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

Alright, Aybil thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The first time I remember wanting to be a songwriter was in a furniture store. I think I was about 14 years old. I was walking around while my parents browsed listening to the store radio play “Hey There Delilah.” The song hit all the emotional points I needed, the story telling, the heart wrenching emotional roller coaster. Looking back, that time period was especially important for me musically, having been listening to acts like Switchfoot, The Fray, and John Mayer. For some reason, in that moment, I recall vividly recall walking out of that store feeling like writing songs for a living was something I could do. I wanted to be able to write songs that made people feel as emotional as I felt in those short lived moments.

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 have been writing songs and stories, since I was 6 years old. I graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in Creative Writing. Although I had that “aha” moment of desiring to “be” a songwriter on a large scale, I entered the writing program with the intention of producing long form fiction. It wasn’t until 5 years after graduation that I began attending open mics and booking shows.

My art practice, both writing, guitar playing and production, usually lies in the folk/indie/soul arena. I like to think what sets my music a part is my desire to tackle subjects that I don’t often see addressed often enough in popular music. I think as a society we ignore far too many issues, in art and in our personal lives, pushing them as far back into dark corners as possible. As difficult as it is to maintain, there is a simplicity, honesty, and an intimacy to my music that I am proud of it. I say difficult to maintain, because the practice of intimacy seems counter to the current cultural trends.

Overall, my goals as an artist is to to provide songs that are both peaceful and stirring. As they have been for me, I hope the songs provide conversation prompts for the internal healing process.

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

Early on, I wish I had an understanding of how much of a resource community is for artistic growth. I didn’t realize there were so many places that could be watering wells to my development because I had always been so to myself. It was only later I found out about open mics, free art exhibitions, concerts, songwriting association’s, poetry slams etc. A part of it was the era that I grew up in, and some of it was just not knowing where and how to look or who to ask for what I needed. Community is about showing up consistently. When you find the places that work for you, show up. I have a low social battery so, often I don’t feel the need to appear at every event, but once and I while I reappear and those people are there to provide wisdom, direction, and encouragement. Whatever art you want to create, there is a community somewhere for you.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Music business books have been essential from making the shift from a creative to an artist working to make this a full time endeavor. I have books like Ari Herstand’s podcast and book “How to Make It in the New Music Business” and Donald Passman’s All You Need to Know About the Music Business, as well as Russ’ book “It’s All in Your Head.” Those specifically have been helpful for shifting me into a business mindset and “go get it.” Creating is a joy, but having a team, getting good legal advice, being consistent, all of these tips have helped me grow. The podcast “And the Writer Is” also gave me a glimpse into what the daily process looks like for a songwriter and made the career feel achievable. As the industry changes, I’ve also been observing artists like LaRussell and Russ show how they’ve been successful staying independent. Some questions you don’t know you need to ask, so gathering information as industry panels and events has also been impactful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aybilmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamaybil/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamaybil
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aybilmusic
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@iamaybil

Image Credits
Aybil Photos 9, 15, 24 Jamie Harmon Aybil Dreamfest- Frank Chin IMG_8939- Debra Brandon