Musician Aalai Wolffe On Her Artistic Journey

[Written by Kya Evans]

Nearly two months after releasing her first single Tide, Aalai Wolffe tells Bernews all about her ideology behind music, veganism and success.

“Don’t listen to your brain, listen to your heart. Don’t I sound like Gandhi mama?”

In our interview, Wolffe opens up about her musical journey and what goes on behind the scenes of her not so ordinary life.

For all those people who have no idea who Aalai is, who are you?

Aalai: “A carefree individual who uses music to express how she feels and doesn’t let anybody tell her what to do or how she should live her life because no matter what you do people are going to talk about you.”

Photos courtesy of Cushi Ming

What’s your dream, what’s your reality?

Aalai: “My dream is be a recording artist and perform live. Not just that, but to be a role model to young girls. I want to be somebody they can look up to. After pursuing my dreams, I want to be able to come back and create opportunities for people to go overseas because there’s still a disconnect and a disadvantage for those who want to further themselves. I want to take out that ‘what now’ and actually have a situation to it. But my reality right now is working at Market Place [laughter].

“I’m going to be honest, I am trying to get back into songwriting, I am trying to get back into the studio. However it’s just hard in this time because money is the end all be all. Or that’s how people make it seem. So if I quit my job right now I probably won’t be eating and I’ll be skinny. Well skinnier. It’s hard to both because work takes a big chunk out of my life. I’m currently trying not to let work be the main focus. But I listen to music everyday, I’m writing lyrics, writing down what I can. I’m speaking things into existence.”

I hear you write your own music, what’s that process like?

Aalai: “Girl. It’s backwards, I think. I know a few Bermudian Artist who can listen to a beat and write to the beat as they hear it. Whereas when it comes to me, words or a verse come to my head so I have this verse now I’m looking for a beat that works with it. But it’s hard because I don’t produce. That’s another thing I’m trying to learn how to create beats on my own. That way I can have my own melody for my own song instead of having to find a track for the melody, take out words, and maneuvering around. I’m just a little backwards person.”

You’ve got a song entitled ‘Tide’ on your Soundcloud, can you tell us the inspiration behind it?

Aalai: “A boy. This is around the time I broke my leg and I had went out grocery shopping with my grandparents and I bought a Tradewinds Peach Mango Tea, that’s how I got the lyrics, ‘your lips taste like peach tea’. I was channeling my inner drake because it was suppose to be a rap at first. The track attracted me because of this relationship I had with this person was pretty much like a Tide. I have 2-3 more songs about the same person with the same situation happening just waiting there. But it was actually like an epiphany because it was soul sucking. But to answer your question, it was about a boy.”

So now that we know what you do and how you do it, what separates you from other artist in Bermuda?

Aalai: “I think what separates me is the fact that I am trying to leave Bermuda and not come back because once you do, you’re getting sucked back in again. And you become complacent. It’s just an endless cycle. I’m not saying Bermuda is a bad place but Bermuda is a place for certain things. Tourism. Everyone says the states is where I should go but I feel like I would drown cause I don’t have any other exposure than Bermuda.

“I haven’t been anywhere in like 6 years. But that’s just my weakness. Another thing is some Bermudian artist don’t have a passion for it. They weren’t born with music. Some people are just programmed with certain talents. So it’s a few Bermudian rappers out here that are not really rappers cause there’s no passion. I feel like I can listen to music and hear when it has feeling.”

Who do you aspire to be like? As successful as?

Aalai: “This is going to sound cocky or conceited but it’s true. I really don’t want to be like anybody else because if I’m an artist and I want to be like Beyonce’, or be like Rihanna, nobody is going to listen to my music because I sound like Beyonce’ or Rihanna. Look just like Rihanna. Talk just like Rihanna. You understand what I mean? I want to be a success being myself.

“People look up to Rihanna maybe because she’s eclectic, out there and doesn’t care what people say. People look up to Beyonce’ because she’s a homey person, she’s got a family and she’s kind of reserved but she’s still a boss. So you know, everyone has their own niche. But I want to be successful as a person who does what makes them happy.”

I see on instagram that you’re vegan, what initiated that lifestyle choice for you?

Aalai: “That’s boring. Everybody is vegan now. I eat whatever I want to eat. Well, I don’t eat meat. I eat fish. So I can say I am pescetarian. All the processing of meats, what they do to animals when they kill them and all the chemicals. I see that [laughter]. I work at a grocery store. Go to your grocery store, go get an apple, get a knife, take the back of the knife and shave just a little bit, not too much that you’re shaving the skin and you’ll see all the wax come off of it. I can show you right now, I just bought some apples [laughter]. You got to wash them first.”

Tell us something little known about you.

Aalai: “When everybody sees me they say I smile a lot and that I have a big nice smile and I always look happy. But I genuinely hate my teeth so much. It’s one of my biggest insecurities. I love smiling but I hate my teeth. Everything about my teeth but I’m getting braces.”

Now give us some advice!

Aalai: “Advice… To little people, to old people; do whatever you want. Do whatever makes you happy. Someone’s going to talk about it anyway. So if you want to paint your house maroon , have yellow blinds and a green roof, you do that. You have to evolve with the world. So do whatever makes you happy. Write that three times. Don’t listen to your brain, listen to your heart. Don’t I sound like Gandhi mama?”

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