Ally Rhodes

At age 19, most people still aren't sure what they want to do with their lives. Even fewer are already accomplished in their field, and still fewer have the insatiable drive and enthusiasm to continue on for the rest of their lives. With multiple releases under her belt, hundreds of live shows, and over 7 million video views and about 46,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel before even hitting 20, Ally Rhodes is, in all senses of the word, exceptional.
Born in Cleveland, OH, Rhodes moved to Omaha, NE at age three and has lived there ever since, with the exception of a brief stint in Nashville at 16. Although a songwriter first and foremost, her success began when she started posting covers on YouTube at age 14. That same year, she recorded her first professional demo in Omaha, but did not officially release it. At 15, she recorded another EP "Brighter" in Lincoln, NE and digitally released it independently. At 16, she landed a publishing and artist development deal and released another EP with a small company in Nashville. Later that year, she decided to return to independent status and move back home to Omaha, and shortly thereafter released her first full-length album, "Illuminated." Recorded at Coda Record House with Riley Friesen (VOTA, Staggerford, The Hit Lab) and Philip Zach (Remedy Drive), "Illuminated" is an alternative pop album with clear but loosely reined acoustic singer/songwriter roots.
After the release of "Illuminated," Rhodes began to tour. She first embarked on a three-city tour of England, which was not only her first ever tour, but also her first time out of the US. She organized it completely on her own. A few months later, she embarked on another small tour between Utah and California.
Now, at 19, Rhodes has already released her second full-length effort. "Conversations With a Ghost" leans in a little closer than "Illuminated," offering even more intimate, beautifully melancholy lyrics and a more organic vibe. The first single from the album was a song called "River Song," which Rhodes wrote based on a storyline from a BBC TV show called "Doctor Who." Before the album release, Rhodes posted a YouTube video of her playing a live acoustic version of that song, which was given a shining review and a feature on the homepage of the BBC America website. It was also heralded by many music bloggers and earned her an introductory interview and frequent plays on local radio station 89.7 The River. The second single, "The Sum," was featured on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter homepage in the "New and Noteworthy" section. Rhodes also filmed and edited an official music video for it all on her own, which scored a spot in a weekly blog from her distribution company, Tunecore. Once the album was released, it too was featured under "New and Noteworthy" on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter homepage. It also broke into the 30's on both the US and UK iTunes charts and received impressive reviews from music bloggers.
By all accounts, Ally Rhodes is clearly on her way to success. Even with so many accomplishments at such a young age, she hasn't the slightest intention of slowing down. With determination like that, she sure is one to watch.