We recently had the chance to chat with “Seventeen” singer Shaelyn Avalon about getting her start in the industry, working on “Seventeen,” creating music videos, and more!
- How did you get your start in the entertainment industry?
I started out making YouTube and SoundCloud covers. Any chance I got to perform I would have someone film it. I used to spend hours in my room recording cover after cover just for fun and pretending I was in a real studio. I was so sure of myself and willing to put myself out there and it’s crazy to think that if I had cared about what other people thought I would never have gotten as far as I have.
- What was the first song you released?
The first song I ever put out is called “Better Than”. At the time I had just entered my first relationship and was experiencing all these feelings I never had before. It was a cute, first love type of song with a bit of sass. I was basically singing this boy’s praises over past crushes that had never really gone anywhere.
- How do you think you’ve grown as an artist since then?
I’ve definitely gained some life experience since then. Wonderland, my EP, is full of teen angst! It’s so funny to me because irl I’m not really all that angsty unless something really irks me. I hate conflict, so rather than calling up someone on the phone and saying “you did this and this and this and I’m really upset” I’ll just go into songwriting mode to pull myself out of that funk.
I also have recently started writing non angsty songs again, it comes in waves (the tone of my songs). As a songwriter you have to allow yourself to feel every little thing so you can be as authentic as possible in your lyrics. There may be someone out there listening to your song that has been through something eerily similar and you can’t really water it down.
- Who are your musical inspirations?
My favorite artists are all strong female singers, Taylor Swift is my biggest inspiration. I love how intimate she is with her lyrics and how empowered I feel when singing along to her songs. I recently went to Rep Tour and she put on an amazing show! I also love Ariana Grande, she is such a powerhouse and her voice is amazing! You can tell that they both really care about their fans. Madison Beer, Pia Mia, Selena Gomez, Avril Lavigne, Maggie Lindemann, Poppy, Olivia O Brien, those are just a few. I could go on forever honestly, I’m a true fan girl at heart.
- What is some advice you have for aspiring musicians?
Always believe in yourself, work on your craft as much as you can, never put an imaginary deadline in your head for when things need to happen.
- What was the writing process like for “Seventeen?”
With a lot of my songs I’ll think of a couple lines that sort of go together and I’ll piece it together like a poem. After writing for so long you tend to start thinking in rhyme or in alternating rhymes. There were a lot of songs on the EP that started out as tweets and then I thought “Hey, why don’t I actually USE that instead!”
- What is the song about?
When I was writing the song I had just started dating again after a long time just being single and focusing on myself. One of the lines is “let’s let go and see if you got me”. That line is the message I want listeners to really take away from the song. It’s okay to let yourself feel something for someone new.
- What do you think are the keys to creating a good song?
Write CONSTANTLY. You have to love it, if you don’t then it’ll feel more like a task. I don’t like to think of it that way. My songbook is like my diary so everything I write is something I’m feeling really deeply in the moment. I like writing in a starbucks a majority of the time with headphones in because it helps me relax and stay in my head.
- How fun was it creating the music video?
SO fun! I used to make my own YouTube videos so getting to work with a crew of people who believed in me and really vibed with the song was incredible. I think that’s the key to any project, you want to surround yourself with people who want to lift you up and are really passionate about what they’re doing.
- How did you come up with the concept?
It’s funny, sometimes I won’t come up with a concept until way later but this time around I kind of just imagined it while in the recording booth. There were definitely a couple videos I loved that I pulled inspiration from. Ultimately, once I discussed the plotline with my director, it became our own thing. I knew I wanted it to be more of a story telling video just based on the lyrics.
- Where can fans watch the video as well as stream and or purchase “Seventeen?”
The video can be found on my YouTube channel – shaelynavalonsongs. The song is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play Music, and Spotify.
- Are you currently working on anything else fans can look forward to?
I am always writing or trying to come up with music video ideas. I think what they can look forward to is more music in the future. I don’t want to say when but I would love to get an online store up and running for CD’s, etc. I recently got a tweet asking where they could buy merch so that would be really cool!
- Do you have any fun summer plans you’d like to share with us?
This summer is gonna be all about really going for things! I recently started working with my publicist so that’s really cool and exciting!
- What are your goals for 2018?
2018 is about halfway over but I think it’s easy to say that my goal would be to have more people connect with my lyrics, hopefully put out another video, just to keep riding this wave. I love working so if I’m ever not doing something I feel pretty restless.
- What are your social media accounts?
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @shaelynavalon
Subscribe to see more of Shaelyn on our channel!