I recently started watching fellow YouTuber Alona Wolf and her series of videos showcasing her journey as a musician. She is teaching herself guitar, writing and recording skills all while being a top notch rock vocalist and content creator. Alona is telling her story from a very honest place that I very much resonate with. I had the opportunity to interview Alona, which I am so excited to share with you. Below is the transcript of our conversation.
What defines you, Alona Wolf, as an artist?
Artists are an amalgamation of so many things because it's who they are, which is multifaceted by nature, so it’s difficult to consolidate the wholeness of an artist into a few sentences that could fully articulate it.But for me, it’s always been about bringing strength and vulnerability together. In recognising that the ability to be vulnerable is a strength within itself. I believe in finding and standing in your own power, in turning pain into something as beautiful as a song and connecting with people through shared emotion. That’s what makes us human and that's what drives me and my art.
You’ve spent years playing in bands, how has that experience shaped you?
Being in bands has truly been one of the biggest joys of my life. I think there’s something really brilliant about sharing a stage with talented musicians that you can call your chosen family. Over the years, being in band environments has shaped me in so many different ways. It’s taught me about my strengths and my shortcomings. Some of the greatest moments I’ve ever experienced, where my soul literally felt like it was shining from the inside out, have been on stages with a band and the crowd singing back lyrics I wrote in a time of suffering and there being that true human connection among people you’re sharing that moment with. You don’t get that stuff from a screen. You don’t get that from the TV or social media or over a livestream. You have to be there to be a part of it and to witness it. In terms of being in various bands, the people you write music with become your best friends at the time, because you share a piece of your soul with these people. Writing music can be incredibly vulnerable but empowering and you grow from pouring your heart into a constructive artistic form. Your bandmates are the first people who witness that so it’s incredibly special. I feel very lucky to have played in bands, performed around the UK and done some cool things and while I’ve been doing that for over a decade now, I feel like artistically I’m only just getting started. I’ve learnt so much and I’m ready to take everything I’ve learnt so far and push forward to create the best music of my life.
With YouTube ever increasing in popularity, with thousands of hours of content uploaded every minute, how do you personally make yourself stand out?
Yes, there’s a lot of content being made all the time, but that doesn’t mean it’s all great stuff. YouTube is an incredible tool, something that didn’t exist when I was younger. In fact, I didn’t have a mobile phone until I was 14 and it didn’t have the internet on it. I pretty much only used it to play snake… so I remember a time when lots of people didn’t have the internet at home and you couldn’t be on the telephone and the internet at the same time. That puts things in perspective for me. I feel really lucky to be in a time when I can share my passions with so many people all over the world in a way that just wasn’t possible when I was a kid. As for YouTube strategy, I’ve taken some time to learn about how YouTube works. Artists can’t ignore that in order to get your art out there, you have to work on things other than your music. If you want to grow a fanbase on YouTube you need to get good at thumbnails and thinking up topics and titles and having something interesting to share to a specific target audience. You have to be consistent with quality and schedules. But for me, ultimately it’s all about creating videos I’m proud of, connecting with people and forming a community of people who want to see each other win. I want to share my story because I know how special it is to inspire just one person, to have just one kid believe in themselves because of something you said, or to have one musician not give up because they saw you not give up. That’s huge motivation for me to keep improving, learning and growing on YouTube.
You mentioned in a video that in the past you’ve been compared to Paramore’s Hayley Williams quite a bit, is it difficult to be taken seriously, particularly as a female artist, with the scrutiny that comes with comparison?
Comparison isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, when I’m compared with an incredibly talented artist like Hayley Williams, it’s ridiculously flattering. The crux of what I was talking about in that video is that I have found some people to be unimaginative with their comparisons. I personally don’t think I sound anything like Hayley Williams but because she is one of the few popular female alternative artists that were getting attention when I was growing up, it’s pretty common for women of my era to get that comparison. It’s pretty refreshing to be compared with other artists. In a way, I think it just goes to show how much better the music industry is getting at shining a spotlight on female talent. There’s still a long way to go but the fact that other comparisons are coming out proves that other female artists are getting attention, which is a cool thing.
Do you have far reaching plans for your future on YouTube or do you focus on simply the next step in front of you?
I am a dreamer, a planner and a big thinker. I plan for YouTube to be an income stream in the future, but right now it’s really early days. It’s difficult to know what will happen and at what rate so as long as things are heading in the right direction and I’m proud of what I’m creating, that’s good to me. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed at the beginning or to burn yourself out by taking on too much so I’m focused on keeping a healthy life balance and making sure I don’t sacrifice my music creation for video creation and vice versa. But I am approaching YouTube as a business and a future revenue stream, rather than a hobby.
Is there anything you would like to say to my readers before signing off?
Yeah. Each and every person has the power to create positive change in the world but we only live in the moment so make this moment one that you’re proud of.
What a really fun interview, Alona certainly had a lot to say which is so refreshing. So many bands and artists can come across too nervous or unsure of themselves when put into an interview setting, but Alona's passion is obvious and I applaud her for it. Check out Along Wolf on Youtube via this link: https://www.alonawolf.com
Peace, Love & Cowbells,
Oscar