Canadian singer songwriter Allyson Whitmell blends pop, jazz, piano and musical theatre styles in her intimate vivid music. Her first UK release Crack in My Window is out now.
She tells Entertainment Now how she plays with different styles and about the music and musicians who have influenced her.
Your music blends indie pop, alternative rock, and acoustic folk with classical touches. Who are some of your key musical influences, and how do they manifest in your work?
While my music draws from a wide range of influences, there are definitely artists who have left a lasting impact on me. Hozier and Jeff Buckley inspire me with their emotional intensity, intricate lyricism, and ability to craft songs that feel timeless yet deeply personal. Damien Rice and Lianne La Havas bring a raw, intimate vulnerability to their storytelling, something I strive for in my own songwriting. I’m also drawn to the striking concepts and brilliant lyrics of artists like Matt Maeson and Noah Kahan, who weave emotional and depth into their work effortlessly. The atmospheric, genre-bending sounds of Kaleo and Nothing but Thieves have also shaped how I think about dynamics and creating textures within my music.
That said, my influences extend far beyond these names. Different genres, eras, and unexpected musical moments constantly find their way into what I create. For me, it’s less about emulating a specific style and more about pulling from whatever moves me most.
As someone who writes, produces, mixes, and masters their own music, what’s been the most rewarding and challenging aspect of wearing so many hats?
There’s so much that’s rewarding about writing, producing, mixing, and mastering my own music. One of the biggest rewards is the complete creative control it gives me. I can experiment endlessly, explore new techniques, and chase down ideas without constraints, creating songs that feel authentically true to my vision. It’s incredibly liberating to have that freedom to push boundaries and make music without limits.
On the flip side, the biggest challenge is knowing when to step back. It’s so easy to get lost in the details—obsessing over tiny elements that, in the grand scheme of things, might not even matter to the listener. That’s why having trusted people to listen and give feedback is so crucial. That perspective has been invaluable in helping me stay focused. Striking that balance between creative freedom and outside input is a process I deeply value and continue to learn from.
Can you share a fun or surprising fact about the making of your latest single “i take it personally”?
Normally, I start by arranging and recording all the key elements alone in the studio, creating an “auditory map” of what the song will sound like. Since vocals can be tricky to record solo, I usually track scratch vocals first, with plans to later re-record them with the help of one of my coworkers, who’s an incredible audio engineer.
For this track, I was in the middle of doing exactly that, but I was feeling especially energized and inspired, so I ended up recording most of the song in a single day. Once all the core elements were in place, I set a 10-bar countoff, counted the click track in my head as I walked from the control room to the tracking room, and laid down what were intended to be scratch vocals—both the lead and harmonies—all in one go.
What’s surprising is that those “placeholder” vocals ended up feeling exactly how I wanted them to. The energy of the moment just felt right, and I decided to keep those takes as the final vocals. It was one of those rare instances where everything clicked in the right way.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone struggling with taking things personally in their own relationships?
Considering the fact that I wrote an entire song about taking things personally, I might not be the best person to ask…
In all seriousness, I think perspective is everything. It’s very easy to get caught up in your own feelings and interpretations, especially if you’re someone who tends to overthink. When emotions are high, it can be challenging to see things clearly and to not take every little thing to heart. However, more often than not, how someone behaves says more about them than it does about you. Their actions and words are shaped by their own experiences, insecurities, and state of mind at that moment.
While I absolutely struggle with this myself – I get caught up in things more than I should – it’s important to remind yourself not to read too much into things. Sometimes, people just have a bad day or say something without thinking, and it’s not a reflection of your worth or the relationship. Learning to step back and not internalize so much can truly bring a lot of peace.
How do you unwind or recharge creatively after finishing a song like this?
Once a song is truly finished, I often feel more creatively inspired. Completing a project creates space (especially emotional space) for the next one to begin. The excitement to dive into something new and the resulting energy, is often one of my favorite parts of the process.
The real challenge for me can sometimes be staying creatively inspired throughout the writing, recording, mixing, and mastering stages. It’s easy to overthink decisions along the way, to feel more or less connected to the song at different points in the process, or to get lost in technical details. I sometimes feel like I have to fight a song in order to write it – like I have to grapple with and wrangle an idea until it bends into the shape I want it to. While this is not necessarily always a bad thing, briefly taking a step back can be tremendously helpful. Sometimes, something as simple as listening to music I enjoy is enough to spark new ideas or inspiration.
Taking a step back at times in order to recharge has proven very effective. I think that it’s crucial to be in the right creative mindset and sometimes that just isn’t the case. There have been times when I have set aside several hours to work in the studio, only to arrive and feel immediately distracted and uninspired. In those moments, instead of forcing something just because I had planned to, I find it’s usually more productive to give myself a bit of grace, take a break, slow down, and then come back to it when I feel inspired again.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
If I could collaborate with any artist from the past, it would be Jeff Buckley. I consider many of his songs true musical masterpieces, and I am deeply inspired by his lyricism. A few years ago I read Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah to Last Goodbye, written by his former manager, Dave Lory. One of the things that really stood out to me was how deeply and profoundly he could move his audiences. I can only imagine that collaborating with an artist of his caliber would be beyond awe-inspiring.
As for the present, Hozier would be my immediate top choice. I am deeply inspired by his ability to write music that feels both intimate and epic at the same time, both musically and lyrically and collaborating with him would be a dream come true.
What can you tell us about your upcoming single “before & again” and how does it build on or differ from “i take it personally”?
“before & again” is a song about feeling like you’ve known someone in another life or perhaps some parallel universe. It is an attempt to put into words a feeling that is, in my experience, extremely challenging to articulate. The title of the song comes directly from two lines in the chorus: “We’ve lived this before” and “We’ll live this again,” which captures the heart of the song. It’s a deeply heartfelt, vulnerable, and cinematic track, exploring both the familiarity of this sort of relationship as well as the emotion of it. I think my favorite lines in the song are: “Windows down, driving home after dark/My faith in this, the only landmark/Reach out to pull down the edge of the sky/Heaven is just a few more miles” and “Parallel lifelines, one cross on the map/Reads you are here, it’s as simple as that/I’m weightless when you trace the side of my jaw/Like gravity just forgets to follow its law.”
In contrast, “i take it personally” is more tongue-in-cheek, upbeat, and slightly sarcastic. Where “i take it personally” plays with wit and energy, “before & again” feels introspective, cinematic, and intimate. I’m excited for people to experience this next one!
Listen here:
