We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ava Lake. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ava below.

Ava, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Releasing my first track in over two years has been an internal battle of artistic perfection.
I went to college downtown Chicago and while getting a degree in Marketing. I wrote, performed, and built a fan base playing bars and small nightclubs. At the tail end of my time in Chicago I was exposed to the underground house music scene and the art of a DJ set. I moved out to LA in 2021 and started trying to play any venue I could. After a year in LA I found the underground “afters” scene in LA and was hooked. Going to see DJ sets at random warehouses in DTLA, Space Yacht Tuesdays at Sound Nightclub, and Clinic Wednesdays at Station 1640 were my new classes in the self conducted Ava University of Dance Music Culture. My sound started to change and I wanted to make tech house hits that would flow in the rising stars Dom Dolla, and John Summit’s sets.

I found the Kick and Bass Discord Community from producer and DJ Taylor Pierce who played an underground Lollapalooza afters with me in 2022. Moving to LA I had a new goal of making a track that was an undeniable dance house hit with my own vocals and production at the forefront. I sent my music to top dance labels getting repeatedly denied. I felt like I needed more production help, specifically on finishing stages of a track.

I enrolled in the last running Club Ready – Mix and Mastering Course at Toolroom Academy which felt like fate in itself that the course would no longer be offered after this last hoorah. I learned for the three months that the course stretched and applied the new skills I had gained to my music. I felt finally like I had finished songs that were up to par with my vision. A couple weeks later my friend Danny Klein Artistic Director of Spin Magazine let me know that they were opening a Spin Records in collaboration with Greater Than Distribution. He offered to float one of my songs to the team to release on the new label. A week later he sent me a green light on the release on Spin Records. My track “Busy” is now coming December 6th more than two and a half years from my last release and I could not be more excited.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Ava Lake and I am a music producer, singer, and DJ. I made a pivotal decision when I was 16 deciding I wanted to pursue a music career over an acting career. I always knew I wanted to be in entertainment and music felt like a vision I could control more and would not be at the mercy of casting directors.

I wrote songs on the guitar from 14-16 and then found production on Ableton when I was 18. In high school I did a senior project with my two friends Daniel Loumpouridis and Erik Liederbach where we wrote, produced, and collaborated on an EP. After that experience the flood gates were open to creating the music I knew I would someday want to be known for.

The music I created in college consisted of upbeat anthems, focusing on positivity, overcoming, and drive to chase one’s dreams. I took a couple of music classes in College and loved getting to go to the piano rooms belting out new song ideas to my mid piano playing skills. I wanted to make music as iconic as The Beatles, as energizing as David Guetta, and as powerful as Lady Gaga. I wanted to convey theatricality, a larger than life vision, and freedom of expression. After college I was influenced by Flume’s early works, Kid Cudi, and Doja Cat.

I started making slightly more sound design forward music, moody, romantic, but still from a place of power. I worked on production and songwriting relentlessly during the pandemic, while also starting to explore how I wanted to visually communicate my art. I ordered rolls of pink paper that I covered an entire small room with to create a music video set. I used to make 3 different music videos all with different props from my mom’s collection. I continued to learn premiere pro, and photoshop to create my videos and album covers. During this time I honed in my process and learned how many details and elements go into making a music video, album cover, and song.

Moving to LA I started making extended versions of my songs so they could be played out by other DJ’s. I honed in on what a meaningful DJ set sounded like and what journey I wanted to take my listeners on. I learned about sub genres of dance music and felt pulled to make tech house, techno, and minimal lofi house. I started understanding the meaning of social media marketing in the new age Artist’s road to success and started to create content and strategies on connecting directly with fans.

I built a community in LA of other creatives, DJs, artists, and supporters that influenced the vision I had initially had for myself. I learned how I like to collaborate with other brands, artists, and influencers and where my music falls into the entire mix. I now feel solid in my skills of music production, content creation, and DJ-ing, and believe that my break is right around the corner. I believe my skills lie in reading a room, energizing others, bringing in vibe, and a strong work ethic to bring my vision to life.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission with my music, content, and art is to show people that the best thing they can do in this life is to believe in themselves in the present moment. There is a lot of noise in our lives in 2024; constant chatter on social media, immediate accessibility for communication with one another via our phones, and if you live in LA lots of traffic. With so many things in life fighting for our attention, and our decision making power, it can be difficult to feel our identities. Where do our personalities get to flourish? I am constantly juggling anxieties of how to keep my relationships with people around me positive, how to balance work and play, how to schedule time for relaxation, how to be present and allow the anxieties to drip away.

When I am working on music all my fears and anxieties fall to the side and I am fully immersed in the present moment. I feel the flow state take over and time floats away quicker than ever. I get a moment to reflect on all the craziness I experience everyday, all the minute details come into view and I get to double click on them and explore their meaning in my life. When I get to work on music I feel like I am in touch with my humanity and with the world as a whole. Creating something from scratch that didn’t exist before you came along is a truly special feeling. Especially if you continue to grow and expand your abilities in your chosen craft. You not only get to appreciate your expended effort from whatever you made in the moment, but over time you are able to see each creation as a log and reflection of your overall life. For me music has helped me get to know myself more than anything. I want to share that experience and encourage others to follow that impulse to create something meaningful. There is nothing more beautiful than contributing something thoughtful to our world.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building my audience on social media has been a journey of trial, error, and growth. When I started back in 2015, I didn’t know much about strategy—just that I needed to put myself out there. Over time, as my career evolved, so did my approach to social media. I experimented with live streaming, connected with the dance music scene online, and learned to adapt to trends like short-form content.

The key for me was finding a balance: I focus on creating music content to showcase my craft, lifestyle content to connect personally, and inspirational content to share my passions. I test ideas, analyze results, and adjust without getting too discouraged. Staying consistent and having fun is crucial—your energy reflects in your content.

For those starting out, my advice is to pick three words that define your content, find a well-lit space, and start recording. Don’t stress about perfection; experiment and learn. Social media is a tool, not the goal. Keep it fun, and success will follow. Plus, there’s a wealth of free content creation guides online if you want to dive into strategy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ava-lake.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ava.lake/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avalakemusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@avalake1076
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/avalake
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3es3XvVqkyAyD7jOzvSIOL?si=Gwxy0K_iR52g4hqU-fAFzw

Image Credits

Kian Arnold