Avery Lynch on Her New Single “Love of My Life”
Photo by Cheyenne Cody
[UNPUBLISHED:] How are you feeling? We’re, what? Five days post-release? How’s everything going?
[AVERY:] Good! I haven’t released music in such a long time. It’s fun but there’s also a lot of pressure around it. I try not to go into the Spotify for Artists app that much. It’s just not healthy. If you like the song, that’s all that matters. I’m really happy with the song, so whatever happens next is out of my control. But I think it’s going well.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you think there’s more pressure now than when you first started during the pandemic?
[AVERY:] I think it’s increased because now there’s more to be expected. Because there’s only so much you can do when you’re working in your room. And, I’m still doing that but now everything has changed. And I’ve been doing this for longer. So it’s kind of a generalized increased pressure for everything to come.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Although there’s more pressure, I imagine there are a ton of benefits as well. Like I saw you did a series of acoustic shows a few months back. How were those?
[AVERY:] I really love doing those because I originally write all of my songs acoustically. I tend to write everything by myself or with maybe one other person - usually the receptionist at my old music school from when I was a kid. So when we set out to write a song, we write the whole song. By the time it reaches the producer, it’s already done. I could release it just as it is. So it’s kind of fun getting to showcase the songs in that way. Because, once they’re through production, they sound entirely different. That’s also why I do my “as written” EPs so I can share the songs the way the people who follow me on Instagram and TikTok know them. But the shows are really fun. I’ve never done anything that wasn’t just me at the piano. I’ve never played with a band. I’m looking forward to eventually doing shows with more of a band set up now that my music is starting to incorporate more sounds than piano.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Yeah, I can hear that sit-down-at-the-piano purity in “Love Of My Life.” But you also incorporate these beautiful, ambient strings that I’m absolutely obsessed with. Tell me, what was the overall production process like?
[AVERY:] I like to be very hands-on in the production phase - but that’s just because I’m a bit of a control freak with it. But, if I find a producer that I know will nail it, then I know I don’t need to be there to watch them put it together. “Love of My Life” was one of the instances where Dan, who was the producer for this song, kind of did it on his own. He’s also the producer that did “When It Ends,” which is a song on my last EP of the same name and both songs have the same kind of energy. So I knew he could do this. He got it perfectly on the second try. I knew I wanted it to be mainly piano. I knew I wanted it to feel like it exists in its world - sort of pretty and cinematic. I love strings. So he knew all of that but I didn’t directly tell him. He did it on his own. I gave him the general things I wanted and then he made them perfect.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I love when artists and producers can communicate and create like that - almost psychically. That very much comes through in this song.
[AVERY:] Thank you!
[UNPUBLISHED:] Of course! And, changing gears, you mentioned the “cinematic” vibe of the sound. I was watching your visualizers and I noticed a bit of that cinema vibe there as well. Was there a specific film or genre that influenced this song in particular?
[AVERY:] So the visuals for the single were more based on the projected visuals for the rest of my upcoming EP. “Love Of My Life” stands out from the others. It doesn’t quite fit as seamlessly since I wrote that song about a year ago. The other songs I wrote in November, December, January, and February. So the energy of “Love Of My Life” is tied more to my last EP. So we had to find a way to make everything work together. So that’s why we did the visuals that way - because the other songs feel more nostalgic - more like the soundtrack from a coming-of-age movie. So I thought of the bike and the balloon. It’s such a sweet image but it’s also not exactly what you would expect. Plus, it teases what is coming.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I don’t think “Love of My Life” is that far off from the coming-of-age vibe. It still has that theme of young love that’s present in most of those films. Speaking of, is there a coming-of-age TV or Movie couple that epitomizes true love to you?
[AVERY:] Okay I’m obsessed with Rom-Com movies, but I’ve also really gotten into reading. I literally read a whole book yesterday.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Which book?
[AVERY:] It’s It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. I got a lot of comments when my song “It Ends” came out saying it reminds people of the book so I had to listen. Now I want to pitch them my song for when they make the movie since they’re doing that now. Have you read it?
[UNPUBLISHED:] No, but my roommates absolutely love it.
[AVERY:] It’s the best book I’ve ever read. Because that’s so fresh in my mind, the Lily and Atlas relationship is just true love in my mind. I’m also obsessed with 10 Things I Hate About You. I know that’s high school, so that relationship probably would have ended. But I’m just so attached to it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I mean, I choose to believe they lasted forever.
[AVERY:] I choose to believe that, as well.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Are there any lyrics that you’re particularly proud of in the song?
[AVERY:] I’m honestly in love with the first verse. When I posted it on TikTok and it did well, I knew I had to finish the rest of it. I just like how simple and to-the-point it was. It reminded me of the monologues in Grey’s Anatomy when they just go off. The whole song is just that because I’m putting this all out in the open and not giving anyone a chance to say anything about it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] That’s really sweet. Now, I always like to wrap things up with a look toward the future. Where do you see this year going?
[AVERY:] My only goal for myself is to continue to grow and get better at what I’m doing… and for other people to agree that I’m getting better at what I’m doing. I hope people start to recognize me more as a real artist because I’m in that awkward, tiny artist area where you can get stomped on by artists and producer peers. I just want to get to the point where people start respecting me and just keep putting out music that I like. I’m honestly just super excited about this next project.
