A Chat with Allison Saleh (19.12.2020)
Allison Saleh is bringing together 10 years of experiences and writing for her album Still I Rise. Throughout the album, she reflects on a range of relatable experiences from marriage to calling on a higher power for help. Looking to uplift and share experiences with others, she uses her signature folk sound to help listeners rise above. We sat down with Allison Saleh to talk about the album, her creative process, challenges and much more!
OSR: What is your earliest musical memory, and do you feel this affects the music you make?
Saleh: My earliest memory of music is of my mom rocking and singing me to sleep. She says she rocked and sang me to sleep from the time I was an infant to about 6 years old.
My day job is being a music teacher. I’ve done a lot of study on music learning during the first 4 years of life and basically have lived it. All studies basically say that if a child is interacted with in a direct way with its parent/guardian, their music potential increases drastically. I would argue my mom easily instilled a love of music in me from birth. I think it was already in me and both parents encouraged me, but based on the science about interacting with children, I think that formed a special bond and it enabled me to find a special love and comfort in and through music. Thanks, Mom! 😀
OSR: Your album Still I Rise is a culmination of around 10 years of experience and writing, why release the album now?
Saleh: It’s quarantine time and I was tired of waiting around to do it, so I released it. Not really a said reason for the timing except that I felt I was just waiting and uncertain. It didn’t feel complete, but I also realized it probably would never feel complete. My plan is to re-release some of these with heavier production and better instrumentals with better musicians.
OSR: Is there a theme or concept to the album?
Saleh: It’s just about my experiences, really. The last 10 years of my life were really rough. It included divorce, PTSD and child-loss. There was good stuff, of course, you’ll see that reflected in the album. The phrase “Still I Rise” is the title of a Maya Angelou poem. At the beginning of the 10 years, that poem got me through a lot and helped me remain resilient. It just felt like a great title for a body of work written during those years.
Still I Rise is a journey, starting at ‘Dust’ making a commentary on how pointless my love life was after 2 divorces. ‘Comfort Me’ acknowledges the need for me to have a higher power and recognizing I can’t do it by myself. ‘Free’ is actually about getting off antidepressant medication and realizing I’m strong enough to continue on my own. The album leaves the listener having hope again in ‘Light a Candle’. All of it basically meaning, life sucks at times and it throws a lot of junk at us, but I’m ok. Time to face another adventure!
Still, I rise.
OSR: What was your creative process for Still I Rise? Did you start with a single track and work around it?
Saleh: I didn’t write any of these with the intention of creating an album. It was mainly songs I wrote over a period of time. However, the individual song process varies from song to song.
‘Comfort Me”’, for example, started as a commission to see if I had what it took as a songwriter. I wrote the majority of that song in 5 minutes. I ended up liking it so much I finished it. ‘Dust’ was also written quickly. It’s more like a stream of consciousness and talking. Most of the songs. except ‘In Your Arms’, had something I had in mind to write about. ‘Paw Prints’ I literally looked at a picture frame that said, “Paw Prints on My Heart” and I thought that would make a great hook! So, I wrote a song about my dog. A lot of my writing is a stream of consciousness and emotional vomit. When I write, I get out what’s going on emotionally, positive or negative.
OSR: As the album is self-produced, what is the biggest challenge you faced when creating it?
Saleh: Biggest challenge was just finishing the dang thing. It took me nearly 3 years total just for the recording. I never really planned it. It was more of a dream. I was depressed, had extra cash, and went for it. I’m glad I did. It was a form of self-care writing all these songs.
OSR: How different was recording your solo music compared to working in a band?
Saleh: I prefer performing live to recording. I feel recording is very nuanced, but also it doesn’t have to be. Like, you can try and do as many takes as needed. That being said, it’s like a rabbit hole and you have to be happy with something at some point. With live performances, you only get one shot. I like that. I can walk away when it’s over and call it good. You get what you get, you know?
OSR: Each track on the album deals with something very personal. Was it difficult to translate your experiences and emotions into a shared experience?
Saleh: Typically, the more emotionally difficult something is, the easier it is for me to write. I will say ‘#1’ was written in tears. I had just divorced for the second time and felt like an utter failure. I told my friend I was writing a beautiful song, but I was stuck because I wanted it to be upbeat. My friend looked at me, puzzled, and said, “This is not a happy song, Alli. What if you actually just admit you’re sad and write a sad song?” The second I accepted that it was a sad song, I finished it in a matter of minutes.
OSR: If people could listen to only one song on the album, which would you recommend and why?
Saleh: ‘Comfort Me’. The song is very much about who I am, where I’ve come from, and what I believe. It’s feel-good. Got a solid, uplifting message and I feel it’s relatable on a lot of different levels, especially for women.
OSR: After listening to the album, what is the one thing you would like people to take away from the experience?
Saleh: Like the dust that is trodden on, you too can still rise.
Everyone needs to read Angelou’s poem, it’s medicine for the soul. It’s a lesson in resiliency.
OSR: What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
Saleh: Lots! I’m finishing up a small Christmas EP (running very late)! I’m working on a full-length album, like 15 songs strong. That’s the big goal. My husband and I are working on it together. I’m also working on a hymn album. I work at several churches and record music for them. I thought, why not? I’ve already got the material. The Christmas stuff will hopefully release before the end of 2020. I’ll drop singles probably in January or February. Hopefully at least 1 album drops in Spring. We’ll see.
Thanks to Allison Saleh for chatting with us! You can find more about her on her website, Instagram and Spotify.
