Actress and singer Allison Strong (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) chatted about her new music, songwriting inspirations, and the digital age.
How did your song “La Luna” come about?
My Colombian grandmother Soledad would often repeat that she loved me “hasta Plutón y más allá,” all the way to Pluto and beyond—so when she died, I imagined her becoming a part of the sky.
In La Luna my grandmother is the Moon: taking me on a whimsical journey through the heavens, clothing me in stars & rocking me over the sea until I am reborn as the Sun. La Luna was the first song written for the Brontë EP, and it came together in one night. Some songs are hard to write, but this one flowed easily.
What inspires your music and songwriting?
During the pandemic, I started a Zoom songwriting group called Writelight. We’ve been meeting on Saturdays for almost three years now.
Every week, I pick a prompt from an empty jelly jar and songwriters from across the country write songs inspired by the prompt for one hour. After the hour, we present our work for each other. It’s how most of the songs for my new record were written. Sometimes I write from life, other times I try to inhabit another person’s experience for a change in scenery.
How was your experience in Netflix’s “The Week Of” opposite Chris Rock and Adam Sandler?
“The Week Of” was a dream—from the moment Adam Sandler walked on set, he was my Dad. The cast, crew and Happy Madison team became my second family. Chris would always be telling jokes on set, and Adam would blast music and sing show tunes with me in between takes. My mom was even an extra in the wedding ceremony scene.
How was “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” for you?
Shooting “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” felt like going back in time. It was amazing to be in the Catskills episodes, which we actually shot at a summer resort in Binghamton, NY. Winning “Mrs. Steiner 1959,” the swimsuit competition on the show, was the cherry on top.
How does it feel to be an actress and a singer in the digital age?
Social media makes it possible for an artist to connect with new friends all over the world. I’m grateful to be creating at a time when I can share my art so openly, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
What do your plans for the future include?
I’m excited to share the full Brontë EP this summer—the project includes six songs and three music videos. Really proud to have co-directed the music video for my song “Brontë” and had a hand at producing all of the videos for the record. After so many years in front of the camera, its amazing to be on the other side of it. I also have a few films in the works.
What does the word success mean to you?
Success is realizing what you want is on the other side of your fear and taking a leap of faith anyway. The process of writing, recording and releasing this record has been beautiful and terrifying nosedive towards my fear: letting the world inside my head. After years of performing in other people’s projects, I’m proud to finally be sharing my own.
To learn more about actress and singer Allison Strong, follow her on Instagram.
