We were lucky to catch up with Ailed Hernandez recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ailed thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
I would say my current band BUFF CHIQ is the most meaningful project I have worked on. I started writing music for this project when I was at a really low point in my adult life. I felt stuck, misunderstood, and overall unhappy with myself. I felt like I had all these ideas for songs and no outlet for my creativity or feelings.
So, after a mental breakdown and with the encouragement of a very loving partner, I started going to therapy and writing songs about my life and the web of relationships in it. From family, to friendships old and new, to professional relationships – I would write songs about it all. Writing about my feelings, and later on performing them in front of audiences, helped me not only understand where they came from, but also helped me heal and grow from them.
My band BUFF CHIQ is the most meaningful to me currently because it allows me to be vulnerable with those who care to listen to my music, and to help others realize that they’re not alone. Life is complex and hard most times, but it doesn’t mean anyone has to go through it alone.
Ailed, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have been a singer since I could remember. I would sing in any school choirs I could, and joined small singing groups, such as Barbershop Quartets. I continued singing in various projects throughout college as well.
I competed and placed regionally in a women’s barbershop Quartet.
As well as started/joined various local music groups, such as Junkanoo (Rock fusion group), Clown, Baby (synth-pop group), Groovy and the G-Spots (R&B group), and my current band BUFF CHIQ (indie alt-rock group).
I have experience as a session vocalist as well, joining groups on stage and in the studio for features and back up vocals. I truly enjoy doing session work because I get to work with different musicians and collaborate on fun projects.
Writing and recording the songs is one of my favorite aspects of making music. And getting to perform them with other amazing musicians while connecting with an audience feels like a cherry on top.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I would say the best way society can support artists and creatives in this thriving ecosystem would be to show up for the shows and support their art physically and digitally. Not just buying their music, but sharing it online and talking about it with other groups of people.
A lot of musicians nowadays wear various hats (influencer, producer, social media manager, etc) just for their voice to be heard. So be that megaphone and amplify creatives, especially locals!!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My mission in my creative journey is to be true to myself and allow myself to be vulnerable with those around me. My hope is that it will help me grow individually, so I can be a better person for the ones I love.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
1. Christian Rodriguez 2. Hazel Situ 3. Ash Cap