Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Palacios.
Hi Amanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been writing songs since I could read and write. A shoe box in my closet that’s filled to the brim with napkins, pieces of hotel pad papers, and college-ruled notebook paper ripped straight from the rings that are covered in lyrics can attest for it. Even before I was old enough to read and write, my mom has home videos of me mumbling tunes around the house in my pig tails. Music is a part of my being, straight to my core.
Around the age of seven is when I became more serious about learning music. One of my dad’s biggest wishes in his life growing up was to learn an instrument. However, since he didn’t have that opportunity, he wanted to provide that for my brother and I. He asked me what instrument I wanted to learn— and I chose piano. From the time I was seven years old until I was eighteen, I took piano lessons. My classically trained background, I believe, has elevated my songwriting skills over the years.
Around the same time that I picked up piano, I also began singing lessons. This was because of my desire to join a singing group of seven girls formed by my elementary school’s music teacher. This particular group of girls were the object of everyone’s desires. If you were asked to be a part of this group, you were considered to have made it in life! At the time, this was my heart’s desire, so I booked a private singing lesson with my music teacher. After she heard me sing, she welled up in tears and asked me to be in the group. This is what propelled my love for music even further. Having this amazing opportunity to be surrounded by other musicians, as well as performing in front of audiences was a dream come true for me. However, my passion for singing and writing came to a sudden halt right when I entered high school. I decided that I wanted nothing to do with singing and writing songs because it wasn’t practical and people initially thought of me as the weird music girl. I did keep up with my piano lessons though mainly because I still loved playing the piano and also because it looked good for college applications. At this stage in my life, I told God that I never wanted to write songs or sing again, and that He couldn’t make me.
Everything changed my senior year in high school with an English class journal prompt and a trip to the movie theater. In 2017, La La Land came out in theaters. I instantly fell in love with the movie because of the music. I ended up watching it three times in the theater because I couldn’t get enough of it. This movie inspired me to write songs again. Immediately after watching it the first time, I went home and began to write my own musical. It was then that I truly began to find my style as an artist. Later that year in my English class, my teacher had a prompt that she wanted us to write about in our journals. It was our last prompt of the year, allowing us to reflect on how we had grown in high school, and where we would see ourselves in ten years. I wrote that I saw myself doing music in some way, whether that was taking music production courses or writing songs for other artists. It was then that I realized God was never going to allow me to run away from music completely. This was His purpose for my life.
What really solidified my decision though, was when I watched the Billie Eilish Vogue yearly interviews video my freshman year in college. It was her second year doing it and her demeanor was completely different than the year before. She had mentioned in her interview that she felt lonely in the industry. I was so touched by this line, that I paused the video and cried. I prayed, asking God to use me in this industry to be a light. I knew then that this was my exact purpose: to be a light in a very dark world. I ended up writing my first single, “Vintage Love”, around that same time which was the beginning of me taking my writing more seriously. Although I was still putting school first and music second, I was writing every day; sharing my songs with my dorm roommates and every new person I met. It wasn’t until two years after graduating college that I gained enough courage to get my music produced. Now, three years after graduating college, I have four concept albums and three musicals written, as well as three songs currently out on all streaming platforms and two new songs recently recorded and soon to be published.
They say that all roads lead to Rome, and for me, music is my Rome. My passion for music, I believe, is intertwined into my DNA. I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t doing it in some shape or form. The beautiful thing about music is that it really is versatile. I don’t have to wake up every day and feel this pressure of having to write the next big hit to feel creatively satiated. I can sit at my piano for hours and play covers, or tunes just for the fun of it. As long as I have my piano, the music world is my oyster.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Things fall through, people give you empty promises. I’ve been ghosted by a few music producers who showed interest in my demos at first, and then completely ignored my follow up emails/messages to move forward. I’ve been told that I wasn’t ready as a musician when I auditioned for American Idol a couple of years ago. But the biggest obstacle for me has been my mind. There are days where I am so confident in myself and my music, I feel like I could take on the whole world. Then there are days where I spiral. I hate every song I write. I question my own voice, comparing it to other artists’s. I get in my head often, telling myself that I’m not good enough and I believe it half the time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a singer/songwriter with a passion for writing songs rich in vivid imagery, often exploring emotional tension and personal revelations. What sets me apart is my ability to write conversationally, as though I am speaking to the listener directly—drawing them into the moment.
While my songwriting often follows familiar pop structures, my sound is far from typical. I draw inspiration from sub-genres like jazz, 70’s rock and cinematic scoring, blending them into an introspective, emotionally resonant style with a touch of whimsy. I love pushing the boundaries of production and storytelling to create something immersive.
What I’m most proud of is my ability take an idea, no matter how dramatic or seemingly mundane, and turn it into something compelling. Both lyrically and sonically.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I have so many amazing childhood memories. One in particular that sticks out is singing and dancing to “This Kiss” by Faith Hill in the kitchen living room. I was probably two years old, with pigtails in my hair, walking in a circle mumbling the words “this kiss” as it blared on the stereo. My mom actually has a home video of that moment. It’s funny to say that I remember it because you’d think I only remember it because of the video, but I genuinely remember that moment from my own eyes. It was one of my favorite songs growing up, and it still holds a special place in my heart.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandalpal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.palacios.9887?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@amandalpal?si=QQ5D-CPLuh-tfS2u
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandalpal
Image Credits
Corby Sumerlain
