So why have I moved out to LA from NYC? A lot of people have asked me that. Some have even been a bit hostile about it - coast rivalries and all. It was a decision I had been toying with for a while and finally took the step.
AL has been around for quite some time now, roughly 15 years or so. And through all that time I had a day job and did AL on the side, like most musicians. The two jobs were pretty much all I did. I did not take any vacation, opting instead to save that time for touring. And as time went on, It got harder and harder to maintain and keep a personal sense of balance. Some of my co-workers resented my other life, so I ended up keeping my music a secret and that just created even more disharmony within myself. Relationships suffered, sanity suffered, health suffered. What seemed like a doable task at first, needing dedication and diligence, over a ten year period became something much harder to maintain. I was burning out.
I came close to giving everything up around the time Devour was released. It was a bleak period. Then in December of 2008 I got laid off from my job. I had contemplated quitting numerous times, but my rational mind simply wouldn’t allow me to walk away from a well paying job for a life of uncertainly. Now that it was in front of me I felt a sense of relief, that maybe this was somehow a signal to try something new and just go for what I believed in. I decided to do AL full time and give it 100% of my attention. It was terrifying, but also liberating.
Considering the current state of music, I am still getting by. For the last 2 years I have been eeking out a living from AL, mostly through licensing, supplemented by the AL store. The move to LA is an attempt to increase licensing opportunities as this has been the bulk of my income, and possibly take on other music related work.
I miss NYC. I miss the energy, the grit, the skyline, the people, and even the cold. It’s real, tangible, tactile. It breathes. I was back there last week for the MTV Desi show, and as I got out of the train in Union Square the city literally took my breath away. I felt a pang almost like a physical blow. I saw it with new eyes and loved everything. Does any other city do that to anyone? I’ve only heard it about NYC from several people, and now experiencing it first hand.
We’ll see where things go. In the meantime I am setting up shop in this city 3000 miles from home. I hope the future is kind.
5 comments:
I just posted a lengthy reply to your blog, but Google wanted to be a bitch and I lost it all.
Argh.
Anyway, the gist of it was basically this:
Though we had discussed these things at reasonable length and I was around for most of it, I found this post to be sort of comforting to read.
It was probably therapeutic for you to write it, therefore it seemed somewhat soothing to me...
Does that make sense at all?
In any case, I believe that your adventure to the West Coast has happened for a reason, and will surely lead you into great learning experiences which can only help you with whatever happens in future.
I just want to reassure you that you will always have friends in NYC who love and will be here for you, nomatter what.
<3
Dami
Makes perfect sense. Thank you, and love you too!
Awesome post. I am very happy for you that you have the courage to embark on living the dream full time. I know that it can't be easy to earn a living from music, so the fact that you are doing it is a testament to your talent and your drive.
As a native NYer I often feel that I don't take advantage of everything that NY has to offer. At the same time, just knowing that I can do something or experience something if I chose to comforts me. I have only been to California once for a few days and I have visited many cities. There have been a handful that I have figured that I could live in an be content, but none have had a strong enough to lure me away. I love the view of the city at night from an airplane when returning home.
Your music is great! Wish you the best. Good luck in LA.
You are ready for the west but is the west ready for you?
Go West young lady, Go West
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