Alyssia Dominguez is a singer-songwriter who brings a unique flare to country music from her roots in traditional Mexican music. She’s been performing locally since she was fifteen and always gravitated toward the storytelling aspect of writing songs. She’s got a new single out today titled “Out of the Blue”; it’s her first release since her 2019 single “Otra Vez.”
BEN: To start, Alyssia, tell me how about you got involved with Wisconsin Music Ventures.
ALYSSIA: So, I was actually contacted by Allison to do a podcast interview, and I think it was one of the first few that she did for The Musician’s Venture, and it was really fun! I believe I was referred by another musician, and just talking with Allison, she’s super cool and super nice. After a while she had told me all about Wisconsin Music Ventures and the cool things that they’re doing, so I really wanted to join. I’m glad to be a part of it now.
BEN: Glad to have you! Who was the musician who referred you?
ALYSSIA: His name is Paris Ortiz; he’s in a band called Six Pack Sammy. He’s always been super nice and supportive of my music.
BEN: Right on, awesome!
BEN: You have a new song coming out Friday called “Out of the Blue.” Tell me about the story behind it!
ALYSSIA: Yeah, so this was the very first song that I cowrote with some friends of mine during the pandemic. It was a hard time for me to get inspired; I think a lot of people experienced that. I remember I would go outside on my patio a lot and just soak up the outdoors, and I was just looking up at the sky and I had this melody come to me for “Out of the Blue.” I ended up reaching out to my friends from Nashville and then we just wrote that song. It was funny because it was the first thing that I tried writing over the computer and I had no idea how to use Zoom because it was such a new thing (laughs). We ended writing the song over a phone call which is not an easy thing to do, but it turned out really cool and I’m super proud of the song.
BEN: Very excited to hear it! I’ve got you on coverage from Breaking and Entering.
BEN: So you just performed at Summerfest on the very first day. How’d that go? How did it feel to do Summerfest in September?
ALYSSIA: To be honest, it was kind of weird. The setup was a lot different this year, and there probably wasn’t as many people as there normally is, but once I started playing it was still really fun. I always do love the smaller crowds too because it can be a little more intimate and you can connect with more people. It was a good time and great weather.
BEN: I went to Pitchfork this past weekend in Chicago and I can safely say that music festivals are way better in September than they are in the middle of July.
ALYSSIA: Yeah! It’s not scorching hot.
BEN: Yes, it’s far more comfortable to enjoy the music when it’s not 90 degrees out. I’m going to Summerfest on Friday and I’m looking forward to that.
BEN: So, that said, we are on the cusp of fall coming up quickly. What are some fun Wisconsin fall activities you’re looking forward to doing this year?
ALYSSIA: You know, I do like going to some of the small-town fall festivals where they have apple cider! I am looking forward to doing more outdoor activities; since 2020 I’ve gotten into going for hikes and going on bike rides, and I think that’ll be really nice in the cooler months.
BEN: I’m right there with you. Fall’s dope.
ALYSSIA: Yes, it’s my favorite!
BEN: My last question for you is, what do you have coming up in the next couple months? What are you working on now?
ALYSSIA: So after my song comes out on Friday, I have this follow-up single coming out after that around November. That one should be really cool; it’s probably my most vulnerable song. Then I’m working on a bunch of different visuals for these projects, and it’s my goal to put out another EP, whether it’s the end of the year or early next year. I’ll be playing a lot of shows; one I have coming up on October 8th is at the Wilson Center through Allison. I’m keeping busy and I’m loving it, so it’s exciting to have things back in motion again.
BEN: Indeed. The world still sucks in a lot of ways right now, but it also doesn’t suck in other ways.
Visit Alyssia Dominguez’s website here.
