Ava Rivello Opens Up About Vulnerability, Growth and Finding Her Sound

At just 18 years old, Ava Rivello is developing an artistic identity that moves naturally between music, fashion, and deeply personal storytelling. The Philadelphia singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and model has increasingly embraced vulnerability in her work, drawing from experiences with relationships, mental health, self-discovery, and emotional growth. With her new single ‘hold me til i fall asleep’ leaning into a heavier alternative-rock direction and an upcoming EP offering another look into her evolution, Rivello spoke with Rolling Hype about finding confidence in her sound, learning to trust her creative instincts, and making music that remains true to who she is.

Q1. As a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and model, how do music and fashion work together to express your identity?

Ava: “They’re both ways I express different parts of myself. Music is probably the most personal because I’m putting my actual experiences and emotions into words, while fashion gives me another way to express those emotions visually. Modeling has taught me how to communicate a feeling without saying anything, and I think that carries over into my music and the visuals I imagine for my songs. I don’t really separate the two. They’re both extensions of who I am.”

Q2. You are building your career at only 18 years old. How do you handle the pressures of growing as an artist while still discovering who you are personally?

Ava: “I’m still figuring that out. I think that’s part of being 18. There is definitely pressure, especially with social media, because you’re constantly seeing what everyone else is doing and it can make you feel like you’re supposed to be further along than you are. I’ve learned not to compare my journey to someone else’s. I’m still growing as a person, so naturally my music is going to grow with me. I don’t think I need to have everything figured out right now. I just want whatever I put out to be honest about who I am at that moment.”

Q3. How has growing up in Philadelphia shaped your sound, personality, and ambitions as an artist?

Ava: “I think growing up around Philadelphia exposed me to so many different types of people, music, art, and culture. I’ve never felt like I had to fit into one specific box, and I think you can hear that in what I listen to and what I create. My influences can go from Paramore and Pierce the Veil to Staind, Backseat Lovers, and Bruno Mars. I also listen to music from completely different generations. I simply like what I like. I think growing up here helped give me that attitude of just being myself instead of trying to fit whatever people think an artist is supposed to be.”

Ava Rivello Opens Up About Vulnerability, Growth and Finding Her Sound — Photographer: Lori Smith

Q4. Your music often explores mental health, toxic relationships, and self-discovery. How do you decide when a personal experience is ready to become a song?

Ava: “I don’t really decide that something is ready. Usually there’s a feeling or experience that I can’t stop thinking about, and writing becomes the way I work through it. Sometimes I don’t even completely understand what I’m feeling until I start putting it into words. I also don’t like to force songs. There were a few years between my first song and these newer releases because I want what I write to be real and genuine. Sometimes I need to live through something before I understand what I really want to say about it.”

Q5. What have you learned about yourself since releasing ‘no good’ and ‘(it was) never love’?

Ava: “I’ve learned that being vulnerable isn’t something I need to be afraid of. When I first started releasing music, putting something that personal into the world was intimidating. I’m still learning to believe in myself, but I’ve realized that vulnerability is actually one of my strengths as an artist. I’ve also learned that I don’t want to change what I make just to fit what’s popular. I’d rather have one person genuinely connect with a song than make something that doesn’t feel like me just because I think more people might listen to it.”

Q6. ‘hold me til i fall asleep’ originally came from the warmth of falling in love before becoming a song about a toxic relationship. What caused its meaning to change?

Ava: “When I first started writing ‘hold me til i fall asleep,’ I thought it was going to be a love song because I genuinely thought the relationship I was in was love. But while I was writing it, I couldn’t ignore what was actually happening. The relationship had become toxic, and even though I really wanted it to work, deep down I knew we both needed to grow separately. I wasn’t ready to let go. I kept hoping one more night would somehow fix everything, but it didn’t. Once I finally accepted that, the meaning of the song changed with me. It became much more honest than what I originally set out to write.”

Q7. The single captures the experience of holding onto someone for one final night before letting go. What emotions did you want listeners to feel?

Ava: “I want them to feel that conflict between knowing you need to leave and still not being ready to. You can love someone and still know that being together isn’t good for either of you. That’s a really confusing and painful place to be. The song is that moment where you know what’s coming, but part of you is still hoping that if you can just have one more night, somehow everything will be okay. I want someone who’s been in that position to hear it and feel understood rather than feel like they’re the only person who’s struggled to walk away.”

Q8. How did working with NI Music Group – LA and recording at Studio City Sound help shape the sound of the new single?

Ava: “Working with Eric Johnson and NI Music Group has been a huge part of my growth. Eric and his team challenge me to think differently about my music and how I sing it, while still encouraging me to stay true to myself. Recording at Studio City Sound was also incredible because there’s so much history there. Walking into a studio like that definitely gives you perspective, and keeps my dreams alive – but once we started recording, the focus became making the best song we possibly could. ‘hold me til i fall asleep’ has a heavier alternative-rock sound than some of my earlier music, and the whole process helped me trust myself enough to really lean into that direction.”

Q9. Your upcoming EP will include a re-release of ‘no good’ and the deeply personal track ‘closer to dead.’ What story connects the songs across the project?

Ava: “I think every song represents a different chapter of growth. ‘no good’ is about recognizing your own worth. ‘(it was) never love’ is about realizing something wasn’t what you believed it was. ‘hold me til i fall asleep’ is that moment where you’re holding onto a relationship you already know you need to leave, and ‘closer to dead’ explores what comes after you’ve reached a breaking point. I didn’t sit down and intentionally plan them as one story, but when I look at them together now, I can see that they follow this journey through heartbreak, self-discovery, pain, and eventually learning how to move forward.”

Q10. What can listeners expect to learn about your mental health journey, emotional growth, and artistic development through the upcoming EP?

Ava: “I hope they hear growth, but I don’t necessarily want them to listen to it as a biography of my life. These songs came from things I’ve experienced, but once I put them out, I want people to be able to make them their own. Music has helped me through some difficult moments because it gave me somewhere to put feelings I couldn’t always explain in a conversation. If someone hears these songs and recognizes something they’re going through, feels understood, or realizes they’re not alone, that’s more important to me than whether they know exactly what happened to me.

Artistically, I think they’ll also hear me becoming more confident in what I want my music to sound like. ‘hold me til i fall asleep’ especially pushed me toward a heavier alternative-rock sound and made me trust that I don’t have to change my music to fit what’s popular. I can just make something that feels like me.”

As Ava Rivello continues developing her voice, her willingness to turn difficult emotions into honest songwriting remains central to the artist she is becoming. Rather than chasing what is popular, she is allowing her experiences and evolving musical instincts to guide the direction of her work, with ‘hold me til i fall asleep’ marking a stronger move toward the alternative-rock sound she wants to explore. With an upcoming EP connecting different chapters of heartbreak, vulnerability, self-worth, and growth, Rivello is building a body of work designed not only to tell her story, but to give listeners space to find pieces of their own within it.

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