In Conversation with Avery Lynch: Soundtracking the messy middle.
Photos by Gus Black.
Your music is so deeply personal. Do you ever write a song that feels too vulnerable to release, or is that honesty what drives your music? Also, how do you navigate writing about personal experiences while knowing the people in your life might hear it?
With some of my songs that feel extremely personal and vulnerable, I try to be more general so I can talk about certain things without people knowing exactly what it’s about. I also like to write about some situations and relationships in a different context where they sound like breakup songs or sound like friendships so it isn’t obvious what/who it’s about. Everyone in my life knows that I write a lot of songs that aren’t about my life, and they never know which is which so I’m usually the only person who knows!
Your latest tracks have this beautiful balance between heartbreak and hope. How do you find that emotional middle ground when writing?
Most of the situations I write about happened in the past, or I’m writing it from a more removed perspective. That helps make things feel a little more hopeful because they’re also pretty observational as opposed to being right in the moment. I like writing from that removed perspective a lot because I feel like over time I get so much clarity on things and in the moment I don’t see it as clearly. So writing about something over a year later is probably why there’s that hopeful element.
Sonically, your music has evolved while still feeling like you. How intentional is that evolution, and where do you see your sound heading next?
First of all, thank you! I’ve been having a lot of fun with my sound and it’s been a really cool experience growing with it. I feel like I’m just sounding more and more like me, and leaning back into musical qualities I grew up being connected to and inspired by, and it’s been really fulfilling getting to use all the tools in my toolbelt!
You’ve built a strong following from the ground up. Looking back, what was the moment you realised, “Oh wow, this is really happening”?
To be honest, I’ve always felt like I’ve been trying to get to that “I made it” or “this is really happening” moment and I’m not sure that I’ve fully felt it yet. Having fans recognize me in person and come up and say hi is definitely the closest thing to it, but I do kind of feel like I’m still on that ground floor a little bit.
What’s one thing about being an artist that no one prepared you for?
I think the one thing no one prepares you for is the fact that in addition to being an artist, you also have to be a content creator. That’s the part I didn’t know came with the job. I started releasing music during COVID and that was when artists had to start being TikTokers as well. It really became a social media game. I’ve never been good at making content and posting, so this part definitely feels like the most work. But, at the same time, it's also really fulfilling to get to connect with fans online and cultivate a community. I just definitely wasn’t prepared for it, haha.
If you had to describe your music as a type of weather, what would it be and why?
I think I would say my music is a soft warm day in spring or summer with a soft breeze and some sun showers!
If you could build your dream tour lineup with any three artists (past or present), who’s playing?
I think I would say Sara Bareilles, The Beatles, and Sleeping At Last!
What’s your ultimate “comfort song” that you turn to when you need a pick-me-up?
My ultimate comfort song is definitely “Traffic in the Sky” by Jack Johnson. It’s one of my all time favorite songs and it feels like a hug from my childhood!
If you had to title the current chapter of your life like an album, what would it be called?
Maybe “the turning point,” or something like that. I feel like I’m in a time of my life where lots of things are growing and changing and that would describe that well.
My signature question: What’s your current coffee order?!
I don’t really drink coffee but I would definitely order a chai latte. They’re my favorite and I make them almost daily!