We were lucky to catch up with Alie Byland recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
Before I ever had my own piano, I played with my grandparents old Hammond organ every time I went to their house to visit. My mom saw my interest and hid money away from the grocery budget to pay for my piano lessons. I could only go a few times before it got too expensive, but they changed the course of my entire life.
I remember feeling so excited my first time sitting down on the bench in front of my teacher’s grand piano. She reminded me of Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, because her crazy red curly hair. She looked down at me and asked me how I was feeling. Then she told me to find one key on the piano that expressed that feeling. And then she asked me to continue on using the keys and sounds to tell a story about my emotions. She told me that music was my friend and that it would always be there for me.
Since then I’ve approached music like that, feelings first.
Alie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Byland is the moniker and last name of Seattle based, Albuquerque raised, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Alie Renee (me). I play cinematic, indie-rock music that I feel is grounded by vocally vulnerable moments I hope will move you to lean in. My latest studio record, “Heavy For A While” has been called both timeless and “a little weird” and made room for me to weave in some (I think) intriguing, offbeat arrangements.
A Grammy award winning team brought it to life, including production by Nathan Yaccino (Matt Cameron, Brandi Carlie, Norah Jones), mixing by Brandon Bell (Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton), and mastering by Pete Lyman (Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton). Notable contributors include a lineup of powerful females – Jessica Dobson (Deep Sea Diver), Meagan Grandall (Lemolo), and Abby Gundersen.
After having spent two years in Albuquerque (my hometown) during the pandemic, I moved back to Seattle in early 2022. With my four-piece band of seasoned ass musicians, we’ve toured both the West and East Coast in support of “Heavy For A While” which was released on Mother West Records in March of 2024.
Here’s a nice quote from a recent performance on tour:
“The passion for performing was palpable. Byland manages to prove you can have both emotionally vulnerable lyrics that sneak up on you like a gut punch and a lively performance that is brimming with fun. The beautiful blend is only enhanced by Alie Renee’s amazing vocal range, which is even better live than on the album.”
– Sara Giza, Willamette Week
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I respond to every comment, and I follow people back and try to authentically engage in their work. I try to be as genuine as possible on there, and favor the real interactions over the number of people engaging.
I also try to have fun on there, cuz if I don’t it takes the joy out of sharing what I’m passionate about.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Music is important. I believe it puts us back in our bodies. It reminds us of who we are inside.
Music heals. For me, music is how I process the difficult things in life. It is a safe place.
It is how I connect with myself, god and others. I can’t live without it and I feel inspired to share it with others, because it turns me inside out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bylandmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bylandmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bylandmusic
- Twitter: https://x.com/bylandmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8cTguieq3JpHPmkK6ayePQ
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/bylandofficial
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5zSPR2YNjfLn5rNQPZiJgC
Image Credits
@britttakemypic @megonfilm @rbennettphotography