Aya Ito
Aya Ito is a Japanese and Black American multilingual, multi-genre, Chicago based singer/songwriter. Her latest song “Spellbound” is out now on all digital downloads & streaming sites.
Interview on May 17, 2022
By Dan Locke
Aya Ito is a Japanese and Black American multilingual, multi-genre, Chicago based singer/songwriter. Her newest single “Something New” is out now on all platforms. You can find the music video on YouTube. She sings in English, Japanese, & Spanish
What is your upbringing?
I was born in Tokyo and moved to America when I was two. My mother only spoke to us in Japanese and my father only English so that we would be bilingual. My mother also gave us Japanese homework to do everyday to ensure our reading and writing capabilities. Honestly, it is difficult to discuss my upbringing concisely, as a lot happened in my childhood, enough to write a book. The brief version is that my siblings and I grew up in a suburb with parents who were unhappy together until they got a divorce when I was about 8. After that, I felt many times that my life was falling apart. My mother moved back to Japan when I was 10 and we only saw her for a week out of the year, until my sophomore year of high school when she stopped visiting. My father was diagnosed with cancer and we were constantly evicted from our homes and many times left homeless. This was all followed by and intertwined with a series of unfortunate events. The drive to avoid even remotely ending up in this sort of situation in my adulthood, combined with the support from my godparents, teachers, and friends, kept me motivated in school and life in general. I graduated high school with an IB degree and received a full ride scholarship to the University of Chicago.
How did you discover music?
My father was actually in Japan working in the music industry when he met my mom. Both of my parents loved music and it was always playing in the house or the car. I loved singing along to the Motown and Soul music my parents listened to and I began singing before I could speak.
How did you start to write music?
I always enjoyed randomly making parodies of songs I liked. I taught myself guitar and piano and eventually started writing originals to chord progressions I liked
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
My dad’s friend bought me a guitar for my birthday, and yes I do still have it!
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model? Does she have a name?
I really enjoy playing acoustic guitars, but I am trying to find a new electric to practice on. The one I have is very old and the strings get out of tune quickly. I’d be happy to take recommendations.
Describe your music.
I’d say my music is diverse and eclectic, yet cohesive and accessible. I take inspiration from many different types of music including, but not limited to: soul, r&b, pop, pop-punk, rock, edm.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
Yes, I belong to both BMI and ASCAP
What makes a good songwriter?
Well good songwriting is subjective. However, in my opinion, a good songwriter must be passionate and unafraid to show their emotions. You can tell the difference when a song is written from the heart.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first solo original song was called “Can’t Deny”. I did record it, but am going to tweak it a bit before re-releasing it on my first album. Before that, I was with a band called Chicago Loud 9 and the first song I wrote with them was “Punk Soul”
How did you meet your manager Darnell Johnson?
Darnell and his wife Tonya actually found me on Instagram when a video of me singing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” on the holiday train in Chicago went viral. They reached out to me and asked if we could meet and discuss potentially working together. It was definitely a great decision and they have become family to me.
What is the process of writing your music?
My process varies. Sometimes I am given a beat or instrumental and I write to it. Other times, a melody idea may pop into my head so I voice record it on my phone and then either come up with chords on my own, or work with other writers to come up with something. I also have many notebooks full of lyrics.
Tell me about your song “Spellbound”?
It was one of the first songs written for the album, and it has come such a long way since its conception. Spellbound is a song that will definitely make you want to dance and sing along. A lighthearted, catchy tune that will remind you of how it felt to be sprung or maybe you’re feeling that way now!
What is your favorite track on your album?
My favorite track might be Spellbound or an unreleased Japanese version of a song called “To Keep You”
What different was it recoding “Don’t take my Life” then “spellbound”?
The songs themselves are very different, so the emotions I was feeling when recording was totally different. DTML also features other vocalists in the choir part.
You have been streamed over 300K from 99 countries. What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
To be honest, I think it denies writers and musicians what they deserve to be compensated. Spotify pays .0033 cents per stream, which means you must get over 300K streams to make $1,000. No musician is really making a living off of streams. If you want to support your favorite artists, I would suggest buying their album and attending their concerts.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
Yes, definitely. I think a lot of people don’t even realize it is a musical symbol.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I love vinyl, but digital is more convenient and I love traveling.
How was to perform in Dubai for the Afrozons Soundoff?
It was such an amazing experience! I had never been to Dubai before, let alone performed. The show was in the desert on a beautiful night with great food, camel rides, great people and music. It was really awesome to open for D’banj and to watch/learn from his energy and performance as well.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I don’t think so. I have been playing many shows and people missed live music too much. You can tell from the way prices have risen for shows/festivals and that they still sell out. People are willing to pay good money to see live music. I feel like the virus has already affected the music business, and what we will see in the future will just be a trickle effect from that. I believe/hope the worst has passed.
During the lockdown as I understand it you got Covid-19. Tell me about it?
I actually did not get covid during the lockdown. I had it before everything shut down and then got it again once everything was open again earlier this year. It just felt like I had a really bad cold or flu and I made sure to stay home and wear my mask if I had to go outside.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
No
How was it to sing the National Anthem during the White Sox vs Cubs Crosstown Classic Game?
I was really nervous and excited at the same time. I think you can see me taking deep breaths in the video haha. This was my first MLB game as well so it was cool to see that. My godparents came up from Indiana and my brother joined as well. It was definitely a proud moment for me. I will be singing again on June 25th.
I see you are a camper. Did you do camping while you were growing up? And how much camping did you do over the last 2 years?
I never really camped in an actual tent much growing up, but I love the outdoors (although I hate bugs). I did a 2 week camping trip during fall of last year. We took my dog and visited various national parks. I had such an amazing time. It is a great way to unwind, unplug, and rejuvenate yourself.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I have started taking salsa dancing classes!
Recently the virus has come back with the Delta outbreak, then you Omicron, which as cause many people in the industry to worry about the future of live music.
How would you like live shows to be held and still keep you and fans safe.
A lot of venues have been requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test to attend a show and I think that is a good plan, and the best we can do to please the majority and keep people safe at the same time.
How was it to film “Something New” in downtown Chicago?
It was great! The weather was perfect for filming. This was my first music video with choreography so it was fun to be doing that for the first time. I love Chicago and was very happy we were able to capture some great shots of the city
Last year you performed at the Taste of Chicago. Are they going to have you back again this year?
They have asked me back, so as long as everything is good to go, I will be playing at the Taste of Chicago in the Pullman area on 6/18
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Yes it is
The show Star Trek introduced people to the holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with.
Today holograms are already being used in a variety of way, such as medical systems, education, art, security and defense
Performers like Tupac, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Marylin Monroe, and Whitney Houston have done it already. The band ABBA just announced that they will be doing a comeback together after nearly 40 years as holograms on their next tour. With ABBA it was with the help of George Lucas .
You filmed a Hologram of yourself last year.
If the cost was down to the point you could do it also, would you be willing to do Holographic concerts in our living room?
Yes, definitely!
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
I would likely start a restaurant or food truck. I absolutely love cooking and have been told that my food is incredible. Honestly, I have considered doing it along with music.
How was it to perform on the streets of Shinjuku?
Everyone was in such a great mood and it was a party! I met a lot of cool people and its always fun to see people walking by and then stopping to come and join us.
What is your happy place?
With my dog on a sunny day with a light breeze near a body of water.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, John Legend, ZZ Top and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180 song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited . Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offering by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
On January 19, 2021 Hipgnosis Song Management acquired 80% of Kenny Chesney’s recorded music royalties, covering the country superstar’s discography from his 1994 debut In My Wildest Dreams through 2017’s Live in No Shoes Nation.
Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby. He did not want to sell his publishing rights. In addition, it was not an easy thing for him to do. However, by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off his shoulders. He could pay off his house and cover other bills. Now he does not have to work for a living. It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands, which hurts his ability to play guitar.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
It definitely depends on the deal… I may consider it for the right amount of money. It would also depend on where I am in life and what is going on with me and in the world.
There are many platforms out there that allow artists to get their music heard. Artist Republik, DistroKid, Tunecore & plenty others offer distribution services. These services enable independent artists to put their music on some of the most popular streaming services globally, from Spotify to Apple Music & everything in between. If you’ve been in any part of the music industry in recent years, you probably know someone that has distributed a song.
Spotify reports that in 2021 there are about 8 million artists on the platform. Of those 8 million artists, about 57,000 are raking in a whopping 90% of the total revenue from streams. That means that .71% of the artists on Spotify are making good money. In 2020, there was a total of around $5 billion paid out to artists on the Spotify platform alone.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
I think spotify needs to pay artists more money in streaming. It has become such a well known and convenient corporation though, so I am not sure what sort of incentive they’d have to pay artists more. I think the future will look more like NFT’s. It is a very new concept now, but it is a way for artists to keep most of their money and not have to go through a third party streaming service like spotify and only get paid a small percentage of a cent per stream.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like a dance challenges and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment.
TikTok has became a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners. In which it has become a place for music artist to earn revenue when people use their music. Which in many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to hug boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.
TikTok does this with the the algorithmically generates a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch.
Because a song can go viral because of this.
Sony Music and Warner Music Group- , The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
I know I need to use more tik tok, but I am still learning the ropes on this app. How do tik tokers make money on tik tok?
Some of the on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, and Mick Jagger.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary,Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
I don’t think it will become any more of a force on xm radio than any of the stations we have now like iheart.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Please go check out my music! If you enjoy it, please consider buying the song as well. I also have a few music videos out and available on youtube. You can follow me on instagram @blaziansensation
Liking, sharing, following, and commenting costs you nothing and goes a long way for entertainers!
