Unveiling Allie Teilz

In a world where musical trends ebb and flow, some individuals possess an innate ability to transcend temporal boundaries with their musical taste, embodying a natural sense of cool far beyond their years.

Allie Teilz, a multifaceted artist whose name has become synonymous with eclectic vinyl musical curation and an unmistakable sense of style, stands as a prime example of such timeless charisma. Here, Allie offers insights into her artistic journey, shedding light on the enigmatic fusion of influences that shape her sound, now in the form of an album that is as much at home on the dance floor as it is in the comfort of your lounge.

Hi.

Hey there.

Can we just dive straight in?

Yes!

How did you first encounter music? Where were you and who were the first people - family or friends that introduced you to music?

As long as I can remember, music was my life. I remember my Dad always playing Talking Heads, The Clash, The Smiths and The Cure around the house and my Mom a true disco queen with the sounds of Donna Summers and the Bee Gees playing in the car on the way to school. Every moment of my life had a soundtrack. Growing up in Phoenix, music was my sanctuary.

When did music become a little more serious for you?

I was training to be a professional Olympic athlete and I got really sick when I was 11 years old. Valley Fever started to shut down my organs, I had to stop training and left my all-girls catholic school to be in the hospital. 

My mom was a teacher, at her school she found this old record player. I became obsessed with records and the feeling of vibrations, the healing power of music. I would go to thrift stores and buy up old records, I loved dollar bin finds, a lot of 70s, rare grooves. I learned later on that sometimes the body has a way of manifesting illness when you're not in the right place. Music saved my life.

The body is a wondrous thing.

Yes!  Although it was really intense, it put me on track to where I am today.  I still love records and I love the sense of discovery.

How old are you around this time?

Well, I started working at the record store when I was fifteen,  I started making my own music around that time. It wasn't until I was sixteen that I went off on my own, playing shows in New York and Los Angeles. I would up the money I earned from producing the shows in Phoenix to explore new lands, buy plane tickets to these cultural epi-centers where I would play shows with other like-minded freaks.

Your first wage from the record store, what was the first record that you bought with your money?

Ooh, okay. I wish I had a more exciting answer, but it was a mint condition of In Rainbows by Radiohead. It had already had been out for a few years at that point but, I hadn't owned the vinyl. I wore that record down! A few years later some of my first shows in LA were DJing with with Thom York and Nigel Godrich, a sweet full circle moment.

What was it like when you first flew into New York as a fifteen or sixteen year old?

Magic. Truly amazing experiences. I was so hungry for something more than Phoenix had to offer. At the time, Phoenix was a big city with a small town mentality. Everyone listened to the same things,  dressed and acted the same. The feeling of touching down in a faraway place, seeing a shimmering unknown land. We naturally fear the unknown, but there's also this sense of adventure it brings. From the moment my feet hit the pavement it just felt like every step leading to infinite possibilities, and I never wanted to turn back.

What year was it when you first went to New York?

My first show was in 2010,  in Brooklyn at this dreamy venue called Glasslands. The whole ceiling was made up of clouds and the audience was filled with vibrant people. 

That’s a pretty iconic spot for that time.

Truly! I believe it was torn down and turned into the Vice headquarters, but back in the day that was the spot. Glasslands, 285 Kent, Monster Island, all of those venues within a few blocks. You could just bop around and see ten different bands in a night.

Which record do you think was the first one that really impacted your life?

Devotion by Beach House.  

That record is beautiful.

Transcendent. Victoria is a dear friend of mine. She's magic. The other big one that changed my brain was Remain in Light by the Talking Heads. 

Two iconic records. So we'll fast forward now. You've been DJ’ing since you were 15, have you always wanted to produce your own record, is that something that's always been on your mind?

Yes! I've probably made at least two hundred records at this point but always held them close to my heart, teasing them in my live sets but never felt compelled to birth them into the world. 

What??

Yes!  It's been this private world for me. I've played things live but never released it. A few years ago one of my dear friends, Nick Sylvester and I got in the studio after bonding over our love of weird disco, funk and house. This felt like something new, something I wanted to say.

So where are all those songs that you've made, the two hundred songs? Where do they sit now? Are they all in your mind, or are they like on drives, pieces of scrap paper?

All over the place. A sea of hard drives and outdated devices from the last like fifteen years. Maybe I'll start releasing more, but so much of creating those was enjoying the process and finding my voice.

What sort of genre would you describe the songs within this one that you’re releasing?

Dance music with soul.

Nice.

Something to move you, bring you closer, connect to you, bring you warmth. That special feeling.

I do! Do you feel there's healing tendencies in the songs?

Such a healing process to make them. I was actually just reading a study about how dancing is one of the most effective treatments for any type of sadness. Movement is so good for the soul. The pandemic seemed to amplify just how important it is to move and to feel connected, whether alone in your room, risky business style, or under the disco lights with a room full of strangers.

Have you played these new songs in your sets yet?

Yes!  All last year, playing, tuning, making little changes. That's one of the million things so electric about being a DJ, testing different sounds, see what sticks.

How well do you think you can read people when you're playing music these days?

I believe the best DJs have the ability to empathize with people, to feel where they're at, then take them on a journey to take them to a higher place. Raise their vibrations and tune in to people in a special way. 

Where would you the ideal scenario for people to play this album of yours?

The first place my mind goes, being in a space with someone you love, or someone that you could fall in love with. In the realm of dreams and infinite possibilities. 

Yeah, I'm the same.

Also this club that Ian Schrager designed called Sunset Edition, in LA. The whole ceiling is coated in disco balls and I've been very blessed to play there a lot over the years and it's just magic. My sweet friend Zen Freeman, the creative director there is a legend. It reminds me of being in a beautiful space, in the glow of love.

Have you ever bought records just based on the artwork of the cover?

Artwork tells a story. The one that comes to mind is this fantastic compass point record Adventures in Success, from Will Powers. 

The white album with the face on it?

Lynn Goldsmith! She is a photographer and a wonderful human. Made at my favorite studio of all time.  Owned by a dear friend and mentor, Chris Blackwell.

Is there a story behind the photo from your album?

One of my first tours in Japan, playing a show in Kyoto. I went on a day trip to Nara, it's this elegant land of temples where deer run the town. On the way back to Kyoto with my friend Soko, we got off the train at the wrong stop, two stops too early.  so we had to hop in the cab get our way back to the hotel and then I hear someone yell my name.  We look out the window and my dear friend, and photographer, David Morrison, was walking out the train station in the middle of the night in this random town in Japan, and snapped that picture.

That's amazing.

Yeah, we got out of the car and hugged each other like what? A completely serendipitous moment.

With the music on the album. Did you have a lot of friends help out, or did you do a lot of it yourself?

I’m so lucky to have a beautiful community of artist friends who are always inspiring me.  The person that helps the most is Arrow, our amazing daughter. She's one of the most musical people I know. It just pours out of her, ever since she was a baby. And she's very confident in her taste. She was crawling and going through my records. I have this great video of her scratching Beastie Boys record, totally on beat. It's always been a very musical house, we're always playing and creating music together.

Was Spike helpful?

So helpful, so wonderful. Way back when in 2019 when we first fell in love, he's remained one of my biggest inspirations. Arrow and I always say he's our favourite artist, that childlike mind of his is something else. He was the first person I played the song for, driving around LA at night, listening to it together in the moonlight, in the glow of love.

Listening to a new song that you've made, with someone you care about. I think that sounds pretty special.

So special. I'm grateful to have a life partner like him,  a home full of love where we can create together and always inspire one another to stay in a state of expansion.  

And, on that note I’d like to say thanks for your time.

Thank you, I’ve loved your questions. Type of Girl is out March 29.