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Hello, my name is Allison Weiss. I've loved music for as long as I can remember. I didn't really get serious until 9th grade, when I desperately needed to impress a boy in my creative writing class. I decided to become a punk rock star, and I asked my dad to teach me to play the guitar. A few power chords later, my plan worked. The boy asked me out. One month later our relationship ended, but my passion for music lived on.
Throughout high school I played in a few metal and punk bands before being introduced to "emo" music and picking up an acoustic guitar. I moved to Athens, GA in 2005 for school and became a solo act. Heavily influenced by artists like Rilo Kiley, Tegan & Sara, Kevin Devine, and countless others from various genres, I developed a unique style of indiepopfolkrock with clever lyrics, catchy hooks, and a constant message of hopeless hope.
I spent the next two years paying my dues and building up my fanbase in Athens and on the internet. I released my first record in 2007 and played countless shows in Athens and the surrounding areas. I performed live on WUOG, WUGA, and in Virtual Reality via SecondLife.com. I opened for The Early November, played in the 500 Songs For Kids Benefit concert in Atlanta, and performed at AthFest 2007. I was nominated Best Solo Performer in the Flagpole Athens Music Awards, and I traveled over 4,000 miles on self-booked tours. I released a mixtape at the end of '07, which I sold on a tour up the east coast.
So far, 2008 looks promising. My band and I rocked the outdoor stage at Athfest 2008 and played at the opening party of Athens PopFest. My song "The End" won an honorable mention in American Songwriter Magazine's monthly lyric contest. In the summer I released a new mixtape, and my brother and I and took it on the road across the southeast. Shortly after, I recorded a live album at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York City, and it's been downloaded over 600 times since I put it online. In October 2008 I self-released a 6-song studio EP, co-produced by Nate Nelson at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA.
Musician by night and graphic design student by day, I've handled all the production, management, booking, and PR for myself since day one. "Allison Weiss" is music and "Allison Weiss" is me. It's time to take this to the next level. Maybe I'll hire some help, or maybe I'll keep doing it on my own. In April 2009 I'll turn 22 and I can't wait to see what happens next.