VoyageLA Local Stories: Meet Oriel Poole
Built on recommendations from the community, VoyageLA's “Local Stories” series highlights talented local creatives, entrepreneurs, and organizations working on great additions to the city of LA.
Oriel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Before making the jump into music full-time, I was actively working towards a career in design. After graduating with a degree in Interior Architecture and Design from one of the top design schools on the East Coast, I worked across several industries – from the design of luxury weddings to high-end hospitality spaces to music event production. Ultimately, it was through design that I first ventured into the music industry.
Music had always been a huge part of my life, but I had never fully entertained the idea of pursuing it as a career. I told myself that music wasn’t a “practical” or “safe” career path.
Unbeknownst to me, the design industry, like so many other creative fields, was fundamentally changing as the economy recovered from recession. Suddenly, the “safe”, stable design jobs were becoming harder to find. Throughout that period of uncertainty, I found myself leaning into music more as a creative outlet. The more I pursued music, the stronger the calling became for me, and the clearer it became that no path was inherently “safe” – it was simply a matter of choosing which path was worth fighting for.
Once you have an epiphany like that, there’s no going back. With every fiber of my being, I just knew… music was the right path for me.
It wasn’t long before I decided to move to California. I took what little savings I had, enrolled in a music production course, and got to work on creating my first song, “Brighter”, which helped me crowdfund the creation of my debut EP, “Sunday”.
Since “Sunday”, I’ve released “Warrior”, “Shadow Wall”, “Whipped Cream”, several features, as well as my most recent single, “Freedom”, that dropped on June 30th. I’ve also produced several music videos, including an animated music video over quarantine for “Shadow Wall”.
Has it been a smooth road?
As with any major shift, there were absolutely challenges – some expected and some not. I knew that moving across the country with very little money to pursue a dream would be challenging, but I also knew that I was done trying to silence the calling to music that had been a part of me for so long.
In many ways, making the commitment to follow my heart released me from a struggle I hadn’t even realized I was in. Where I had previously felt a sense of resistance – as though the Universe was pushing against me – I suddenly felt that same force was now at my back, pushing me forward.
Conversely, my newfound freedom unfolded into a process of self-discovery that brought me face-to-face with some of the darkest parts of myself. Learning to embrace that duality is both daunting and transformative. But, it was through exploring the tense space between dark and light within myself that I found the inspiration for my recent single, “Shadow Wall”.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I’m a singer, music producer, and multidisciplinary creative based in Venice, Los Angeles. I’m probably best known for melding R&B, Electronic, Soul and other Experimental sounds into a rich, sensual, and otherworldly experience.
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
If I had to start over, I’m not sure that I would benefit from changing my path. I think the breadth and diversity of my experience has been the most powerful force in shaping who I have become, both as a creative professional and as a person.
Being a creative professional requires a balanced mixture of work ethic, empathy, clear creative vision, and technical mastery – not only must we be able to engage with chaos of the heart and mind, we must also be able to consistently transform it into an experience that others can see themselves in.
As is often the case, the mistakes I’ve made along the way are also where I’ve learned the most valuable lessons.