The current success of artists like Colbie Caillat is a testament to the observation that dreamy guitar-based music is very popular right now, and an excellent proponent of the genre is L.A.-based singer/songwriter Priscilla Ahn. The beautiful melodies on her debut album A Good Day go perfectly with mornings on the weekends—and she wrote them for her, as she tells me, not for anybody else. I get to ask the songstress some questions.You grew up in Pennsylvania in what you've described as "the middle of nowhere". What was that like?
It was somewhat boring and lonely. But I kept myself super busy at school. I did a ton of extracurricular activities that actually kept me too busy. For the most part, I liked the solitude though. We lived on 22 acres and had woods and a creek. We were surrounded by horses and cows. The peace and solitude gave me a lot of space to imagine and create. Once I got my driver’s license I didn’t mind making long trips to bigger cities, in order to get out of town.
Did the bucolic nature of your surroundings perhaps influence the style of your music? Your work is definitely very dreamy and perhaps wistful in the mood it projects.
Definitely. The space and solitude I had definitely fostered my imagination. Also, my parents put a lot of pressure on me to do really well at school, so I didn’t have a lot of time to spend with friends. Also, after coming home from school around 6 or 7 everyday, and sometimes 10pm, because of all the stuff I was involved in, I had no energy to hang out with anyone. So, it forced me to spend a lot of time in my bedroom and pick up the guitar for fun.
And apparently you play ukulele and harpsichord… in addition to guitar and piano and harmonica. What compelled you not only to learn, say, guitar and piano but then these other instruments as well? Are there any particular stories behind the learning of any of these instruments?
After piano and guitar, I wanted to play the harmonica like Neil Young did while he played his guitar. I loved the sound it added to my solo performances. I mostly played the harmonica as if it were a harmonium or a pump organ. Later I wanted to add another sound that wasn’t as dark. Something more ethereal. So I ordered a little glockenspiel off of ebay, and started incorporating that into some songs. So when I finally got into a studio that actually had a pump organ, a harpsichord, a celeste, among many other fun, vintage instruments, I wanted to play them all. And once you get the piano and guitar down….it’s easier to pick up other instruments and learn them a little faster. A friend of mine had an old banjo laying around, I asked if I could borrow it, because I loved the way they sounded too with folk music. I still don’t know how to tune it right, unfortunately, but I make it work somehow. The ukulele was a birthday gift from my boyfriend when we were in Hawaii. I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I do. Now I pretty much don’t travel anywhere without it.
It feels as if there are a lot of acoustic artists gaining attention right now too. How would you say that has influenced your development as an artist?
I guess it’s definitely opened up more opportunities for other acoustic artists. More people are coming out to support, more venues are becoming acoustic friendly. You get to meet more artists doing the same thing you’re doing, and those people introduce you to other singer/songwriters. You end up meeting other singer/songwriters who might want to write with you, or play with you, or bring you on the road, which is always really cool.
As far as my songwriting though, I try to keep that my own as much as I can. I do enjoy occasionally co-writing with friends, but I definitely don’t try to write how other people are writing, and I’m not avoiding it either, if I do happen to write like someone else, if that makes sense? Basically, I write for me. And that’s something I’ve decided to do a few years ago.
How for that matter did Amos Lee influence you? I know he has certainly played a significant role in your musical career thus far.
When I was 18, 19 years old, some friends from Philly told me to come with them to check out this guy who was recording his EP for Blue Note. I came along, and it happened to be Amos Lee. I saw him play a couple times at an open mic called The Point, and I thought he was amazing. While we were hanging out there that night, the producer of the EP asked me if I wanted to intern for them. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so for a while I’d drive to Philly everyday and hang out with the band at the studio. It was my first time in a real recording studio, being around so many creative musicians. It was just really great to watch and soak in.
Later on, I started to work with his producer on a demo of my own for fun, and we had taken a road trip to Los Angeles to write songs and record and stuff. Once we got to L.A., I knew immediately that this was where I wanted to be. A month later I moved out here. I sort of lost touch with Amos and the band, but from what I hear, he was always a supporter of mine, and told Blue Note to keep tabs on what I was doing. A few years later, I made my own EP here in L.A., and Amos’ A&R guy (who I had met back in Philly and NYC thru Amos) flew out to see me play a show….and then….that was that.
You landed an internship at Blue Note because of him too. What was the internship like? And for that matter how did the internship lead to your eventual signing with Blue Note?
It was actually just an internship for the project. I didn’t actually work for Blue Note or anything. The internship though, was me basically hanging out. I didn’t really do anything at all. The most I think I did, was one night, Amos was recording the electric guitar part for “All My Friends”, but the guitar kept buzzing, and it needed to be grounded or something to keep from buzzing. So while he was recording, I had to touch him, and touch the metal part of his guitar to “ground” the sound.
It was somewhat boring and lonely. But I kept myself super busy at school. I did a ton of extracurricular activities that actually kept me too busy. For the most part, I liked the solitude though. We lived on 22 acres and had woods and a creek. We were surrounded by horses and cows. The peace and solitude gave me a lot of space to imagine and create. Once I got my driver’s license I didn’t mind making long trips to bigger cities, in order to get out of town.
Did the bucolic nature of your surroundings perhaps influence the style of your music? Your work is definitely very dreamy and perhaps wistful in the mood it projects.
Definitely. The space and solitude I had definitely fostered my imagination. Also, my parents put a lot of pressure on me to do really well at school, so I didn’t have a lot of time to spend with friends. Also, after coming home from school around 6 or 7 everyday, and sometimes 10pm, because of all the stuff I was involved in, I had no energy to hang out with anyone. So, it forced me to spend a lot of time in my bedroom and pick up the guitar for fun.
And apparently you play ukulele and harpsichord… in addition to guitar and piano and harmonica. What compelled you not only to learn, say, guitar and piano but then these other instruments as well? Are there any particular stories behind the learning of any of these instruments?
After piano and guitar, I wanted to play the harmonica like Neil Young did while he played his guitar. I loved the sound it added to my solo performances. I mostly played the harmonica as if it were a harmonium or a pump organ. Later I wanted to add another sound that wasn’t as dark. Something more ethereal. So I ordered a little glockenspiel off of ebay, and started incorporating that into some songs. So when I finally got into a studio that actually had a pump organ, a harpsichord, a celeste, among many other fun, vintage instruments, I wanted to play them all. And once you get the piano and guitar down….it’s easier to pick up other instruments and learn them a little faster. A friend of mine had an old banjo laying around, I asked if I could borrow it, because I loved the way they sounded too with folk music. I still don’t know how to tune it right, unfortunately, but I make it work somehow. The ukulele was a birthday gift from my boyfriend when we were in Hawaii. I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I do. Now I pretty much don’t travel anywhere without it.
It feels as if there are a lot of acoustic artists gaining attention right now too. How would you say that has influenced your development as an artist?
I guess it’s definitely opened up more opportunities for other acoustic artists. More people are coming out to support, more venues are becoming acoustic friendly. You get to meet more artists doing the same thing you’re doing, and those people introduce you to other singer/songwriters. You end up meeting other singer/songwriters who might want to write with you, or play with you, or bring you on the road, which is always really cool.
As far as my songwriting though, I try to keep that my own as much as I can. I do enjoy occasionally co-writing with friends, but I definitely don’t try to write how other people are writing, and I’m not avoiding it either, if I do happen to write like someone else, if that makes sense? Basically, I write for me. And that’s something I’ve decided to do a few years ago.
How for that matter did Amos Lee influence you? I know he has certainly played a significant role in your musical career thus far.
When I was 18, 19 years old, some friends from Philly told me to come with them to check out this guy who was recording his EP for Blue Note. I came along, and it happened to be Amos Lee. I saw him play a couple times at an open mic called The Point, and I thought he was amazing. While we were hanging out there that night, the producer of the EP asked me if I wanted to intern for them. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so for a while I’d drive to Philly everyday and hang out with the band at the studio. It was my first time in a real recording studio, being around so many creative musicians. It was just really great to watch and soak in.
Later on, I started to work with his producer on a demo of my own for fun, and we had taken a road trip to Los Angeles to write songs and record and stuff. Once we got to L.A., I knew immediately that this was where I wanted to be. A month later I moved out here. I sort of lost touch with Amos and the band, but from what I hear, he was always a supporter of mine, and told Blue Note to keep tabs on what I was doing. A few years later, I made my own EP here in L.A., and Amos’ A&R guy (who I had met back in Philly and NYC thru Amos) flew out to see me play a show….and then….that was that.
You landed an internship at Blue Note because of him too. What was the internship like? And for that matter how did the internship lead to your eventual signing with Blue Note?
It was actually just an internship for the project. I didn’t actually work for Blue Note or anything. The internship though, was me basically hanging out. I didn’t really do anything at all. The most I think I did, was one night, Amos was recording the electric guitar part for “All My Friends”, but the guitar kept buzzing, and it needed to be grounded or something to keep from buzzing. So while he was recording, I had to touch him, and touch the metal part of his guitar to “ground” the sound.
My first time meeting Eli Wolf, his A&R guy at Blue Note, was when I went with them to NYC when they had to master the EP. I went along because I had heard of a place where I could get a fake ID made somewhere downtown. They were about to start mastering, when I asked Eli if he knew of this place. He said he did and told me how to get there. I took off, and showed up a few hours later when they were all eating. And that was basically my first interaction with the label.
What else influenced you? What music would you count among your influences?
Neil Young, Ani DiFranco, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Jewel, Radiohead, Sparklehorse, the Delgados, Juana Molina, Gillian Welch. Then I moved out to L.A. and got into the Velvet Underground, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Joao Gilberto, Pinback, Andrew Bird, Leonard Cohen, Chet Baker. Watching people play incredible shows influences me, hearing something that I can’t stop listening to, books, weather, memories, emotions, the stuff I learn everyday….these all influence me.
To go further along that line what other influences would you like to mention—literary or cinema or art other aspects of life—is there anything specific in any way that you might care to mention?
Jack Kerouac’s writing influenced me when I was in high school. He got me interested in jazz, and in traveling on the road. Jules et Jim was one of the first old French films I’d seen, and it became a favorite of mine for a while. It felt romantic… and French. I love that old French fashion and way of life. Drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, meeting other romantics, being spontaneous and a little crazy. I stumbled on the music of Francoise Hardy, and she is my style icon. I don’t really think I dress like her exactly, but I want to! A great book I read, that’s now become popular, is Eckhard Tolle’s A New Earth. It opened my eyes, and really helped me grow as a human being.
What other non-musical pursuits or interests occupy your time? What do you do in your spare time?
I try to get out in the garden as much as I can. It’s so much fun to take care of plants, and flowers, and grow my own vegetables. It’s so fun to watch everything bloom, and grow, and the smell of the air changes as the seasons change. I love taking time to, literally, smell the roses. It’s like 2 seconds out of my busy day, to stop….and enjoy something so simple, and so natural. I also do yoga when I can. I love, love, love it.
Are there any places in particular that you like to go in L.A.?
One my favorite places to go to by myself is the Getty Center. It’s such a cool, beautiful place, with an incredible view. I like to go there to check out the new photography exhibits they have. Every once in a while, I’ll take a drive to the beach, or go up the coast a little and hang out. Other than that, I enjoy hanging out at home, or at the neighbor’s, and going out to eat to some of my favorite spots with my boyfriend.
Let's talk about L.A. You moved out there when you were about 19. You just packed a couple suitcases and left.
Looking back, I’m amazed that I even did that. I guess at the time I was used to driving a lot. I drove back and forth to Philly pretty much everyday. That’s 1 ½ hours both ways. I didn’t mind driving. Plus, after reading On the Road, a road trip sounded super exciting. I was excited to drive thru a bunch of states I’d never been to before, and it felt empowering to do it by myself. I was gonna wait for a friend and his band to join me, but I could see it wasn’t going to happen, or atleast not as soon as I wanted to go, so I decided to do it by myself. I packed up what I thought I’d need and want in my little Saturn. The first night I had to stop somewhere overnight, was the scariest. I was at a Day’s Inn at truck stop area somewhere in Ohio. The area was scary, and the hotel was super scary too. Soon after I realized that the tv didn’t work, all the lights went out. I think I almost had a panic attack. They came back on soon after, but I slept with the lights on that night. The rest of the trip was very beautiful, and I listened to lots of Led Zeppelin, Martin Sexton, Juana Molina, Gillian Welch, Amos Lee, and Joni Mitchell. It was really fun, and liberating.
And how was the transition—especially coming from such a small place as "middle of nowhere" Pennsylvania and landing in L.A.?
The transition was really alright. I was used to city driving, and I grew up in a small city called Reading, so I wasn’t really intimidated by the “city life” of L.A. There isn’t really much of one, actually. It’s more of a sprawling suburbia. But I think I adjusted pretty fast. Plus, I was really open to everything new. So I invited in the new experiences, and learned a lot as I went.
What made you decide to go to L.A. specifically, rather than for example NYC or Chicago? What do you like about the city—has it influenced your music?
What else influenced you? What music would you count among your influences?
Neil Young, Ani DiFranco, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Jewel, Radiohead, Sparklehorse, the Delgados, Juana Molina, Gillian Welch. Then I moved out to L.A. and got into the Velvet Underground, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Joao Gilberto, Pinback, Andrew Bird, Leonard Cohen, Chet Baker. Watching people play incredible shows influences me, hearing something that I can’t stop listening to, books, weather, memories, emotions, the stuff I learn everyday….these all influence me.
To go further along that line what other influences would you like to mention—literary or cinema or art other aspects of life—is there anything specific in any way that you might care to mention?
Jack Kerouac’s writing influenced me when I was in high school. He got me interested in jazz, and in traveling on the road. Jules et Jim was one of the first old French films I’d seen, and it became a favorite of mine for a while. It felt romantic… and French. I love that old French fashion and way of life. Drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, meeting other romantics, being spontaneous and a little crazy. I stumbled on the music of Francoise Hardy, and she is my style icon. I don’t really think I dress like her exactly, but I want to! A great book I read, that’s now become popular, is Eckhard Tolle’s A New Earth. It opened my eyes, and really helped me grow as a human being.
What other non-musical pursuits or interests occupy your time? What do you do in your spare time?
I try to get out in the garden as much as I can. It’s so much fun to take care of plants, and flowers, and grow my own vegetables. It’s so fun to watch everything bloom, and grow, and the smell of the air changes as the seasons change. I love taking time to, literally, smell the roses. It’s like 2 seconds out of my busy day, to stop….and enjoy something so simple, and so natural. I also do yoga when I can. I love, love, love it.
Are there any places in particular that you like to go in L.A.?
One my favorite places to go to by myself is the Getty Center. It’s such a cool, beautiful place, with an incredible view. I like to go there to check out the new photography exhibits they have. Every once in a while, I’ll take a drive to the beach, or go up the coast a little and hang out. Other than that, I enjoy hanging out at home, or at the neighbor’s, and going out to eat to some of my favorite spots with my boyfriend.
Let's talk about L.A. You moved out there when you were about 19. You just packed a couple suitcases and left.
Looking back, I’m amazed that I even did that. I guess at the time I was used to driving a lot. I drove back and forth to Philly pretty much everyday. That’s 1 ½ hours both ways. I didn’t mind driving. Plus, after reading On the Road, a road trip sounded super exciting. I was excited to drive thru a bunch of states I’d never been to before, and it felt empowering to do it by myself. I was gonna wait for a friend and his band to join me, but I could see it wasn’t going to happen, or atleast not as soon as I wanted to go, so I decided to do it by myself. I packed up what I thought I’d need and want in my little Saturn. The first night I had to stop somewhere overnight, was the scariest. I was at a Day’s Inn at truck stop area somewhere in Ohio. The area was scary, and the hotel was super scary too. Soon after I realized that the tv didn’t work, all the lights went out. I think I almost had a panic attack. They came back on soon after, but I slept with the lights on that night. The rest of the trip was very beautiful, and I listened to lots of Led Zeppelin, Martin Sexton, Juana Molina, Gillian Welch, Amos Lee, and Joni Mitchell. It was really fun, and liberating.
And how was the transition—especially coming from such a small place as "middle of nowhere" Pennsylvania and landing in L.A.?
The transition was really alright. I was used to city driving, and I grew up in a small city called Reading, so I wasn’t really intimidated by the “city life” of L.A. There isn’t really much of one, actually. It’s more of a sprawling suburbia. But I think I adjusted pretty fast. Plus, I was really open to everything new. So I invited in the new experiences, and learned a lot as I went.
What made you decide to go to L.A. specifically, rather than for example NYC or Chicago? What do you like about the city—has it influenced your music?
I really loved NYC too back then, and still do. But when I was that age, NYC was a little too overwhelming for me. It seemed like a harder way of life for sure. L.A. is sort of easy, comparatively. And Chicago was never really an option for me. I’d only been introduced to Chicago a few years ago. It’s a really great city too! But L.A. has the Pacific Ocean, really good sushi, and really nice weather all year long. I miss the seasons for sure. But I don’t miss the humidity. I don’t think the city has influenced my music so much as the people I’ve met have. A very good friend I met out here introduced me to The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. That book really changed the way I approached songwriting. It was after reading that, that I decided to write for me. I feel like it’s being unselfishly selfish. You write for yourself, so that means a song means something to you. And when you give something that means so much to you, to other people, you give them something genuinely you.
We’re about done—any topics I have not covered? Please feel free to bring up whatever it may be.
I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to pursue my dream. I never knew singing and songwriting would take me here. I almost ended up going to college for 4 years, and I know my entire life would be so different. I know I wouldn’t be doing this interview right now. It took one phone call from the music professor at the school to urge me to think about taking my songwriting career seriously, to change my life completely. I’m so thankful for that. And so I always try to tell kids, if they believe in a dream, it’s very possible for it to come true. Or you can at least say that you’ve tried. There’s so much pressure for kids to decide what they want to be for the rest of their lives, when it’s practically impossible to know when you’re 16 or even 22. There’s so much pressure for kids to jump into college right away. Even though I was about to go to school, I had no idea what I wanted to major in. I can see why parents want their kids to go to college right away. They’re afraid their kids won’t be successful without a college education. But college will always be there. In fact, a few years from now, I hope to go to school to study something I really want to study—like new languages, and art classes. I don’t know. The world is our oyster.
We’re about done—any topics I have not covered? Please feel free to bring up whatever it may be.
I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to pursue my dream. I never knew singing and songwriting would take me here. I almost ended up going to college for 4 years, and I know my entire life would be so different. I know I wouldn’t be doing this interview right now. It took one phone call from the music professor at the school to urge me to think about taking my songwriting career seriously, to change my life completely. I’m so thankful for that. And so I always try to tell kids, if they believe in a dream, it’s very possible for it to come true. Or you can at least say that you’ve tried. There’s so much pressure for kids to decide what they want to be for the rest of their lives, when it’s practically impossible to know when you’re 16 or even 22. There’s so much pressure for kids to jump into college right away. Even though I was about to go to school, I had no idea what I wanted to major in. I can see why parents want their kids to go to college right away. They’re afraid their kids won’t be successful without a college education. But college will always be there. In fact, a few years from now, I hope to go to school to study something I really want to study—like new languages, and art classes. I don’t know. The world is our oyster.
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