BobbyCast Presents: Unsigned & Independent: Allie Keck - Not Fitting the Mold

What's up, everybody. It's Bobby Bones here with another episode of Unsigned and Independent. We do this show, so maybe you find some new music to listen to. Maybe you find new artists to support if they're playing a show. Maybe you want to buy some merch because that's a big deal to artists too, because that's money that they actually get they get to pay their bills with. And this is another episode of that show with Kevin O'Connell

Looking for a good storyline.

She stopped playing on Broadway the street here about a year ago, and she now focuses on music and also to make money. She's a real estate leasing agent, so she was selling phone book ads when she first moved here in twenty sixteen, so she could pay the bills in order to make music, which is a very common theme with pretty much all the artists unless they come from like a ton of family money that happens sometimes too, but most artists have to grind do two jobs until

But you can't follow her.

Ali Keck Music A L L I E K E C K Ali Keck Music. Enjoy support if you can. Here's another episode of Unsigned and Independent with Kickoff Kevin.

Ali. How are you doing?

I'm good?

How are you?

I'm doing good? Glad we got to get together again. This is not the first time we've met in person. The first time we met was at Whiskey Jam. Actually, yes, maybe what a few months ago during the summer at some point, and I remember hearing you play and I was like, I gotta just see what her story is about, you know, because I have this podcast and this is

Yeah?

I think I met some wonderful people, and the people who are running the show are wonderful. I think what I struggled with the most was COVID. There was like quite a few COVID rules and things like that that resulted in you know, you kind of had to be isolated. So it wasn't as wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. And then when it came down to I mean I think at the end of the day, they're casting a television show and it's a contest on

Liked to what, I mean, what is that story?

Then?

What is what is your story? Were you too vanilla from maybe yeah?

Yeah, I maybe that was it. I don't know if it was.

It just had something to do with like I didn't really have any drama to give them, or like a maybe just there's could be something with being too relatable. I don't know, Like it was just I have all four of my grandparents. I'm very blessed to like not even have to deal with anything really sad, Like I'm very privileged, and I just kind of didn't really have I didn't really have anything a SOB story. I didn't

Did you ever feel any pressure to feel like maybe I should try to act like I'm somebody else just to fit that mold and be able to stick around a little longer than I want to, or then I guess that they're gonna have me here.

Uh, yes, one hundred percent. I mean people all the time are like, well, why don't you just make up a story? Because it wasn't the first time I had auditioned for these shows, so this was probably the sixth time. Wow, I had done this one, and then I think I've done American Idol about seven times. So just my dad and I would go for fun when I was younger, and obviously, you know when I was younger. I can blame it on that, like I was just not ready

So and now we live in a world where you can find out pretty much anything about anybody with a nice Google search or some type of Instagram or social media, whatever it might be. So you've been going at it for a long time. Then you said, as a kid you were trying out for all these shows. Yes, how old were you? You're very first one. Do you remember fifteen? Wow?

Because when I turned fifteen, they had actually changed the age at American Idol. It was around the justin Bieber time, and like I watched all these boys with bowld haircuts get sent through and they were like, you know, don't sing the Adele song. Like they were just like being

We did that. I did online stuff, you name it.

I've yeah, wow, was this all in? You're from Illinois? Where what's city?

So I'm from a town called ne Yoga, but it's right outside of like Effingham area, if you're familiar with that, but like central southern central Illinois.

Okay, And do these auditions come to you, said of state Fair? Or do you have to go to different locations?

No? So the we would drive to Chicago, we would drive to Saint Louis, we would drive the furthest we ever went was Milwaukee, and that.

Was because it came to the State Fair.

So it was an hour and a half to Springfield and that was like the shortest drive. He's you know, you just just go figure it out.

Wait in line. And he went and worked at like a coffee shop.

And that was the one time I made it to the second round of like cattle call auditions. And the follow up or the callback was in Milwaukee, so we had to drive like eight or nine hours.

It was supposed to be a really easy thing.

And I was in college at the time, and I told one of my professors. I was like, you can't tell anyone I'm not going to be in class on Friday. He announced it to the entire lecture hall that I had a callback from American Idol, and I was just like, I was so scared I was gonna get in trouble.

I didn't even make it through it in the next round.

But it was just like one of those things where it was kind of a disaster the entire time.

So you have to keep all that on secret, yes, everything, Yes, And they tell you that when they call you, Hey, this is like our number one rules. You got to keep everything a secret. If anything gets leaked, that's pretty much a pr nightmare for them right now.

Yeah, for social media purposes, and it makes total sense. Yeah, they just they ask you to keep it a secret no matter what.

Process. Absolutely, and filling out some stuff before this, And you talked about being a child and stopping people on the streets, so this goes way back your auditions, right, Can you talk a little bit about that. I need to hear more about you being a child stopping people in the streets and singing to them.

Yes.

So my go to song was my Heart Will Go on slandy On, which says a lot, but basically, I'm from such a small town. I knew who the music teacher was, and so I would specifically stop her on her walks. And my older sisters would have these parts in the spring singing or whatever, and they would sing them to practice in front of us, and I would learn them and I would stop her and I would say them to her to let her know that, like when I was in her class, I was ready.

I was ready for whatever she had to hand to me.

And for a while I would do that, and then I went through this phase where I was really shy about it, but she would still give me parts. And then like there was a point, I think like in the fourth or fifth grade where I actually ended up singing like a little big talent song and like just ripped into it for the first time in a long time,

So You've loved singing since you can remember, yes, probably since you can walk, Yes. And your parents have always been the big supporter of you. It sounds like since day one.

Yeah, my dad always says that, you know, we didn't travel for sports.

We traveled more for music and that sort of thing.

And they still to this day go out in Effingham has like a great music scene and they're out like every week and no, we're seeing so and so, so and so, you know just all the time.

Yeah, that's awesome. And what was the inspiration, like, like what were they listening to? Were maybe some Celine Dion or what were they listening to that would inspire you that you kind of would take and run with.

So I kind of got I would say screwed for lack of a better word, because my dad would listen to Bonnie Rait, he would listen to sha Ka Khan, we would listen to like all these female artists. So I just thought everybody listened to girls. And I grew up and I was like, oh no, like not very many people do. And so I was I always tell people that, I'm like, I really thought that, like everybody listened to females all the time. But but we listened to that. We listened to Jackson Brown and the Eagles.

Oh okay, well my next question, siblings, are you the only one that plays any instrument or musically talented at all?

We all did pet band, like, uh, just we didn't have a football team, so we would play at basketball game games.

Oh yeah, I grew up with no football either. Coming to the South was a like in high school. No, I didn't have it in high school.

I went to community college, so I didn't even have I didn't go to my first football game until I was nineteen.

What I know? I know, did you crazy?

Yeah? That just seems that's wild to me. But did you know at the time, like growing up, how big football was even though you didn't have it, or was it just kind of like a foreign thing to you?

No, I had no idea.

I knew that it was a thing like in other areas in Illinois, like we have it there, but our school wasn't big enough. Like we don't even have a track. We have a track team that goes to state every year, but we don't have a track. They run on the asphalt, which or they run on the street, which is why they're.

Probably so good.

Wow, yeah.

Yeah.

So honestly, like I, I didn't grow up with football like it. When I moved to the South, I did not realize like what Saturdays and Sundays looked like here at all. And then you know, people will text me, Oh, we're going to go watch the game, like one game, you know, it's like.

Who, Like there's twenty of them today, you pick. I don't know.

Exactly we're going to this bar because it's you know, X bar. I'm like, I don't, okay, cool.

What color do I wear today? Who? Yeah?

Who am I a fan of today? Because I just really don't have any allegiance to it. But I'm working on it.

I'm learning.

I'm learning how to be a sevener. I've been here seven years, so I need to figure it out that well.

I mean, it doesn't take very long because I'm from southern California and football is big, but the South is a whole different ball game. College football in the South is a whole different ball game. You go out, like you said, to a bar. Every bar has a designated school that they're tied to, and all these fans are there. It's amazing, but it's definitely an adjustment, especially if you have never even been around it.

So we I went to Illinois State and it was the one year that we actually like did pretty well. I think I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this is when Colton Underwood was playing for us, and I could be making that up.

I don't know.

That's what we'll go with it with it, but we actually ended up doing pretty well. And my friend and I end up like on ESPN just like waving to the camera, and my Dad's like, you've never even been to.

A football game? How are you on the TV? How are you on the TV right now?

That's awesome?

Yeah.

So you went to Illinois State and then you came straight to Nashville after you graduated.

Yeah, like a month later.

You knew the whole time. What did you major in? First?

I majored in public relations.

Okay, And did you know in college, I'm going to move to Nashville when I'm done here and pursue my music career.

Yeah, because I couldn't get into music school, so I ended up just after that kind of fell apart. I wanted to be a music therapist, but I didn't know enough of the technicality basically behind it to get into school, and I was like, Okay, well, if I'm going to pursue this, I'll go to Nashville when I'm done here.

And I didn't know anything, honestly. I moved here.

I thought Broadway was Music Row and I was telling people that I was going to sing on Music Row.

Yeah, They're like for what label exactly?

We're like, okay, cool? Where like tutsies.

Yeah, you've never been You've never heard of it? You said, music therapists, Yes, what what is that? What would that?

So a lot of them work.

My plan was to work like kind of side by side with speech pathologist and help with that or I also liked the idea of working with just special needs kids. I had always kind of uh volunteered in high school doing that and so it was just the thought. And it's how like, you know, stroke patients will learn to speak again, that sort of thing.

Interesting. I've never heard of that, but that sounds I mean, I think there are Music in general is kind of a therapy for all of us in some way, right, whether it's a happy therapy or a sad therapy when you need it, Has it always been that kind of therapy for you?

Music? Oh? Yeah, I mean especially I've been writing since I was sixteen, so just being able to get that out on paper, and it was just originally a homework assignment from my guitar teacher. He's like, you're gonna go home and you're gonna write a song, and then I just never stopped.

Do you remember what song it was?

Yeah, it's called Reasons.

I think I took it down off of YouTube to the chagrin of many people I went to high school with. They love it, yes, and it was very Taylor Swift, like Taylor Swift was obviously huge, you know. Teardops on my guitar was I think eighth grade.

So yeah, okay, So then you first moved to Nashville. What you're a month in? Go back to being a month in Nashville? What do you think and what's going on?

I am working at Ruby Tuesdays. My car has broken down the day after I moved here. Oh no, I where I think I had maybe had internet for a week at that point. I quit Ruby Tuesdays and I get a job selling phone book ads in a county in Tennessee that doesn't Basically it's twenty sixteen and I'm selling phone book.

Ads going to say, was this nineteen ninety.

No, it was a lesson my parents let me learn.

Oh my god, yeah, how do you even How is that even a job in twenty sixteen?

You know, it might still be if you looked hard enough, But basically, I it felt like a real job. Like they flew me to Chicago for t for a week. I came back, and that's actually when I would listen to the Bobby Bones show the most, was because I was like, I had an hour and a half commute. Wow, it was far, and so I would listen to Bobby Bones and that was kind of like my first month here was just kind of crazy doing that, but that was like the one light of my morning of being

Tutsi's all in the same like weekend, so it was crazy.

Wow, that's a lot. And then so you're playing downtown for how long?

So I did that for probably a few months and then ended up just deciding to do leasing for a little bit and then work on writing and writers rounds and things like that, and I'm glad I did and then twenty eighteen, I went back to Broadway basically full time.

What was that? Like, what's your relationship like with Broadway as an artist?

It's non existent anymore.

And that's a good thing.

Yes.

At first, I was pretty upset because it comes down to one of those things where you know, you know that you're a lot of people down there who are super talented get the shorten of the stick when it comes to playing down there because I am not the type of performer who who's gonna take a shot with you because I have three more hours to go, Like I'm I am not a partier necessarily when it comes to being on stage, and those people tend to get more shifts.

Interesting.

So basically, at the time when I was losing gigs, I was upset. But now I'm kind of like it's a blessing in disguise. I'm not closing the bars anymore. It's sometimes being up there makes you feel unsafe because you can see everything that's going on and it just it feels chaotic, to be honest.

Yeah, what did it ever? Because some people have talked about not being able to play their own music, and if you're on Broadway, you're pretty much never playing your own music, right, You're always doing covers, and it is what it is. It's part of what makes Broadway Broadway. And they you know, these tourists come in and pay. Was that a big thing for you as well, you weren't playing your own music, I think for sure.

I mean especially because the one thing Broadway opened up for me was being able to write as much as possible because I could make my own schedule and kind of figure out, okay, I can fit in or write here right there. And that was when I was writing

So you're not playing there anymore, you're playing anywhere local still.

Yeah, I'm still doing writers rounds pretty regularly, anything down on like Demumbrian or Division.

And then I'm just kind of playing Illinois.

I go back up there quite a bit and play every so often, and then just places here in Tennessee around, but I don't necessarily go down to Broadway anymore, just because it felt it felt a little exhausting after a while.

Yeah, I'm sure they could take a toll on you the long nights, early morning. I'm sure if you have another job. Do you still have another job?

So I at the time, like at last year, at this time, I was working part time leasing, I was still doing real estate, I was still writing, and I was still closing the bars. So I decided that I needed to take a second and basically Broadway went away. I focused more on writing, and then I took my license over to apartment locating. So I'm with apartment insiders now and I do that and I make my own schedule.

So it's been way different.

Awesome, way different. Okay, So what's the last year year for you been? Like making that adjustment and kind of has it been better worse?

The stuff that I've gone through this year, it doesn't feel real like it's I moved, I lived by myself for the first time. I had to basically pivot my entire career that I've been used to since the pandemic, both real estate and Broadway. And then I was on TV,

Now, what's social media like for you? Because it's a big part of what I talk about on this podcast, just because most artists on this podcast are huge on social media because as an independent artist, you kind of have to be to stay relevant, right, And it could be a real love hate relationship. Like that's how I feel about social media. It's a it could be a great thing, but it can also be exhausting, it can

I have a love hate relationship with TikTok. I think most musicians do, especially people who have been here longer. Because the thing I struggle with the most is that I've been here for seven years and when I moved here. It was a ten year town, and you do this and this is how it works, and you go in order, and it feels and if you're putting in the work and posting the tiktoks and writing the songs, I'm all for it. But sometimes it just feels like people skip

TikTok is three to five a day.

That's insane that I would be mentally unwell if I had to do that.

Do you feel like music has the quality of music has taken a dive a little bit because of that, because everyone's always looking for the next thing. Like people are coming with songs every week now, like dropping in like almost like a single every week. It seemed like a on every Friday. It's like so and so, like wait, they just came out with an album of twenty songs two months ago, and I have more music coming out already, right.

I think definitely.

I don't know if it's quality necessarily, I think the biggest thing I wonder whenever I see people doing that, I'm like, where are you getting your money from? Especially if they are independent, I'm like, what are you doing? How are you doing this? Like do you know somebody?

Are you?

Are you dating a producer? Like what are you doing? Like do I need to learn how to do this myself? That sort of thing?

And yeah, I just that's the one thing I struggle with the most is like where the money's coming from? Because I can't that's I think right now. When I first moved here, it was maybe like a song a chorder, yeah, and now it's six to eight weeks. Is what you're really shooting for?

That's minimum because you.

Have to pay for all that studio time and recording. And I'm sure it is not cheap.

Yeah, I mean average right now, I would say two thousand of song, Yeah, if you want something quality and the one of the things. And this sounds like I don't know how else to explain this, but with my voice some times it's hard to like it can sound bad because if it's too loud or it just needs

Do you think that's what's the hardest thing about being an independent artist?

Probably the money? Then, yeah, I still think it's the money, because that's just a song. Okay, we need visuals, Okay, we need you need visuals.

Okay.

Are we gonna pay for playlisting on this one? Are we gonna, you know, outsource it too, Like I've outsourced playlisting before, just like to another country, because I don't know how else I'm supposed to afford it, versus like using playlisting here like and a lot of people I don't even know how many people really know what that means. But basically, you have somebody basically curate playlists and send out your song and hopefully it ends up on playlists.

And you're doing all that yourself, and it's I'm sure it can be hit or miss, and sometimes you make You're looking at me like, yes.

It's been all the bus It's been everything.

What's the best part about being an independent artist for you?

I can pick whatever I want to put out, and I can post whatever I want and do whatever I want on social media, And you know, I think if I if I had I think, if I had restrictions, I don't know if I'd even prefer that. To be honest, I'd prefer money. But at the same time, I don't know if i'd prefer the restrictions.

And then what do you How would you describe your style of music? Because I've heard a few of your songs, seen you perform, and at first I'm like, oh, this is like some heart, it's like a rock chick. So you get it, you know, and then you look. You hear some of your songs like the Vanilla song is more like a softer song. And you talked about your voice a little bit, So how would you describe your your type of music? Genre of music? Is there a certain description I always.

Tell people kind of like a southern rock anywhere from like Morgan Wade, el King, Cassie Ashton, Like in there, I get compared to Cassie Ashton vocally a lot, so anywhere in there, and I think she's kind of the same way where they're like she's pop, she's country, she's this, she's that, you know, a little bit all over the place.

Yeah, which is that versatility can can definitely help you. Who have been some of the people out here in Nashville that have helped you, you know, when you're struggling or say, been a shoulder to lean on in the industry because I know it can't be easy. There's obviously a lot of dark days with some good days, but there have been somebody kind of look to for whether it's advice or what to do in a certain situation.

Yeah, Jackie Stevens, So she I don't know, do you know, Jackie, it might sound familiar.

Word.

Yeah.

She worked with UMG for a long time or for she was with Brothers and Eric Church and Kylie Morgan, John Langston. She was basically in radio with them and then now she's the producer on Nights with Elena.

Oh really yeah, Okay, how'd you meet her at Whiskey Jim.

She had Yeah, at Whiskey Jam, of all places, she had heard a song.

This is so funny, she's going to die that I told the story.

She had heard a song that I had written for my friend Williams, who's an awesome artist, and she was like, I love this song. I want to figure out if I can help you. And at the time I thought she was an accountant. When somebody said she was something accounts, I was like, she's an accountant at Universal.

Got it cool, Like, but what what can she really do?

And I just told people for the longest time that she was an accountant, and she's like, Alie, I work in radio, like I actually like work with these artists personally. Like I was like, oh, I'm still going to tell people you're an accountant, because like, if you're I just want to be your friend, Like I just want this to be normal.

I can't think of you as this like you.

Know every she knows everyone, really, yeah, she knows everyone.

She's kind of seen it all, so I always go to her for advice for sure.

Nashville for me has been I've met a lot of people who have helped me or wanted to help me, and it seems like that kind of town. I know, everyone can be a little bit different experience wise outside of her even Do you feel like you've gotten a lot of help out here in the last seven years.

I do. Yeah.

I feel like, especially in the past few years with just the voice and like things kind of building up a little bit more, I feel like I've gotten some more help, some more meetings, just like things like that. But yeah, I feel like Nashville has always been a super a super friendly town. That's the one thing that

Do you have like a a envision in your brain where you're like, if I do this, I know I made it kind of thing. You know, whether it's make a big viral TikTok video, but that's probably not your thing, but you know, like or is it signing with a record label, is it performing at a certain venue. Do you have something in your head where you're like, Okay, I'm successful now right, I made it?

I think well and it's funny.

Jackie and I went to Beyonce actually I'm gonna bring it up again, and she was like, do you want this? And I was kind of like that feels like a little big for me, But I love like the Ryman maybe would be like huge for me, Like I would be I would be cool with that.

Basically, especially with like what Jason is a bull. He just sells it every October like a whole week out or whatever. Like I think that's dope.

Yeah, that would be. That would be amazing. Yeah, have you would you have a certain venue that you played at that's been your favorite, most memorable venue you've ever played out?

Man, I I'll say that.

I I recently did a festival that's new to Effingham that they're really trying to bring some like bigger acts there. Cooper Allen did it. Uh, I'm trying to think of who else. Cooper Allen Big and Rich Brett my Goals And then I was on the same bill as BlackBerry Smoke and they put up this whole big I mean, it was a huge festival. It was their first year and I just did that and I have to say that that's still my favorite because it was kind of cool to see it in my hometown.

Yeah, that area for sure.

Yeah.

Do you ever play? Have you ever played? And you probably have, but recently in your your small hometown.

Yoga yoga, I haven't.

Actually I was asked to do hometown Christmas but I unfortunately I'm not going to be there for it. But I haven't played there since I think two years ago, and I did their like little Christmas thing and it was super cold, but it was cool because my nephew's got to see me play. And yeah, no, I haven't played there in a long time. We don't have too many venues. We're not a huge like drinking town has more.

Bars, gotcha?

Yeah?

Yeah, Okay, what else? As we kind of wrap this up here, you talk a lot about music. What else do you like to do? What are some of your hobbies?

I am.

I try to stay in shape. I like to exercise just for mental stability. I actually am like a huge I'd listen to podcasts all the time, comedy podcast specifically. I love stand up I love anything along those lines. What else did I do? I hang out with my friends. I wish I had more cool hobbies, but music is like pretty much all.

I do Do you ever go to Zanies?

I went to Zanies. I saw Jared Freed there for the first time. I had lived here for so long, but I finally went to Zanies.

It was really cool.

I saw a Nate Bargatsi do the Opry out there. That was really really cool to see because I had never been to the Opry and saw him perform there and it was awesome.

Yeah, that's one of my favorite things.

Do you ever do any stand up for any comedy?

I've considered it in the past, but I don't think that I I have like told jokes on Broadway and bombed, And the differences is I can just go into a song and if I'm on stage, I don't think I'd be able to handle that.

Bring your guitar.

I feel like I've seen enough rejection in my life already. Now the time to start.

That's true. Little PTSD for you. Yeah, Well, what else do you have coming up? Maybe at the beginning of next year or throughout twenty twenty four.

Yes, I am planning on releasing quite a bit of music next year. I know my first single will be called Fallout. I wrote that with Taylor Davison, Matt Morrisey. So I'm super excited to have that one out in the world and then plenty more to come after that.

So that's the plan.

I had a couple hold ups this past year from releasing all that I wanted to, so plenty next.

Year will be on the lookout. Follow her on social media, Ali keech Music, check her out streamer music. Support her. Ali, thank you so much for coming on.

Thank you.

This has been a Bobby Cast production.