Each month one deserving Staff Pick artist or band is chosen as a Rising Star and receives the following:
- Full year's membership from Musician's Atlas (the music industry's most reliable contact database service)
- Playlist spot in the Top 100 and other popular stations on Jango Radio App / Jango.com
- 1000 play credits awarded to artist account
- Center Stage feature promoted on Radio Airplay blog, weekly newsletter, and social media outlets.
- Playlist spot in the Top 100 and other popular stations on Jango Radio App / Jango.com
- 1000 play credits awarded to artist account
- Center Stage feature promoted on Radio Airplay blog, weekly newsletter, and social media outlets.
Get to know Hallie Darling, a talented singer-songwriter and Radio Airplay's latest Rising Star!
Is your song Break My Heart part of larger recording project?
Yes. "Break My Heart" is part of a larger recording project. It was recorded kalong with five other songs for my first EP "Golden". Four other songs have already been released onto youtube, the fifth will be held back until I release an Album full of what I like to call the "The Lost Songs", these are songs that I love and think have great potential but somehow went wrong in the recording studio due to a glitch or malfunction or even just some strained vocals. I digress, "Break My Heart" was the start of my career as a musician so everything on this EP is very primitive and experimental but also very raw and untouched by the opinions and expectations of others.
I love the opening line “So I run around the block again, till my lungs burn and I can’t think” What inspired those lyrics?
The line was inspired by the fact that when I'm upset or have some emotional turmoil in my life I get really angsty, especially if I feel that I am unable to control or fix a certain situation, so I run to expel all the pent up energy and frustration in that makes it feel like you have this weight on your chest forcing the air out of your lungs.
Do you compose your own music or collaborate with others? What about the piano on the song, is that you playing?
This was a solo project, everything you hear is me. I compose my own lyrics and write the piano accompaniment.
Who is an artist that’s changed the way you think about music?
An artist that changed my way of thinking is probably Florence and the Machine. Her music has a way of getting into the grit of society, it doesn't shy away from the painful subjects or subjects that might contain controversy. In that way I would like to model my music after hers, my sorrow and my joy should be shared with anyone who has experienced a similar situation and can empathize with me. Thats what music is for, it binds us together and allows us to understand one another.
Have you ever formally studied music? If so, how has this changed the way you approach making it?
I have taken piano lessons for the past eight years. I don't think this has changed the way I approach making music per say but It has definitely made it easier to create something that I can share with others. I usually begin the writing process by sitting at the piano, turning my phone on record and just playing the piano and singing. It's really interesting to see what words tumble out of my mouth and the theme that they present. It has a clarifying affect. Suddenly all of my thoughts become clear to me and I realize the thoughts that had been swimming around in the reassesses of my subconscious. All of my doubts and fears packaged into one song. From the recording I take my favorite chord progressions and expressions and expand them until they become a song.
Where are you currently based out of? Is there a good music scene in your community? Do you play gigs regularly?
I just moved to Taiwan for the next six months (That is why I was late getting back to you). I don't know how many gigs I will be playing but I can tell you that I brought my little electric key board with me and a little passion project I have been working on should be released sometime in January!
Did you grow up in a musical family? Can you tell me a little about your family dynamic growing up?
I grew up in family that loves and appreciates music, my eldest sister plays the piano and my brother pretends to play the guitar. Though neither of my parents play an instrument they both have constantly pushed me to do what I love and have suffered patiently through hours of my playing the same lines of a song I'm writing over and over again until the next line comes to me. I am the youngest of two sisters and a brother. I was born in San Jose, California and have since have moved 18 times in my life. I've lived in different cultures and circumstances, sometimes my family was well off and other times we were in major debt, and through these extremes I've been able to meet people and begin to understand them. Understanding and empathizing is the basis of my writing process. Though each of my songs have an aspect of me in them some of them are not written from my perspective. I see the tragedy that befalls others and my inability to help them and I just write. I write in attempt to let everybody else in their situation know that they are not alone, somebody understands or is at least trying to.
How do you want people to feel when they hear your music?
When people hear my music I want them to feel something, anything really, because it's not my place to tell them how to feel. They can feel angry, hurt or in love as long as they are feeling something then I've done my job. Music allows us to see the world through the perspective of another so what I write could make them feel any number of things.
Yes. "Break My Heart" is part of a larger recording project. It was recorded kalong with five other songs for my first EP "Golden". Four other songs have already been released onto youtube, the fifth will be held back until I release an Album full of what I like to call the "The Lost Songs", these are songs that I love and think have great potential but somehow went wrong in the recording studio due to a glitch or malfunction or even just some strained vocals. I digress, "Break My Heart" was the start of my career as a musician so everything on this EP is very primitive and experimental but also very raw and untouched by the opinions and expectations of others.
I love the opening line “So I run around the block again, till my lungs burn and I can’t think” What inspired those lyrics?
The line was inspired by the fact that when I'm upset or have some emotional turmoil in my life I get really angsty, especially if I feel that I am unable to control or fix a certain situation, so I run to expel all the pent up energy and frustration in that makes it feel like you have this weight on your chest forcing the air out of your lungs.
Do you compose your own music or collaborate with others? What about the piano on the song, is that you playing?
This was a solo project, everything you hear is me. I compose my own lyrics and write the piano accompaniment.
Who is an artist that’s changed the way you think about music?
An artist that changed my way of thinking is probably Florence and the Machine. Her music has a way of getting into the grit of society, it doesn't shy away from the painful subjects or subjects that might contain controversy. In that way I would like to model my music after hers, my sorrow and my joy should be shared with anyone who has experienced a similar situation and can empathize with me. Thats what music is for, it binds us together and allows us to understand one another.
Have you ever formally studied music? If so, how has this changed the way you approach making it?
I have taken piano lessons for the past eight years. I don't think this has changed the way I approach making music per say but It has definitely made it easier to create something that I can share with others. I usually begin the writing process by sitting at the piano, turning my phone on record and just playing the piano and singing. It's really interesting to see what words tumble out of my mouth and the theme that they present. It has a clarifying affect. Suddenly all of my thoughts become clear to me and I realize the thoughts that had been swimming around in the reassesses of my subconscious. All of my doubts and fears packaged into one song. From the recording I take my favorite chord progressions and expressions and expand them until they become a song.
Where are you currently based out of? Is there a good music scene in your community? Do you play gigs regularly?
I just moved to Taiwan for the next six months (That is why I was late getting back to you). I don't know how many gigs I will be playing but I can tell you that I brought my little electric key board with me and a little passion project I have been working on should be released sometime in January!
Did you grow up in a musical family? Can you tell me a little about your family dynamic growing up?
I grew up in family that loves and appreciates music, my eldest sister plays the piano and my brother pretends to play the guitar. Though neither of my parents play an instrument they both have constantly pushed me to do what I love and have suffered patiently through hours of my playing the same lines of a song I'm writing over and over again until the next line comes to me. I am the youngest of two sisters and a brother. I was born in San Jose, California and have since have moved 18 times in my life. I've lived in different cultures and circumstances, sometimes my family was well off and other times we were in major debt, and through these extremes I've been able to meet people and begin to understand them. Understanding and empathizing is the basis of my writing process. Though each of my songs have an aspect of me in them some of them are not written from my perspective. I see the tragedy that befalls others and my inability to help them and I just write. I write in attempt to let everybody else in their situation know that they are not alone, somebody understands or is at least trying to.
How do you want people to feel when they hear your music?
When people hear my music I want them to feel something, anything really, because it's not my place to tell them how to feel. They can feel angry, hurt or in love as long as they are feeling something then I've done my job. Music allows us to see the world through the perspective of another so what I write could make them feel any number of things.
Any upcoming releases or gigs you’re excited about? Can you give us a little hint to what you’ve got in store for your musical future?
On June 3rd I will be releasing three songs that were created in a project I call "Brittle Bones". Concerning the future of my music: I am just going to continue to develop my writting skills and myself as an artist. I also plan on experimenting with adding different instruments ("Brittle Bones" actually experiments with violin accompaniment). I am so excited to continue to share my music with the world.
instagram: @halliedarling
Youtube: https://www.youtube.
Soundcloud: https://
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