We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Victoria Eppolito aka Ave. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda Victoria below.

Ave, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

As I go on year four of living in Nashville, I’ve learned a ton. But one major theme is that everyone’s journey is completely different. Upon getting to Music City I was overwhelmed with the amount of contradicting recipes for “success.” After chasing everyone else’s ideas, I finally grew tired and decided I would forge my own path and run it at my own pace.

“The show must go on” is a phrase I used to obey onstage throughout my years of performing. Until, it applied offstage. AKA IRL. It was my mantra. I slowly began to understand that everyone was fighting to keep their show running somehow. So I started talking to friends and family about what they were going through. I took my time sewing together an album of everything they had to say… Regardless of what would be “radio appropriate” or “TikTok-viral worthy”. Lyric by lyric, measure by measure, and eventually, a quilt of unapologetic songs that people related to and felt empowered by. Body image, eating disorders, mental health, sexual assault, addiction, loss…you name it. MY ALBUM WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD! Right?

Safe to say that if this is your first time hearing about it, it hasn’t yet and might not ever. But it has and will continue to create ripples and that is something that doesn’t come by being a follower or chasing trends for short-term “success.” I will be immensely proud of this project for the rest of my life and the only thing I followed was my heart.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I’m AVE, an indie pop artist out of Nashville and I create songs for social change! I’ve been singing, dancing and songwriting since I was very little and upon living in Music City, I’ve learned a ton about myself and it’s translated into my music for sure. I released my debut album, “Show Must Go On” at the top of 2022; it’s the most authentic thing I’ve ever created. I believe that music is a uniter and a healer and that we should be using it to communicate the hard things.

For example, my friend confided in me one night about her eating disorder. Normally when my friends come to me for help or advice, I dig through Apple Music for songs that might help them. That’s what made me realize that I didn’t have a song for her this time. Until the next morning… “Quiet” was born. And then 13 months later, I had an entire album of songs that I wrote my friends and family.

So, I feel that my purpose is to connect with and help people through what I love to do the most; perform. And I believe that through hard work, belief in myself and collaboration, I’ll get where I’m going someday, somehow.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media presence is a very challenging form of marketing that I don’t think anyone has really mastered yet. However, I do think it comes down to basic principles of branding as well as balance and that has really helped me! A few branding tips I have are consistency, repetition, and recognizability. I’ve decided to focus on the facets of my artistry that are essential to it and unique and make content that expresses that. For example, I’m a singer, dancer and songwriter so I choreograph routines to my songs and film myself dancing them. I repeat the dances but change the outfits and locations for each video. This creates a balance between consistency as well as keeping things fresh and interesting for viewers. Lastly, I truly think that leaning into authenticity and vulnerability will ALWAYS garner engagement.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of making music is hearing from listeners that a song has really impacted them. Of course I love hearing feedback from my friends and family about my music, but I have to say it means so much to me when I get messages from people I haven’t spoken to in years or ever for that matter and they tell me that a song resonated with them. I got a DM on Instagram from an old high school acquaintance after my album came out and all she said was “Hey girl I know this is random, but I really needed your music in high school. Your impact is immense. Please keep making music.” She then opened up to me about what she went through then and it all made sense. I was in awe at her resilience and she was in awe of my ability to write a song that resonated with her so specifically. I was so touched and honestly, those are the moments I strive for when making music.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ave-music.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/_avemusic
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/avemusic
• Other: MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ave/1506009908

Image Credits
Brianne Petrone