly supported us. Also big shoutout to #1 fan/Mom, Maggie Makris, who made sure our shows were always a good time by getting people up and dancing.

Website: strling.com

Instagram: instagram.com/strlingmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNQXIObd2DQ