Ayelle

Ayelle is a London-based singer songwriter. We caught up with her to discuss music, feminism and Tradiio.

On your Twitter, you describe yourself as “Singer/Songwriter, Feminist, Activist”. You are co-founder of Young Feminists London. Tell us more!

I’ve considered myself a feminist ever since I understood what it meant, that it’s basically just the belief that men and women are equal beings and should be treated as such. There are so many misconceptions still, I think I must’ve been about 12 when I first realised what it actually meant.

So when I came to London I ended up diving straight into campaigning and organising grass roots activism, and along the way I’ve learnt that there is so much more to the feminist movement than I ever knew.

It also gradually became a more prominent element in my songwriting as well, so the two passions have sort of intertwined by now.

I started Young Feminists London alongside three amazing women that I met at the Feminism In London conference 2014 and it became an awareness raising group for anyone of any self-identifying gender who found themselves on the same journey. We’ve been putting on free events with various speakers, organisations, poets and comedians for over a year now and it’s been really exciting to watch it grow.

As well as being a feminist, you make music. Why did you start making music?

As a kid I would make up melodies and lyrics about where I was or what I was feeling, so when I learned how to write that was one of the first things I’d put on paper. From then on songwriting became my way of expressing my emotions and a form of therapy at times.

Describe your sound in three words.

Vulnerable. Honest. Defiant.

We discovered you on Tradiio. Do you think free platforms, such as Tradiio, are making it easier for artists to expose their sound to the general public?

Definitely, it’s really tricky to get noticed if you don’t have the right team around you, which is something that takes time to build. Tradiio is one of those platforms that allows you to be heard simply based on the quality of what you’re making and if it resonates with people, it’s one of the smarter ways of turning listening into a more interactive experience.

Where do you cite your musical influences from?

I grew up listening to mainstream pop and r&b as well as a lot of persian music as it was always playing in the house, and both definitely left a mark on how I now use my voice. More recent influences are artists like Banks and Kelela whom I feel have been able to find something very unique which is the kind of music making that’s inspired me to experiment more with my own sound.

We love new music at Indietronica. What new music are you listening to?

I’m listening a lot to new artists like Jones, Connie Constance, Wafia & Sevdaliza to name a few!

We’ve invested in Ayelle. Have you? Listen to more of their songs and support them at tradiio.com/Ayelle.

Sounds like: Banks, 4AM, Wet, IYES, The XX, SOHN

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