YRB: You also recently released your self-titled album, how have fans reacted to the album?
Allen: I think people like it. They seem to like it.
YRB: How is it different from your previous work?
Allen: It’s more of an attempt to create a record like the music I grew up on. My last record was more of me performing by myself, so I wasn’t able to bring out a big band. So I wanted my record to emulate what I was doing live, which was just me and an acoustic guitar. So that record is a lot more broken down, and this one has got horns and big organs and stuff on it, so that’s how it’s different.
YRB: Have you signed to a label yet?
Allen: No.
YRB: What are you looking for in a label?
Allen: I’m looking for a good deal, and that’s hard to come by nowadays unless you don’t need a deal, you won’t get a good deal it seems like to me. So I’m trying my best to just do it on my own. I would love it just to go my whole life without having to sign to a label, but seemingly, still there’s this kind of feeling you reach as an independent artist that you can’t get over without a major radio campaign. So yeah, I’m definitely not opposed to a label if the deal was right and the people around it were really stoked about it then I would definitely sign a deal, but right now I’m not being offered any of those. Labels are still [like], ‘Hey, you need us. We like you, we think you’re talented.’ But I’ll tell you now, talent means jack shit to labels. They aren’t into developing artists anymore. They aren’t interested in abilities; they are interested in numbers.
YRB: What’s next?
Allen: West coast!
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