Somewhere Between Home and Here: An interview with Ally Salort
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Some artists write songs to tell stories. Ally Salort writes them to make sense of the moments in between. Her music lingers in the uncertainty that comes with growing up and the realization that change is rarely as straightforward as it seems. Wrapped in polished pop production and buoyed by an effortless vocal delivery, her songs balance emotional vulnerability with an undeniable sense of optimism, allowing deeply personal experiences to resonate on a universal scale.
That sense of evolution defines the chapter Salort now finds herself entering. Having recently opened for Charlie Puth at Madison Square Garden — a full-circle moment for the Maplewood, New Jersey native — she is preparing to release a new EP that expands both her sonic landscape and visual identity. Much of the project was written while traveling and having experiences that subtly reshaped not only her songwriting, but the world surrounding it. The result is a body of work that feels simultaneously intimate and expansive, one that embraces uncertainty instead of resisting it. The EP, Isn’t it sweeter?, drops July 17th. Tracks like “I’ve Never Met Her,” “Finish Line,” and “A Little More Fun” suggest Salort’s growing confidence in the industry, and herself — a theme of the album.
When PhotoBook Magazine caught up with Salort, our conversation moved beyond milestones and streaming numbers. We spoke about finding inspiration far from home, translating complicated emotions into vibrant pop records, the surreal experience of performing for family and friends at Madison Square Garden, and why, despite an increasingly fast-moving career, the quiet moments spent singing alone at her piano remain the truest measure of who she is as an artist. If there's a thread connecting every answer, it's an understanding that growth isn't a destination, it's the work of continually becoming.
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You grew up just across the river in Maplewood, New Jersey, and now you've opened for Charlie Puth at Madison Square Garden. Does stepping onto that particular legendary stage feel like the ultimate hometown milestone for you?
Definitely, 100%. I think there's such an energy about MSG that just feels immediate, and I had grown up going to that venue a couple times, and you hear so much about it. So, it was a crazy night.
You were in NYC between May 27th and 29th during this tour. What was the energy like backstage as you prepared for a hometown-adjacent crowd?
I was really nervous, this was pretty deep into the tour so I had a bunch of shows under my belt and I was starting to get a little more comfortable. But then once we hit MSG I was freaking out because it’s something different performing for people that you know. I had a bunch of hometown friends and family. And so I think that added a whole other level as well, every time I perform in front of people I know, it’s a whole different ballgame. But yeah, it was a mixture of excitement and nerves, absolutely.
Your live sound is described as a mix of "glossy pop hooks with emotional depth" and "cinematic production." How do you scale up those cinematic studio elements to fill a massive arena like MSG while keeping the storytelling feeling raw and relatable?
Oooh, I think a lot of it comes down to probably the production of my songs, its not all-stripped, which gives it a nice arena feel, I would hope. And then I think the lyrics are what keep it intimate and relatable.
Your upcoming July EP is teased as a "bold evolution in both sound and visual world." Given that your debut EP was titled Change of Plans, what unexpected shifts or transformations inspired this new wave of music?
I think I wrote a lot of this EP in London, and I got to go to Sweden— I was traveling a bunch.
And, I think there's an inherent difference in going somewhere other than your home to write. I think that it was just very inspiring to be a young twenty-year-old girl for a couple of weeks in London. I think that within itself probably inspired the EP a lot. So I'd say that: just traveling.
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Your brand-new single Housekeeping is described as a "fun emotional pop song" about metaphorically decluttering a person from your system. What is the secret to taking an emotionally heavy concept like struggling to let go and packing it into an upbeat pop track?
I think I just lean towards emotional lyrics regardless of what is going on in production. So I don't know if it’s necessarily even a secret. It's just kind of what I always lean towards anyway. I also think the producer playing the guitar and us starting with the instrumental really inspired the feeling of “a breath of fresh air;” like letting go. So, I think the production informed the lyrics somehow.
You've mentioned that you don't actually think about visuals consciously while you are writing a song; instead, the aesthetic, colors, and visual palette hit you afterward when you listen back. When you listen to the upcoming July EP as a whole body of work, what specific colors or cinematic imagery flash through your mind?
Hmmm. I always see blue a lot when listening to the songs. It's funny because I’ve talked to my band about this before too, and we all see different things which I think is pretty cool. We each have our own visuals going on in our world. But I personally think I see blue a lot. I also now see the actual visuals of the EP when listening because we already did them.
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When you're co-writing or working with collaborators, how do you know when a small everyday moment carries enough emotional weight to build an entire track around it?
Oooh, that's a good question. I think I'm still figuring that out. I think sometimes I will try and write a song about something that I think might be worth writing a song about, and then I find out later that it actually didn't mean anything to me, and it's really hard to pull things from. But, that’s such a good question. I don't know, I think I just kind of have to do a trial and error. I'll try and see if something is worth writing a song about and then seeing if I like the song.
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Your musical spark started at just seven-years-old when you asked for voice lessons after watching your older brother perform. Do you still tap into that initial, childhood love for singing when you are dealing with the fast-paced realities of the music industry today?
Yes, I think singing at my piano in my bedroom, no matter what's going on in my life (what venues I am playing or what tour I am on), I will always want to just sing at my piano by myself, for myself. That's really grounding for me. So, just carving out time to just do it for the love of it, and not just for the job.
At 14, your life hit a major turning point when you were flown out to Los Angeles as a finalist in a national talent search. Looking back, how did that early taste of the LA music world shape the way you eventually approached building your career?
Woah. I just remember being 14 and doing that whole thing and just feeling intimidated by everyone and everything. And, I think it did start me off on this feeling of nervousness around it all. But I think the more that I do it and the more people I meet, I am now at a point where I realize nobody really knows what they are talking about. I feel as if we are all just kind of experimenting and there's going to be people who feel like they know the right way, and you just kind of have to do it for yourself. You just have to figure it out as you go and everyone has their own path. I look back at that experience, and I put everyone during that experience on such a pedestal, now I realize that's not the case and we are all just figuring it out as we go.
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Is there anything you'd tell 14 year old Ally now, knowing what you know and having the experiences you have had?
I feel like it’s always so hard because nothing I would say would actually change anything. I think she just has to go through it all and see for herself. Maybe just stress less, just relax. It is all going to happen how it is supposed to anyway whether you're worried about it or not.
Your music captures the chaos and beauty of young adulthood at 22. If you had to pick one theme from your journey so far: heartbreak, uncertainty, clarity, or growth, which one describes the upcoming EP the most?
Hmmm just one word? I would say growth.
Ally Salort: https://www.instagram.com/allysalort/?hl=en
Listen to Salort’s music on all major streaming platforms.
EP: Isn’t it sweeter?
Release: July 17, 2026
Linkfire: https://allysalort.lnk.to/isntitsweeter
Advanced listening stream
EP Tracklist:
I’ve Never Met Her
Housekeeping
Finish Line
Proof
A Little More Fun
If We Had Forever
Isn’t it sweeter?
“Marks a bold evolution in both sound and visual world. Her music blends glossy pop hooks with emotional depth and a confident, modern edge, pairing cinematic production with raw, relatable storytelling. It’s a project that sees Ally embracing her voice with a newfound confidence and sense of self.”
CREW CREDITS:
Talent: Ally Salort
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Photographer: Michael Creagh
Fashion Editor/Stylist: Alison Hernon at Exclusive Artists
Hair: Tashi
Makeup: Corey Jason Crysler
Retoucher: Luka Ukropina
Fashion Stylist Interns: Emma Green + Elle Horensky
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Lily Kalbasz, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
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