Cliche Magazine June/July 2018 | Page 121

W ith the help of today’s social media platforms, it’s easy to put yourself out there and get discovered. Singer-songwriter Tiffany Alvord’s path to fame and success began with her cover videos on YouTube at the age of fifteen. The popularity of her videos created a worldwide fan base, reaching over three million subscribers and 635 million views. In addition to her cover videos, she writes her own music and has released three albums, My Dream, My Heart Is, and Legacy. Cliché got a chance to catch up with Tiffany to discuss her YouTube fame, her acting career, as well as details on the release of her upcoming mini album. BY T’KEYAH HAYES Cliché: Who or what are some of your biggest influences when it comes to writing the content for your music? Tiffany Alvord: Growing up, Taylor Swift and Colbie Caillat were HUGE inspirations when I first started writing songs. I feel like my influences today are from new artists that I love! For example, I love what Charlie Puth, Lauv, Julia Michaels, and Selena Gomez are doing! Your YouTube channel has over three million subscribers! When you first created your channel, did you expect it to go viral? What was your reaction to all the love and support you received? When I first started YouTube, I never would have imagined I’d be where I am today! I have had very steady and consistent growth on YouTube. There was no overnight success or magic video. The success came from posting videos consistently and lots of hard work! As my YouTube subscribers started to grow, I had more opportunities to collaborate, perform live, and meet all my fans. I really couldn’t believe how many views I would get on my videos and how many new monthly subscribers I would get. I felt so happy that fans around the world were connecting with me. My family and friends were all very supportive and it just encouraged me to keep going! My brothers would brag to their friends and it made me feel so special that they were so proud of what I was doing. Alongside music, you debuted in your first film last year, called School Spirits. When did you realize you wanted to start pursuing acting, or has it always been something you’ve been interested in? I actually wanted to pursue acting before I started music! I did local musical theater for eight years, and I fell in love with acting and being on stage. I tried to give acting a shot but never got connected with the right agent or opportunity. When I was 15 years old, I found YouTube. I watched other musicians on YouTube and was intrigued by what they were doing. I have always loved writing songs and singing so I figured I’d give it a shot. My YouTube channel just took off and has had a momentum of its own the past 10 years. Being able to jump back into acting has been a dream come true! Filming School Spirits reignited my passion for acting. I also had a part in Guilty Party last year, which is a series on YouTube. Both of these projects were so much fun. I really love acting and it has made me want to challenge myself in new ways! What is the inspiration for your new EP? What can your fans expect to hear different? For this EP (I’m calling it a mini album) the inspiration has come from real life, things I’ve gone through, or things I just wanted to sing about! I wanted to make something fun and upbeat, but also tell stories that I connect with and that I think others will connect with! The main difference fans will hear is that it’s a little more pop than my past albums. It’s still me and my writing, but with a sweet, feel-good punch. It’s like an ice cream cone with glittery sprinkles! hope to connect with more brands throughout the rest of this year. Being a YouTube sensation, what advice can you offer to people who want to start a YouTube channel and put their talents out publicly? If you have something to say