We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alli Paige. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alli below.
Alli, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I have been writing songs since I could talk, but only started taking music seriously since my junior year of high school. I decided to take up guitar lessons, and with the help of my teacher, I started writing my own songs. I am such a perfectionist when it comes to my music, so it was hard for me to show my teacher at first, because I wanted them to be perfect before anyone heard them. I think for me, the most important thing I have learned is that its better to write 50 bad songs than 1 good one. A good songwriter only gets good because they work on their craft constantly, and not just when they happen to get a stroke of inspiration. That’s a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way.
Alli, 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 small artist/songwriter, originally from Texas, but now based in Nashville, TN. I am a songwriting major at Belmont University with a music business minor. My favorite thing in the whole world is listening to and writing music. Some of my biggest influences are Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, and Gracie Abrams. Based on my influences, I’m sure you can tell I write about relationships and the struggles within them. I pride myself on my honesty and authenticity in my music. I feel that if I can make one person feel less alone with my music, then I have done my job. I have released three songs, which you can find on any music streaming platform under Alli Paige! I am super proud of them, and I am even more proud of what I have coming next!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part has got to be when other people tell me they can really relate to my music. I tend to write from my own experiences, which a lot of time stems from loneliness or another isolating emotion. To hear that someone else feels the same way makes me feel so much more connected to people. I have had a girl from the Philippines reach out and tell me she really loved and related to my song, Jersey Snow, and that was the coolest feelings, knowing that my songs can be related to all over the world. One of my unreleased songs, Body, is one that I play a lot during writer’s rounds. Every time I play it, there is always someone who comes up to me after and says that they have felt the same way at one time or another. The sense of community my music brings is the most special thing in the world to me.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Being in Nashville, especially at Belmont, is such a hard place to be as an artist/songwriter. I constantly struggle with imposter syndrome and heavy self-doubt. So many talented people are constantly surrounding me, and its easy to get lost in my own head. I think a lot of people don’t realize that no matter how confident someone seems, chances are, they are quite the opposite, especially in this industry. It is easy to get caught up in other people’s successes and compare them to your failures. One of the most important things I have learned is “comparison is the death of joy”. I apply this quote to my life whenever I catch myself thinking about my peers’ highlight reel compared to my bloopers.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: allipaige425
- Other: tiktok: allipaige425