We had a moment to sit down with Toronto’s Allyson Murrell. How is everything going with you today?
Everything is going great, thanks!
Can you give us a little insight about how you begin to create music?
Sure! Often when writing music, I will sit down at the piano and improvise until I find a melody or chord progression that I like. From there, I begin to put together lyrics that I feel suit the mood of the music I’ve been working on. Usually once I have a main idea and melody to go off of, the rest of the song comes together quite naturally!
Your Inspiration album came out on June 1st. What are particular highlights from the release?
Well as a whole, the album emulates a theme of searching for inspiration and passion in a culture that often inhibits such intense feelings. Almost every song on the album, save the bonus track, reflects the sentiments of a person who is striving for something they don’t yet have – whether it be artistic inspiration, a sense of belonging, or another person’s love. This theme is what jells the tracks together, rather than all of the tracks having the same genre or the same sound.
What artists or genres have played the largest role in influencing your music?
I find that I have been most influenced by other artists who write and compose their own music. I’m a bit of a literary nerd, and so for me, the more wordplay, hidden meanings, and imagery used in a song, the better! Some songwriters that come to mind are Lennon & McCartney, Max Martin, Michael Jackson, Sia, Jack Johnson, Leonard Cohen, and the list could go on and on. As you can tell from that list, I don’t necessarily have a favourite genre – it’s the songwriting skills that these musicians possess that really “strike a chord with me,” if you will!
How have you evolved since the first few tracks that you wrote?
Well, I think in general, my purpose for writing songs has evolved since I started writing at 13. Back then I wrote songs simply as an emotional release for myself. Gotta love teen angst! Now, although some of my songs are still based on my own experiences, I also try to write in a way that moves people, and that can relate to others’ experiences. Also, I really enjoy writing concept-based tracks now, where I can try to create a new perspective – a new way of seeing things. An example of that would be the track, “The City Has Eyes,” off my Inspiration album.
Which sort of social media website have you had the best successes with? What about these online services are different from the traditional face-to-face meeting that musicians traditionally utilize?
I think so far I’ve had the most success with Facebook and Reverbnation; Facebook because it is the leading social media platform right now, so it is helpful for announcing news about upcoming releases and shows. Reverbnation has also proved to be really useful for connecting with other musicians and promoting my music!
And to answer the second part of your question, although online services are great for sharing music and getting it heard by people outside of your area, I think it can sometimes hinder the more personal aspect to building a fan base. Hearing exciting news from a performer through their website isn’t quite as exciting as hearing about it from them in a face-to-face interaction. It just isn’t. And the more of a connection you have with your fans the better, especially for getting people out to shows. So that is definitely one way that social media just can’t beat face-to-face connections with fans and other artists.
What does the rest of 2015 hold for you? What sort of hints can you provide about the music that you will release following your release of “Inspiration”?
Well, I look forward to doing more collaboration with other artists and producers, and getting some more of my songs recorded. I have no shortage of original music, but that won’t keep me from writing more! The music I’m currently working on is quite upbeat and pop-like, though I still really enjoy writing music that is more lyrical and introspective. You’ll likely be hearing a mix of both in my future releases!
How can interested readers find samples of your music, and what can they do to help get your music out further?
You can listen to my full album online at www.reverbnation.com/allysonmurrell and you can purchase it at www.allysonmurrell.com! All of my songs can also be found on YouTube, just by searching my name. To stay updated with new releases and upcoming shows, the best way would be to like my musician page on Facebook, which is www.facebook.com/allysonmurrell
Thank you so much for your time. Do you have any further information for our readers here at NeuFutur?
Well, I have a music video coming out in mid July for the song “More Than My Skin (Take It All)” off this album, so I’d encourage readers to stay tuned for that! And thank you for having me!
Check out our review of Inspiration .