Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brynn Allison. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brynn, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever had any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
I’m a big believer in Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages from The Artist’s Way. Getting everything out first thing in the morning clears the gunk and makes space for creativity. Honestly, every time I write a song, I’m convinced it’s the last good one I’ll ever write. Working with my band and with producers for over a decade has definitely helped me move past that feeling. I really trust my collaborators, best friends, and co-writers, because I know they’ll always be honest with me and encourage me when I need it most. Most of the time, my writer’s block comes from imposter syndrome or fear of whatever truth I’m avoiding putting into words. That’s where my community really helps. I feel lucky to be surrounded by creatives in theatre, film, and teaching kids, who remind me every day why I started making music in the first place. For me, writer’s block is usually just a sign that I need to step away and go live life for a little while. Being a person and not just an artist is what always brings me back.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Brynn Allison, but you can call me Brynnie. I’m the lead singer, songwriter, and cofounder of Brynnie & The Hummingbirds. In 2023, I moved to LA to chase my childhood dream of becoming a pop star, while partnering with a studio in Boston to crowdfund and record my debut studio EP. Like a lot of musicians, I started out performing in my mom’s basement and doing community theatre. But when I began pursuing music seriously, I found it could feel a little lonely. That’s when I reached out to friends who’ve now become my collaborators: indie artist Samantha June, and Lucas Tammarellio and Alec Luttrell, who I met through our day jobs as music teachers. Depending basically begged them to come play with me and Brynnie and The Hummingbirds were born. Right now, I’m getting ready to release my record early next year, and we’ll be going on a house tour to play directly for the fans who made the album possible through $12,000 of crowdfunding last year. Beyond music, I’ve always loved vintage fashion and been focused on sustainability, which led Lucas and me to start making one-of-a-kind, upcycled merch pieces for our shows. I’m deeply inspired by the children’s programming, musical theatre, and variety shows from the 70s; Pee Wee Herman, The Carol Burnett Show, The Cher Show. Those kinds of playful, communal performances are at the heart of what I want our shows to feel like. This year, we’ve been performing The Brynnie The Hummingbirds Show at venues all over LA, and honestly, it has been the biggest dream come true. They are my dream cast and I feel like the luckiest theatre kid turned pop star in the world.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Stay with me here… being a fangirl. Which directly involves two things absolutely crucial when you’re getting started: resilience and community. One of my teachers once told me that resilience is hope in action. Pursuing an artist’s career isn’t easy, especially as a woman and a queer person. I walk into rooms where I’m dismissed because Im a pink glitter bomb who’s easy to underestimate. But resilience has meant showing up anyway, fueled by the hope that one day I’ll find the right rooms the ones filled with community. That community has been everything: my closest friends who became my band, the mentors who took a chance on me, and the audiences who remind me why I keep going and gave me the strength to imagine a kinder, more sustainable way of doing this work. At the heart of my community are fangirls. Teenage girls who love loudly who scream for what they believe in and create movements out of pure devotion. They remind me that resilience doesn’t just survive, it inspires. They’ve run the music industry from the very beginning, and they know it. I fell in love with pop music as a young girl trying to find my footing on and off stage. Now at 25, I get to create new worlds that young girls and queer kids can fall in love with. It feels like the heartbeat of this job.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
If I knew I only had a decade left, I don’t think I’d change much about how I live now. I’ve dealt with a lot of health issues, and in my teenage years, at the height of the pain and the gaslighting from doctors, I honestly didn’t think I’d make it to my 20s. That fear shaped me. I spent the first quarter of my life fighting to build the life I have now, and I don’t take a single day of it for granted. I’m so grateful for the chosen family I get to make music with, for writing songs with my best friends, and for the community I get to build through theatre, music, art, and film I have a pretty quiet and lovely personal life with my partner, friends, and family who keep me grounded and remind me there’s more to life than the industry. They protect humanity in this work for me. I don’t want to waste a second of this beautiful life, because for a long time, I didn’t believe it could exist for me. Honestly, the only thing I’d change? I’d make my friends play dress-up with me more often.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brynnallisonmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brynnallisonmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brynnallisonmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRvHrXZbADo
Image Credits
Tiara Estupinian
Talon Reed Cooper
Jackson Tammariello
Thea Valerie
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
