There’s something quietly magnetic about Ally Bakst, a voice that rasps like a whispered secret and songs that shimmer with intimacy, detachment, and emotional tension. The NYC-born, LA-based artist has spent the past few years cultivating a distinct presence in the alt-pop underground: one foot in electronic minimalism, the other in raw, soul-baring vulnerability. With her latest single 'Look So Pretty', she sharpens that duality into a knife’s edge.
Seductive, haunting, and disarmingly honest, 'Look So Pretty' explores beauty as both performance and protection, a theme that runs deep in Bakst’s songwriting and her broader artistic world. Written alongside longtime collaborator Amanda Joy and polished by Lorenzo Maldonado and Justin Spaulding, the track feels like it emerged from a dream and a reckoning at once, layered with chopped vocals, hypnotic beats, and the kind of restraint that makes every syllable feel loaded.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
My voice. I’ve been singing forever and it’s the only instrument that will ever truly be me. As I’ve learned to produce more and more, I’ve realized that I can even use my voice in my sound design process to create synths, pads, etc.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I grew up on classic rock and my oldest brother JB showed me a lot of indie, alternative pop music. He really put me onto Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, Phoenix, MGMT, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, etc. As a teenager I was super into Lana Del Rey and Lorde, and I still am. They both create a world for you to live in that makes everything feel like a movie you would’ve never been able to watch without them. I recently got an Ipod for the holidays and was going through all the music I bought when I was younger and it was super nostalgic. A lot of Broods, Daft Punk, CHVRCHES, The Strokes, Foster The People, The XX, Two Door Cinema Club, Cults, Crystal Castles, Fleetwood Mac, Asap Rocky, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and so on.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I honestly can’t remember, but I started collecting vinyl a couple years ago, and the first album I bought was “Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs” by Derek & The Dominos, and Layla was probably one of my early favorites as a kid. My dad and I would sing along to it together, so it’s special to me.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This is SUCH a hard question, I could name 1,000 songs I wish I wrote. West Coast by Lana Del Rey or Eventually by Tame Impala. West Coast has a really cool bpm shift between sections, and I love that the song and Lana don’t stick to the standard pop mold. Eventually takes emotions that everyone experiences and turns them into something you can actually feel rather than think about. The chords, the sound design, everything matches the vibe of the lyrics perfectly. Both Lana Del Rey and Tame Impala combine songwriting and production in a way that feels somewhat inseparable. The songs alone are great, but it’s their performances and execution that breathe life into the records.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I’m making stuff all the time so it changes, but I honestly tend to write my best stuff when I’m least expecting it. Sometimes I like to get into character, doing my makeup a certain way and setting the mood in my room with candles and stuff, but I never know when I’m gonna make something I really love.I got my first synth recently, so I’ve been really enjoying playing with sounds until I find something I really like and then building from there.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Probably Magdalena Bay, Lorde, or Billie Eilish. They’re all so talented and they don’t just put on a show, they all create worlds that you get to experience. I want to create a live experience that people can truly immerse themselves in.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Making music and collaborating with the right people is definitely the best part. I love working alone, but I also really love working with my people. When I find the ones I click with creatively, there’s no better feeling. I make some music with my brother JB and have more recently started working a lot with some friends as well, including Lorenzo Maldonado and Amanda Joy who were a big part of the process of making my upcoming mixtape.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Feeling like you have to do everything yourself can really burn you out as an artist, but it’s also incredibly rewarding seeing things grow as a result of all of the hard work. You have to wear a lot of hats as an indie artist, and it often feels like things are falling apart more than they are coming together, but in the grand scheme of things, all of the work you put in that feels like it has no tangible result is coming together to help you build something much bigger. At least that’s what I tell myself lol.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Just keep going. It’s not just about talent, most people fail because they give up. But if you can sit in the discomfort of the unknown long enough, longer than everyone else, you might actually make it.
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Ally Bakst's new single 'Look So Pretty' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.