Today we’d like to introduce you to AmberLee.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Yeah, I would love to! So, I was initially born in Australia and moved back and forth a lot between Adelaide and the States growing up. As long as I can remember, I have always been singing and writing little tunes and covering songs by artists like Adele, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars, and my favorite Australian artist, Guy Sebastian. I remember always being overly keen to share my voice in class and participate in the school talent shows. I sang for the school assembly one of these years when I was about 11 or so. Times are a bit foggy, but the memories are there! I have always been a part of choirs and knew singing and performing was something I wanted to do, but I never really thought it to be a realistic dream. Once I graduated from Fayetteville High School in 2019, I didn’t go straight to pursuing music. Instead, I was aimlessly drifting to Conway, Arkansas, where I thought I would fully invest in the nursing program. Still, things changed quickly once I discovered an opportunity for modeling and acting 30 minutes from Conway in Little Rock, AR.
I would travel back and forth to meet with my mother’s agent and prepare myself for a scouting event called The Model and Talent EXPO. This event is designed to put people like myself in front of agents and music, dancing, modeling, and acting scouts across the world, but specifically in the U.S. At this time, I was hardly focused on my singing and music, but I did submit myself to the singing round with an original.
The first year I attended this EXPO was in 2019, and it honestly went terribly for me. Also, at this point, I had little to no faith or belief in God, which is now a massive part of my testimony. At this event, I received 0 callbacks and did not make it through even one round of the singing, and there were 3. I was devastated but knew I couldn’t let this break me. I remember the event leader saying, “If you didn’t do well or get any callbacks, it might be time to reconsider your ability to succeed in this industry.”
I was hurting badly at this time in my life. I was struggling with my identity; I was overweight, I was chasing a degree I had no interest in anymore, and I was lost, living a life that represented an individual I didn’t recognize, pursuing a career I knew wouldn’t make me happy. After this event, instead of giving up and returning to school to do nursing, I talked with my parents and convinced them to let me drop out of college and move back to Fayetteville. I told myself that I was going to change. I told myself I would return to that same EXPO the next year and prove everyone wrong, including myself. I worked out and ran consistently, read personal growth books, and journaled often. I went to church, and within this time, I discovered God and realized I wanted a relationship with Him, as I pushed Him away for so long. I went back to the EXPO in 2020, a changed person who now believed in God and herself. There is so much more to this story, like my mother’s agent dropping me from the contract in the middle of the event because I gave a speech saying, “I’m here representing middle-sized models who don’t fit into the standard of the industry, the people who are told they don’t belong. I’m here to represent those who felt like giving up but now dare to move forward” instead of “My name is Amber, and I represent ___ “x mother agent.”
So here I am, alone, in Dallas, and expelled from my group. But I wasn’t alone; I had God this time and had my own confidence that I didn’t have the previous year. This time, I received 16 callbacks, and not only did I make it to round 3 and the final live show performance with a cover song and an original. I made friends that I still keep up with, and the craziest part of this all. I was awarded with the title “Entertainer of the Year.” This event changed my perspective on life and my path. It made me realize I have the potential to make my dreams a reality, and I didn’t need anyone else’s permission or help. I had God this time; I had myself.
Long story short, I could go on forever about what got me to where I am today, but after this event, I decided to take a leap and move to Austin, Texas! I have been here less than 3 years and have made undeniable steps and leaps in my artistry and music. I got into an incredibly toxic relationship that pulled me far back from my path. I completely lost myself and almost gave up altogether, but now that I am out of it, I feel better than ever and back in the game to pursuing my growth as an individual and artist, and so many doors have opened for me. I am grateful for the trials I have been through, and I am thankful for Austin. Now, my heart is being pulled to my new chapter, which might just be moving to Tennessee, but that’s for another time.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh no, it has been a difficult journey, as I listed before in the previous question. I moved back and forth a lot as a child from Australia to Arkansas, and it was tough having to readjust and make friends, but music always kept me grounded. Fun fact: I was bullied significantly in High School by other girls for the way I looked, talked, and spoke. It was difficult not truly fitting in, but it shaped me. I have also been taken advantage of left and right in this industry and scammed out of thousands of dollars by people who said one thing and did another. Even my mother’s agent from that EXPO would betray my trust multiple times. She never had my best interest at heart, but I learned quickly that nobody ever does in this industry; they only care about themselves and their gains. It’s a tricky industry and a strategic one at that.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?You can find my originals on Spotify; my artist name is “AmberLee,” and some of my songs are “Forbidden Love,” “Soul Ties,” “Energy,” “Break My Heart,” “One Reason” and my newest release, as well as my favorite song I’ve written so far, “Somebody Like Me!” I am learning guitar and keys, but my instrument is my voice. I have been singing for as long as I can remember and am now 22. I have an incredibly long way to go as an artist, but I am proud of how far I have come. I have worked with all types of genres and people in this industry. The first song I had professionally done was in Little Rock, amid the EXPO I attended. And that was the start of the journey I knew I needed to embark on. I felt a high I had never felt after coming out of that studio. “Fire Away” is now on YouTube but has been deleted from Spotify. I have performed live numerous times but aim to continue showing my face in public. I took a long break from live performances to focus on in-studio time, writing and executing songs like the ones you now hear on my Spotify, Apple Music, etc. The second Model and Talent EXPO I attended in 2020 was one of the proudest experiences of my life because it was inevitably life-altering, and I could go into much detail about how that experience went and how it shaped me. I was bold, authentic, and unapologetically myself for the first time in that event, and it paid off!
What sets me apart from others is my diversity. Not only can I sing any genre and not be defined in a box or specific style, but I also have a voice that people do not expect to hear after they hear me talk. I have a vibrant, deep, soulful voice that wouldn’t be typical of a female but similar to “Adele, Amy Winehouse, Cher “(as I’ve been told). What sets me apart, too, is my unwavering faith and confidence, yet humble and kind aura. I don’t boast about myself; honestly, I am quite shy to sing on the spot, which is ironic for being an aspiring singer. But I do love to share my voice when I can and where it is appreciated, but I will never be cocky. I can work with anyone, and I find myself chatting away with everyone; it is easy for me to make connections and friends, no matter your background. I have a bubbly energy that allows me to fit into any room, but I like people and learning about others!
How do you define success?
I don’t idolize being famous, but if that were to happen, if that is God’s purpose for me, I would welcome it because I simply want to impact as many souls as I can before I leave this earth, and this is a part of “success” to me. I am impacting, in a positive way, as many people as I can. Success to me is happiness and living in a way that I can balance my personal and work life, and where my work life no longer feels like work, I am doing what I love every day. Success is being financially free and not working to live, yet living and having the opportunity to work. Success is love, peace, harmony, and happiness. As long as I am those things, whether I live in an apartment or a mansion, dating a construction worker or a multi-billion dollar business owner, it doesn’t matter. Success is having no regrets and being able to reflect on my life as an elder, saying, “I did it; I did what I dreamed. I achieved God’s purpose for me, and I truly have no regrets.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amberlee.portfoliobox.net/portfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberleerowett/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFQPtE0_AuI4Wi4Ts_LF_8A
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6AJL6mY8ZuVdtfnEE872PE?si=w79ydBNqStmcEEvF04hNZw
Image Credits
Michael Claymilam, Robby Dob
