Shaping the Face of Modern Folk-Rock: A Chat with Allie Sandt
Writing & Graphic by Madeleine Brady
Special Thank You to Allie Sandt!
It’s no secret that to make an impact as a new artist in the music industry, you need to be smart about cultivating your sound to be new yet classic, revolutionary but appealing, and personal but not too preachy — an impossible standard that few have the ability to come close to.
Allie Sandt is one of those few who has reached that standard, and is sure to be well-known in the music scene one day for her rich, nostalgic sound and relatable, intelligent lyrics.
“Music that your favorite uncle would enjoy, but lyrics that a twenty-something year old would resonate with,” Sandt said.
Sandt was first brought to my attention in August 2024 when she came across my “For You” page on TikTok. The video was promoting her latest song at the time, “The Right Time,” and was perfectly curated to appeal to an audience of 1970s music enthusiasts and autumn lovers. Comments compared the song to the sounds of “Fleetwood Mac,” “Steely Dan,” and “Norah Jones,” which aligns perfectly with Sandt’s biggest influences.
"Paul Simon, Madison Cunningham, Fleetwood Mac, (and) my dad's guitar playing (are some of my inspirations)," Sandt said.
Her genre could be best put in the box of folk-rock, but Sandt also includes elements of jazz and indie music as well to create a distinct and well-rounded sound. Her background is one that many young artists can relate to in one way or another.
“I started writing my own music around the age of fifteen,” Sandt said. “When I was younger I took a few piano lessons and then got really into guitar once my dad started teaching me.”
Once she reached college, however, Sandt became more serious about her music career. “It wasn't until college that I got really serious about my own music and started playing electric. I went to SUNY Oneonta in upstate New York and learned everything from production to full band arrangement to booking tours and more from starting a band called Seeing Double my freshman year.”
She continued, “At the same time, I was slowly putting the pieces together of my first few singles and honing in on what I wanted my own sound to be. It was the most wonderful time living with a ton of music students- we would exchange ideas and they’d record on my stuff and I’d help engineer theirs, we’d have jam sessions in our crappy basement, and there was live music and shows 24/7. The energy of living up there definitely influenced me to push forward with my own material.” she concluded, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of being a young artist and bouncing ideas around until something sticks.
Sandt said that, short-term, the plan is to “keep plugging away at recording and playing shows.” She remains independent, and hopes that her consistency will pay off in finding her own community.
“I’d love to be on a schedule of touring part of the year and writing and recording during the other time,” Sandt said. “I’d love to meet more artists that I admire and try something different with every new song I release.”
As of right now, Sandt has four singles — three originals and one cover. These singles cover a broad scope of sounds, with “The Flood,” her debut single, having a more mellow, yearning feeling and smooth melodies. Alternatively, her most recent original, “Ace,” has a heavier sound with a dark, “fuzzy” guitar riff that hooks you in from the beginning of the song.
“I hope (my music) can be windows-down-music and I hope that my lyrics might help out when needed,” Sandt said. “Going forward, I have a lot of songs to be released about things other than love and love lost. One is about an antique store, one is a best friend theme song, one is about a city in upstate New York.”
Sandt is currently playing shows across the Northeast while working on her music. Her most recent release, a warm, acoustic cover of “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, can be found on streaming platforms, along with the rest of her music under the name Allie Sandt. Other information, tour dates, and social media can be found here.