Avian Alia: Small Town, Big Aspirations
- Miriam Battles
- Nov 15, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 20, 2021
When you think of Lake Village what do you think of? What do you envision, what do you see? To most people, when you mention that as your hometown, it may sound like a made-up city that has no place on the map.
We haven’t solidified our state in the music industry, let alone our city.
However, that’s all starting to change and I’ll be one of the first to say that Avian Alia will be a part of solidifying that history. She has an undeniable talent.
Early Beginnings
Like many artists in the R&B/Hip-Hop industry, church is where it all begins. She started her musical journey after her father insisted she sings in her hometown church where he is the pastor.
Coming from a religious background, there were opposing views on her decision to venture off into secular music, but she said she felt she needed to do what was right for her.
"I was trying to keep the people around me content. Though I love God, that wasn't my forte or preference. This is my life, [and] no one else can put reservations on my life. No one but God himself."
At the age of 12, she discovered a better talent- Rapping. Gaining inspiration from phenomenal artists including Drake, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Jay-Z and Beyonce, she used that inspiration to craft her own talent.
In 2012, she joined the girls group PYT, which consisted of four girls. The group rapped, sang and performed choreography they created and learned from YouTube. In 2013, the four-member girl group became three.
Gaining The Recognition
In 2017-2018, she started posting rap videos on social media and began to receive a lot of positive feedback, which in return reassured her that she was on the right path.
She has received thousands of views over just a couple of videos.
In June 2018, she was introduced to Billboard-charting producer Pat Washington in Little Rock and released her first song, "Deserve Better", on Soundcloud.
That summer, she started college at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with no idea of how she was going to continue to put out music, but it was always a part of her plan.
In January 2019, she met producer Bambino. With just a low-budget mic from the campus' tech center, a tube sock and a comforter for insulation, she and Bambino linked up to record her second single "Put On."
She talked about how he was the first producer that she had a connection with and how he assured her that he would support her throughout her journey.
"[He was] the first producer I've ever really clicked with and felt understood me," she said. "He saw my potential and told me he was willing to ride with me, which was all I needed."
Aviation
Resilience and dedication are words that come to mind during this stage of Avian's career. This is just the beginning, but it is obvious that she wants success.
In 2019, she also started working on her newly released EP, "A V I A T I O N." To help fund her first big project, she worked at a mall in northwest Arkansas, Walmart, two on-campus jobs and in a warehouse.
She knew exactly what she wanted and she knew it was going to take hard work to be able to execute the vision she had for this project. If that doesn't shows dedication, nothing else does. She is already preparing for what it would take to survive in this industry.
"I was worn out all the time, but it taught me resilience. I just thought oh well, when I pop, I won't be getting much sleep anyway...
Consider it conditioning."
Gaining recognition through her heavy lyrical freestyles, she caught the attention of Billboard-charting producer Hitkidd from Memphis, Tennessee in June 2021. They recorded three of the seven tracks from the EP: The Prelude, Easy, and Hardest out AR.
On Sept. 21, 2021, Avian Alia released "A V I A T I O N." This EP, which has no features and was written by her was a great way to introduce herself. She has released visuals for "The Prelude," "Lady-Like," and "Hardest out AR."
What's Next for Avian Alia?
Avian is expected to graduate from the U of A in December 2021 with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. She plans to continue pursuing her musical career.
In the future, she plans to do more collaborations with other artists and to produce more visuals, which she says is her favorite part of the creative process. As an independent artist, she wants to learn how to market herself as effectively as she can.
"I have faith in this music thing. Music makes me feel a way that nothing else on this Earth does. [It] gives me something to look forward to. I'm enjoying the process regardless."
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