In this interview spotlight, I chat with singer/songwriter Allison Mahal about her latest project, motivations, challenges and more. She is originally from Chicago area but moved to Nashville years ago. She has worked with Paige Johnson and Josh Warren who have both been featured on these pages.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I am originally from Lombard, Illinois (one of the many suburbs of Chicago – Go Cubs!), and I write indie/folk music!

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

My parents were the first people to really introduce me to all things music. My dad would make me and my sister mix cd’s, so in second grade I was boppin to Eddie Van Halen, David Bowie and Tom Petty on my Walkman, while most of the kids my age were listening to Britney Spears. When I was in grade school, my mom always encouraged me to do talent shows or singing competitions in town and signed me up for piano and voice lessons. I think I started writing songs when my dad gave me a guitar for my 12th birthday. They were bad. Really bad. The only chords I knew how to play at first were Em and G, so you can imagine how versatile my sound was back then. I think what motivates me the most to keep going is that I am graduating from college next year, and the more I think about my future the more I realize all I want to do is create music.  Songwriting has become such an integral part of my life. It’s personal, organic, and I love writing the uncomfortable truth. I am not a confrontational person, so it is so therapeutic for me when I can write and sing about how I am actually feeling.

How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

This is actually my first ever release! I do not have much studio experience at all, so recording this song, Little Blue, was a huge step and challenge for me. Truthfully, I started taking music seriously last year when I met an amazing violinist, Van Isaacson, at an internship at Music Garage in Chicago. We would jam together after our shift every Tuesday, which was so strange for me because I also don’t have much experience playing my music with other people. It has always been just me writing and performing my songs by myself. Since I have met Van, he has really pushed me to become a better musician and go after a career in music. He graduates from Columbia in Chicago this May, but has traveled to Nashville to work on music with me throughout this year, and came down this past January to record violin on the track. I can’t wait for people to hear it!

This song also would not be possible without my friend Josh Warren, who produced, engineered and mixed Little Blue. I met Josh last fall in our Audio 1 class at Belmont. I quickly realized that I have zero audio engineering skills, and Josh Warren has all of them. He is one of the most talented humans I know. It honestly makes me mad how great he is at so many different things. I told him I wanted to record one of my songs, and he offered to help me out. We recorded Little Blue at the Pioneer Sound in Berry Hill (thanks to his boss Kevin for giving him perk time and for helping mix it). Josh also played the synth, piano, and the electric guitar on the track. My good friend Jack Stark recorded the drums too. Honestly, that is why I am so excited to release this song. I feel so lucky to have amazing friends who not only support me, but they dig my music enough to want to work with me. I wrote Little Blue last October about a complicated relationship I was going through. Now when I play or listen to this song it has a whole new meaning. Recording my first song with Josh has been so special, and I am forever grateful that my friends were a part of this project. They really turned my sad folk song that I wrote alone in my room, into a beautifully orchestrated piece. They rock.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

I haven’t faced too many challenges (yet), since this will be my first release. Obviously, this digital age has really changed the way musicians and artists can earn a stable income. Bands and artists are being paid more for their performance at concerts and festivals than the studio work that goes into making their music. As an independent artist, I am not in it for the money! I just want to put my music out there that I am really proud of and hope that some people will connect with it. This digital age has opened up a really cool and strange utopia for independent artists. We now have the ability to save hundreds of dollars that we would invest at a studio and record our music in our own homes. Van and I send each other demos all the time to work on for each other. This digital music age has brought more opportunities than anyone could have imagined. I am excited to see what else is in store!

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

Spotify and iTunes for more music and Facebook to connect! Sign up for my mailing list on my website (allisonmahal.com) for latest updates and upcoming shows!

Anything else before we sign off?

Thanks for chatting!