photography by LEON FERNANDO
makeup DANIEL LARIVIERE
hair SHANIQUA GRIFFIN

styling & production VERA ULISKO

Canadian alternative pop-rock singer Apryll Aileen Celebrates The Natural Beauty of Atlantic Canada with New Single “Home”

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“My journey started when I hopped in my car and drove to Venice Beach, California from Atlantic Canada. The road had many ups and downs, bumps and turns, but if I didn’t have the courage to leave, I wouldn’t have been able to write this song. Inspired by my favorite quote, from Thomas à Kempis: ‘Wherever you go, there you are, I truly believe a home is a place inside us all. No matter where we are on a map, we can find our spiritual truth within.”

What is your mission in music?

My mission is to inspire others to follow their passion and purpose in life. I believe that if you put your heart into your work, you will create magic that can heal and help others. When you are crazy in love with what you do, you never work a day in your life.

Tell us about the moment that shook your soul and you understood your mission in music?

The moment I truly fell in love with music – I was 16 years old in Ukraine, studying piano masterclasses with my Professor Ludmila Knezkova-Hussey. I was in Crimea for most of my visit but one day, we went further north for a Rotary International visit where everyone mostly spoke Ukrainian; some, Russian. No one spoke English. My friend Jillian Flanagan and I decided to share a song on the guitar and sing Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”. There wasn’t a dry eye in the building. I had completely underestimated the power of melody and music. It was then I realized the true healing potential in song. It unites. It is a global language that we can feel at our core.

What do you think is the most beautiful thing an artist can do, when they are performing on the stage?

The most beautiful thing an artist can do during a performance is to really be vulnerable and open up to express the true emotion in their heart. I think it’s really beautiful when an artist shares their inner journey with the audience and in return, the audience discovers a fragment of their heart they didn’t know was missing. As an artist, my aim is to give people the courage to explore deeper.

What changes can you bring to the music world and make your musical voice heard?

I want to represent an emerging group of artists that represent themselves as a business and put out creative works. Music is a really growing industry however, being an artist in this climate, really means you have to sacrifice a lot. It’s kind of like the wild west out there right now where so much change is happening. Although records aren’t being sold like they used to, more music is being created and there aren’t as many gate-keepers, meaning you can have a successful career as an independent. But that also means there’s lots of noise and competition. At the end of the day, it still comes down to writing AMAZING music and having a good marketing plan.

Are you afraid to do this?

To be completely honest, I feel like I’ve gone through the worst part already. I had to learn some pretty important business lessons the hard way. I’ve never worked so hard in my life, nor have I sacrificed so much. I feel a burning desire to share my music and my story. This sort of passion helps you burn through the fears and doubts that surround you. Sometimes that which you fear most is that which you should do. My biggest fear, in high school, was singing. I’m glad I pushed through it and I hope those reading this, will be inspired to do the same, whatever their fear may be.

Please, tell us the top 3 goals, that you passionately want to translate into reality?

For me, it’s all about the songs. I want to create the best music I can and someday, I really hope to write and produce with Mark Ronson. I would love to perform someday at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Last but not least, I have known for a while that I would someday write a book to share my story so that is also on my bucket list.

For who do you make your music?

It’s a combination of self-therapy, but also, I make it for people who are going through a similar journey and can resonate. I want them to know they’re not alone. I sometimes go into these deep, dark places to find ways to turn emotions into words, feeling the pain so that others can transcend their own.

How do you make musical decisions? What does really help you make a decision in life?

I would say I’ve been relying on my intuition more so these days, however, there have been some people that have been extremely influential in my life. I consider them experts in their field so I often bounce things off of them. Although I sometimes have a hard time deciding on bigger things in life, my parents have been great at helping me work through the tough decisions that affect you long-term. My Dad taught me early on to take a quick inventory of the positives and negatives associated with any decision and go from there, being mindful of what is logical. I was equally lucky my mother always reminded me to follow what feels good in my heart. So I come at decision making, with both the head and the heart.

When was the last time you cried and why?

Every full moon and mercury retrograde! HA! But for real, the last year has been a tough one. I have cried over seeing the state of politics and socioeconomics in America, seeing the increase in homelessness in Venice Beach (my second home), hearing about the elderly stuck in nursing homes contracting covid and dying alone without their loved ones, the animals and ecosystems humans destroy, having my heart broken, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi’s fateful crash in early 2020… In moments of despair, I remind myself that beauty comes from all things.

What are 3 of your favorite albums and why? 😉

Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
This was the very first CD I ever bought. Alanis still rocks my world today. The angst and passion on this record, coupled with the vulnerability and raw, honest lyrics will forever be a favorite. Women everywhere need to hear Alanis sing every word, over and over again on repeat all.
Queen – A Night At The Opera
Freddie Mercury is perhaps my all-time favorite singer/songwriter. His songwriting was paramount but the biggest thing about him and this record is his unapologetic nature about being his true self. I love that he carved his own path. His raw vocals in the studio were immaculate – this guy had pitch, delivery, emotion and perfection.
Jeff Buckley – Grace
I wish I knew about Jeff when he was alive. Unfortunately, I only became a fan after his passing, but his emotional vocals, range and tone along with his dark, poetic lyrics, touch my soul every time I hear them.
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
Is there’s room for a fourth? Haha, I grew up on this and it’s one of the first cassettes I ever owned so that’s going way back to my early years!

What social problems do you care most about?

There are so many and I feel that most stem from self-love. I just heard the most incredible quote today from my friend Frederick, “We are busy chopping off the branches of the tree and not examining the root”, and how true it is. What is the root of pain and suffering and negative emotions? Yes life has so much destruction and chaos, but it also has so much beauty and compassion. If we can heal ourselves, we can heal anything. But we need compassion. There is a lot of loneliness in the world right now and an emptiness that feels unbearable for many. Regardless of gender, age and social status, if we don’t have self-love, we will never be able to fill this void. Many of us look to the external to improve our internal, acquiring things, labeling relationships and controlling situations, but in the end, we still have these old survival patterns of fight or flight and not feeling good enough, which can make us feel depressed, angry, anxious and nervous all at the same time. I’d like to share my story of falling into my own figurative black hole and coming out the other side, through self-love, music, family, friends and nature. I believe there’s a way for us to thrive in our current ecosystem instead of merely surviving.

Pre-order the single “HOME” on Apple Music, Google Music, Spotify and many more.

APRYLL AILEEN on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

For information or media inquiries please contact: Amelia Barry, Paris Crew, at amelia@pariscrew.com