Q&A with Isabella Allon: Discussing ‘Artist to Artist,’ LA Tribune exposure
"Artist to Artist" was born out of a field reporting assignment at South by Southwest. Isabella Allon (left) created "Artist to Artist" roughly two weeks ago as a way to get advice about the entertainment industry. Courtesy of Isabella Allon
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
When Isabella Allon arrived in Austin, Texas, over spring break, she had a list of questions prepared to ask any artist she encountered at tech, film and music festival South by Southwest. Looking to pick their brains on their artistry, she was eager to collaborate with the vast network of professionals at the festival.
What started as simply interviewing artists as a field reporter turned into her own column and creative initiative, “Artist to Artist.”
While the sophomore Bandier Program student isn’t in class, Allon writes original music and performs at nearby venues. Her first single, “Took the Lead,” was released last November.
Through a family friend connection, Allon became a field reporter for The Los Angeles Tribune, reporting under the newspaper’s publisher, Andrea Gomez. On March 15, Allon’s first column with rising singer-songwriter Saige Davis was published in The Tribune in both Spanish and English. The interview was also posted on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
The Daily Orange flipped the script, asking Allon what drives her as the creator of “Artist to Artist.”
The D.O.: How did you go from interviewing artists at SXSW to starting “Artist to Artist”?
Allon: I was just going to interview anybody for The Los Angeles Tribune. Then, when I was there, I had an epiphany. I, as an artist, was struggling personally in finding connections through other artists and learning. That sparked the idea for “Artist to Artist.” It was born right before my first interview that I scheduled probably two hours before. So I changed all my questions, recrafted what the objective was and the rest of the trip became focused on that. Now, it’s a section of The Los Angeles Tribune.
The D.O.: How did the connection with The Tribune support your goals for “Artist to Artist”?
Allon: It’s how I was able to get into the rooms with the artists, because when you’re press, you definitely have more of a pool in being able to speak directly with artists. So then, I created “Artist to Artist” as a section under The Tribune. That’s what got me into having interviews. I had artists reach out to me. Then I reached out to others as well. It was a really cool experience. I knocked out a bunch of artists when I was at SXSW because I just had the opportunity to see a lot of shows, talk to the artists and their managers.
The D.O.: What’s the overarching mission of “Artist to Artist”?
Allon: I’m an artist myself, and I wanted to find a way to talk about my artistry in a different way. One of the biggest things I feel like that’s missing is artist advice, having actual artists talk to other artists. There’s a lot that people don’t really understand if you’re not a creative. There’s a lot that goes into making music, producing music and also distributing it.
I wanted to create a platform and a community that is by the artist and for the artist, that asks the questions that every artist wants to know from other creatives. Sometimes in interviews, they lack the type of detail-oriented questions that artists want to learn from. I know firsthand those types of questions.
“Artist to Artist” was started to feature exclusive advice from creatives in the entertainment industry. Isabella Allon, the column’s creator, hopes to continue “Artist to Artist” on social media. Courtesy of Isabella Allon
The D.O.: What’s it been like to dive into the art form of reporting and journalism?
Allon: I always grew up writing, especially songs. I love writing articles. That was something I did a lot in high school, so it was never super foreign. But I think connecting with artists on a deeper level was something that was super cool to write about and experience. There’s a level of not having to be so professional when I have these conversations, because the goal is to connect. It’s not to put on a show or try to get some type of news out of them. It’s solely what they love and what they’re passionate about doing.
The D.O.: What kinds of artists are you focused on highlighting?
Allon: It isn’t just toward musicians. It can be filmmakers or photographers. I just have a background specifically in music, so when I decided how I wanted to start, I definitely knew that the music route was something that would come easy to me from the beginning. I think it can definitely expand to other industries of artistry.
The D.O.: Since every artist is so different, what’s your preparation process like going into an interview?
Allon: I watch a lot of interviews they’ve already had to see questions they haven’t been asked. I also listen to their entire discography and take notes of their composition that I find interesting or their visual media storytelling.
For musicians, it’s not just the music, specifically now with the industry we’re in. They have to be digital storytellers as well. One of the biggest reasons I started “Artist to Artist” is (because) I would see interviews with emerging artists, and they’d be held back in answering questions. As a consumer of their music, I want to know more about them as individuals and how they move creatively through life. I found a lot of niche holes that weren’t being asked, and that’s how I started to craft the story.
The D.O.: How has your time as a Bandier student and the relationships you’ve formed supported your goals and inspired you further?
Allon: I would definitely say my educators have been super helpful. There’s a big group of students, specifically in Bandier, that are super interested in music journalism. Being able to talk with them and talk about what we’re passionate about has been super helpful and keeps the entrepreneurial spirit alive.
The D.O.: Where do you hope “Artist to Artist” goes in the future?
Allon: I hope it lives on Instagram and TikTok and gets big on there. I’ve recorded smaller, vertical media and horizontal media for interviews. I hope that it can live on a bunch of different platforms and that there will be some level of virality and engagement that can turn it into something bigger.
