We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Allisen Hinojosa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Allisen, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I grew up with an ear for music and a family that fueled my passion by surrounding me with it. That passion turned into extra curriculars such as the San Antonio Children’s choir where i learned techniques at a young age and school choirs that I stuck with till the end of high school. I didn’t think I was going to continue singing in front of crowds as a young adult until I met Wyatt and he introduced me to the gigging world. I felt like a child thrown into a pool not knowing how to swim. I was coming from backtracks and choirs to live music with seasoned jazz musicians; it was exhilarating, but often frustrating as I only had a small tool kit that paled in comparison to the others. If i would’ve stuck with the piano lessons my parents had paid for in high school and actually learned theory, I think that I would have adapted better and wouldn’t have had to be looking over at Wyatt for queues in the early days. I wouldn’t have it any other way though, the more venues took chances with us and the more I played, the better I got. Persistence and drive to do better every week had the same level of importance as breathing techniques and tone. There will always be obstacles and ways I can do better, recently I’ve been getting waves of writer’s block, most of my obstacles are mental.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas in a close-knit household: 2 brothers, teacher mom, lawyer dad. I left San Antonio to attend the University of Texas at Austin where I got my bachelors in Human Development with a pre-med certificate. I participated in many extra-curriculars not knowing that one would lead me to playing live music in Austin and starting my own business. I joined KVRX, UT’s student radio, my freshman year as a fun way to take my mind off the difficulties of my science courses and continue my hobby of music. That organization allowed me to meet like-minded individuals with the same passion for music and that is the first time I met Wyatt. Fast forward to the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone’s cooped up in their homes and what better time to pick up a new hobby? I start playing guitar to accompany my voice that I, posting my progress from time to time on my socials, not thinking anything of it. One day I get an Instagram DM from Wyatt Corder asking me if I wanted to sit in at The Continental Gallery; he saw my posts and thought I had a good voice. I agree to try it out, nervous as hell, and one Thursday night turned into every Thursday night and eventually Wednesday happy hour downstairs at The Continental Club. Today we have two singles out (with more to come), a business of our own, and have played numerous shows and weddings on top of our Thursday residency at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul .

Our band, Allisen & The Wy’s Guys, a soul/rock band with jazz roots, provides live music for a variety of events such as weddings, public venues, corporate events, private parties, etc. We make sure our performance fits the vibes and needs of each occasion and clients. I think what sets us apart from others is the raw talent and emotion we pour on the stage in any environment; we are their for the client/venue, but we are also having a great time with each other.
I’d say I’m most proud of how we have evolved as a band. In the beginning we didn’t really know what our sound was going to be, but over the years we have a very good understanding of what we like and what we don’t. We have also written a handful of songs we are all proud of.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started playing live music, I was working at a hospital and studying to take the MCAT. When it came time to submitting the paperwork to apply to medical school, I completely abandoned the idea. I wanted to explore the music world some more just to see where things could go and juggling both didn’t seem realistic. I put my medical aspirations on a shelf and thought, “when am I going to be in my 20’s again fulfilling my passion?” It’s difficult having both an analytical and artistic mind, they’re like siblings that don’t get along. I have never once regretted my decision, if I really wanted to I could go back to school, but for now I’m doing what I love with people I love.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The city of Austin has a lot of resources for creatives and small business that I think more people should know about. The Austin Live Music Fund and the Nexus grant are resources I was told about late in my music career, but not too late. We applied for and received the 2023 Live Music Fund that helped us immensely. With this fund we were able to order merchandise, advertise our band, record, and employ other Austin creatives to help us with our single release party, etc. I implore creatives to look for grants and apply for everything, you never know what you can get if you don’t apply yourself and try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aatwg.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisenandthewysguys/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisenandthewysguys
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@allisenthewysguys9009
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wvdIAiOk2Ef6g8NkTiMh6?si=o9scKAUXQbeNz19A7yU_4Q
• TikTok: Allisen & The Wy’s Guys

Image Credits
Quintin Hinojosa Sav Shrestha