Singer-Songwriter MALYNDA HALE Opens Up About Her Newest Music, How 2018 Turned Out and More!

Malynda Hale authentically gives herself and her heart on and off stage through her music, melodies and movement. The African American singer-songwriter uses both her music and social stature to bring to light new perspectives on important issues including female empowerment and the Black Lives Matter movement. Malynda’s latest single “Something Worth Fighting For,” serves up a perfect combo of an upbeat melody and inspirational lyrics. The single was in anticipation of her full  EP “The One” which released on June 22^nd. 

Listen to “Something Worth Fighting For” on: Spotify |iTunes/Apple Music

Hale was born and raised in sunny Santa Barbara, California where she began singing at just five years old. At the age of seven she was learning to play the piano, and by the age of nine she started writing her own music. Malynda has since gone on to lead a successful, long-lasting music career. Just last year, Malynda won “Best Female Vocalist” at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards, was the headliner of the 2017 NAMM show, and has opened for artists such as Tyrone Wells, Ernie Halter and Levi Kreis.

With a mic constantly in the palm of her hand and a vast audience at her fingertips, Malynda has been able to utilize her voice to elicit change on multiple platforms – social justice, female empowerment, LGBTQ+ rights, veganism, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Noting reactions are best responded to by taking action, Malynda has managed to dip her hands into several projects to support these causes. She hosts the femme-empowerment “Boss, Please” podcast, which shines a light on female execs and all-around girl bosses. She’s also the face of Valana Minerals, one of very few brands that have cruelty freebeauty products for women of color. Malynda has often spoken out regarding the importance of beauty brands being more inclusive and having products that represent different skin tones.

 Listen to the “Boss, Please” podcast here

Watch Malynda Hale’s “We Run” music video here

Additionally, Malynda’s recently released single “We Run” was written in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, depicting her experience as a black woman in America. The track, which is included in her upcoming EP, is meant to start a conversation by shedding a new light on the issue.

Connect with Malynda Hale Here:

Instagram | 17K Followers

Twitter | 16K Followers

Facebook

Music: YouTube | Spotify | iTunes/Apple Music

Official Site: www.malyndahale.com

Learn more about Malynda Hale in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find you now? Is there music playing in the background? 

Thank you so much! I’m currently catching up on my favorite shows! So “Shondaland” is playing in the background!

How was your recent vacation with your husband to Fiji?!

It was truly an incredible experience. I can’t wait to go back. Everyone was so kind, and it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. We had a blast.

Now that the year is almost over, how do you think 2018 has treated you and your career? What has been one goal that you have had this year and how close are you to reaching it? Or did you already reach it?

I think this year has been a true blessing. I think when I look back, I realize I have accomplished a lot. I can be extremely hard on myself when it comes to accomplishing goals, but I really think I did well this year. My main goal this year was to tour, I successfully did that for the majority of the summer, and I did it on my own! I was very proud of myself once I finished touring!

Growing up, how important was music to you? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?  

I grew up singing in church and my dad was a musician so music was always a part of my life. To this day, when I saw Whitney Houston sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

What a great question! I think the biggest surprise is that people are more willing to help than you think. Los Angeles can really have a negative reputation, but I’ve been lucky enough to surround myself with people that are willing to uplift others, share resources and want the other person to succeed. I’ve always been that type of person so I’m really glad to have those people in my life as well.

How do you think you and your music have been influenced by your hometown and where you live today?

Honestly, I think my music has been influenced by my living in different areas and being exposed to different parts of the country. A lot of my music is about my life experiences, but also what I’ve seen others experience as well. Now that I’m permanently in Los Angeles, I am definitely influenced by this city and the people around me.

Let’s talk about your empowering singles “Something Worth Fighting For” and “We Run.” What was the inspiration for these tracks? How do you think they compare to the rest of your newest EP “The One”? How did you go about writing these two songs in particular?

“Something worth Fighting For” was really meant to be an empowerment song. We are all fighting for something and we often need the encouragement to believe that we are strong enough to fight. I really wanted it to be a wake up in the morning and get you going type of song.  “We Run” is my most personable and vulnerable song to date. It means so much to me and even though the message behind it is very heavy and difficult, it was a fairly easy song to write. I honestly just allowed myself to not think and just simply say what I was feeling in the moment. Both songs are a huge representation of who I am, and I think they fit really well on the EP.

Do you plan to make music videos for any of the songs on “The One”?

That definitely was the plan, but time and schedules didn’t allow it this time! However, we did create a fun lyric video for “Something Worth Fighting For” that you can see on my YouTube channel!

Are you currently working on more new music?

I took a little break after my last EP and once I finished touring, but now I’m back and starting to work on new music to release and tour with next year. I’ll be doing a few singles at a time rather than a full project.

What has it been like co-hosting the femme-empowerment “Boss, Please” podcast? Why is this role so important to you? How do you think it has impacted your music?

It’s really been a great experience. A lot goes into making a podcast happen, but we all work so well together and have our individual duties. The best part of the podcast has been hearing all of these powerful women’s stories and learning how they got to be where they are in life. We’ve met some pretty inspiring people and it’s been a true blessing.

What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now?

It’s honestly exhausting!  I feel like sometimes I’m kind of a boring person, especially when I see the great lengths that people go to in order to create such amazing content and instagram stories! However, I do think I keep people engaged with positive quotes and pictures, but I won’t lie and say it’s not difficult sometimes! Each social media platform serves a different purpose and they all have their own rules for audience engagement. It’s a constant learning process.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely still love to work with in the future?

Anyone who knows me or has followed me and my career knows my first answer is always Gavin Degraw. He’s just the epitome of the type of artist I aspire to me. Other artists that I love and would love to work with are Sara Bareilles, India Arie and Audra McDonald. All huge inspirations in my music, how I sing, how I write and how I perform.

If you were going to be stranded on a deserted island forever, what musical item would you take with you and why? 

I would take my acoustic guitar because I still haven’t learned how to play it!

If your music was going to be featured on any TV show that is currently on right now, which would you love it to be on? Or if you prefer, what is a movie that you love that you wish your music was featured in?

I have dreamed for years for one of my songs to be on “Grey’s Anatomy”. Songs placed on that show have launched massive careers for a lot of artists and I really want to be thrown into that pool.

Do you have any tour dates you would like to tell our readers about? How will you be spending your fall and winter?

I’m working on tour dates for next year, but right now I’m happy being at home with my hubby and my dog! I’ve barely been home this year so it’s nice to be settled for awhile.

At the end of the day, what do you hope your fans take away from your music? I’d like to know more about how you want your music to be timeless?

I want people to feel empowered and lost in thought after they listen to my music. I want them to feel good and feel like they also went through a lot of emotions and feelings. It’s important for me to create music with a message. I want all of my songs to leave a lasting impact.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself and your music?

Just make sure to follow me on Spotify, Instagram and Twitter for current updates!