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Every once in a while, you’ll hear an adult call folk-pop artist Ivory West a prodigy. Don’t buy it, she says. The 13-year-old singer-songwriter might be young, but she’s not a genius. She’s a musician.
“You see 4-year-olds that are like Mozart,” she says. “(My songwriting) is not that big a deal. I think everyone is talented. You’re always talented; it’s just about finding out you are.”
OK. So, she’s a musician. But – and it has to be said – she’s a really good one (whether she acknowledges it or not). With only a little more than two years of guitar lessons under her belt, West – an eighth-grader at Lakeview Middle School – can already boast a 13-track album on sale at Wooden Nickel and a handful of upcoming live performances.
West writes happy songs, she says – many of them about love, nature or “happy times.” Set to delicate, rootsy acoustic guitar, her music is catchy and melodic (she tips her hat to the Beatles for that) and a nice canvas for her expressive (and incredibly sweet) voice.
“I’m just trying to make people happy,” she says. “I don’t like sad music. I don’t like things that bring you down. I’m a happy person – or I like to think so.”
Lyrically, West pours on the charm, creating a poetic and musical version of a high school diary. It’s at once endearing and surprisingly relatable. She puts it this way: “The music hits my heart, my soul, then my paper.”
“People say my lyrics are pretty deep for my age, but I don’t necessarily agree,” West says. “I just write from the heart. I’ve always written poetry, so it just comes naturally.”
West’s first album “Mixed Emotions,” contains 13 musical ruminations on love and happiness – with one exception. West describes the song “Believing” as being about people who make and break promises.
“It’s the only sad song on the album,” she says. “It’s about the emotions you feel when that promise has been broken. When something bothers you, writing a song about it is a good way to get it out.”
West continues to look forward, continuing to improve her songwriting and musical skills, she says. Looking back, her least-favorite song is the first one she ever wrote on the guitar. It’s called “What’s A Girl To Do.”
“It’s not a favorite,” she says. “Just because the chords are so simple. At the time, I had a boyfriend who was really weird. He never really talked to me. So, we kept breaking up and getting back together and I really didn’t know why. So I wrote a song about it. I guess you’ve got to start somewhere.”
