We were lucky to catch up with Al Riordan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Al, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I think my life would have been a lot simpler if I had pursued a non-creative field. There’s something about the structure and predictability of a traditional career that could have made things a lot easier to navigate. I’ve always had a lot of passions outside of music, things I would have loved to dive into if I hadn’t chosen this path. For example, I’ve always joked that my main love is making a good spreadsheet, and my second love is music. There’s something incredibly satisfying about organization, structure, and the simplicity of working with clear systems. It’s almost meditative in a way.

I guess there’s a part of me that’s always been drawn to balance and order. In a non-creative field, I might have been able to just focus on a set of skills, work within a stable routine, and see more immediate, measurable results. The uncertainties of the creative life—like the ups and downs, the risk, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it—can sometimes feel like a lot to juggle. On days when things aren’t going as planned or the pressure to constantly create is weighing on me, it’s easy to wonder what it might have been like to follow a more conventional path.

But then I remind myself that my love for creativity, for music, is something that has always been with me. Even though it might not always be the easiest or most straightforward path, it’s the one that feels true to who I am. And, in a way, it’s the messiness of the creative process—the unpredictability, the freedom, the growth—that keeps me coming back to it. It’s not just about making music, but about the whole journey, with all its challenges and rewards.

So while I sometimes fantasize about the simplicity of a life outside the creative hustle, I wouldn’t trade the joy I get from music and the freedom it gives me to express myself. The truth is, it’s not always easy, but it’s the life I’ve chosen, and at the end of the day, it’s the life that feels most like mine.

Al, 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 am a non-binary (they/ she) pop grit artist/ songwriter & producer from Australia, now living in NYC. I grew up as a classically trained Opera Singer for 10 years, singing at the Sydney Opera House multiple times. However, I didn’t love what I was doing. It wasn’t until I quit singing training at 17 and discovered the art of writing songs, that I fell in love with music and found my passion. From there, I came to America and studied both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Production and Songwriting at Berklee College of Music. I’m now someone who lives and breathes songs & electronics & Ableton & art… and boy is it so fun!!

I make a mixture of grit pop and alternative pop music, with a few folk songs thrown in the mix. Since I produce a lot of my songs myself or work closely with my collaborators, a heavy influence of my unique style and sound is vocal arrangements/ production, often with 50+ layers of recorded or electronically produced vocal harmonies (vocoders/ harmonizers/ octavers/ samplers…). I really enjoy exploring metaphors extensively in songs, and getting incredibly personal with lyrics. Songwriting and production feels like painting.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I really believe that getting our community out to local indie artist shows is so important. It’s about supporting the people who are creating something special right here in our own backyard. These shows aren’t just about the music—they’re about building connections, celebrating local talent, and keeping the creative spirit alive in our neighborhood.
In that same breath, it’s also about not just going to shows, but also sharing indie music with your friends and family, suggesting their songs at radio stations and even just verbally affirming what an artist/ creative/ musician is doing.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was this idea that I couldn’t “do it”. I grew up as an opera singer, and so when I went into the professional world of music, I felt really undervalued, unprepared and unskilled. I started taking production classes and songwriting classes, but I didn’t feel like I was allowed to take up space in those fields. I really had to spend a lot of time and energy feeding myself a lot of confidence and giving myself the permission to just experiment and try new things and have fun! Through this experience I learned that embracing curiosity and imperfection allows you to grow and make a path for yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aloexox.com/
• Instagram: @aloe.xox
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-riordan-279b12196/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv1WrFs43CknTgJJeiHpA6g
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/aloe-77628608
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2slxSiJDFIOKlTtaPwO77q?si=xMpgJvi6QQqICZdNOSIDLw

Image Credits

All names are listed on photo files, but there is:

Danielle Parkka (Submission Image)
Ebony Cafarella (Extra Photo #1 & #2)
Ellie Holliday (Extra Photo #3)
Sophie Gartenstein (Extra Photo #4)