Amanda Ayala Makes Impression on Yonkers Music Scene

When Amanda Ayala accepted her Spirit of a Woman Award in March 2024, it marked the beginning of a new phase in her music career that began on the talent competition show, The Voice.

From modest performances throughout Westchester County to the release of her first album, the Yonkers native cultivated her craft at an early age through the local rock music scene. Ayala became a member of a rock band in 2010 at just 12 years old. She played her first gig at The Bitter End in New York City that very same year. These early experiences gave her the platform to introduce her original compositions while cutting her chops on classic rock standards. For the next several years, she appeared on national television and performed as an opening act for established musicians. With her talent on full display, influential members of the music industry began to take notice.

Competition and Breakthrough

Ayala made her reality television debut on The Voice in 2015. The 17-year-old impressed judges and audiences alike by singing the American rock classic, “Mississippi Queen” by Mountain, and Stevie Nicks' anthem, “Edge of Seventeen.” Despite not advancing, the exposure led Ayala and her band to winning the 2016 Westchester County's Battle of the Bands.

In a 2019 interview with Westchester Magazine , Ayala expressed how her appearance on The Voice transformed her life and career.

“ The Voice ” took my career to a completely different level […] It was the launch pad to where my career is going today and obviously, the national exposure has opened me to a whole wide fan base of people I never even knew I had.

Ayala began performing as a supporting artist alongside rock bands such as Blackfoot at The Chance venue in Poughkeepsie. In 2016, she performed at the Annual Tuckahoe Music Festival, sharing billing with acts like pop singer Taylor Dayne. Dayne then invited Ayala to join her in performing her number-one hit song, “Love Will Lead You Back.” Ayala also had notable performances supporting David Cassidy, Sebastian Bach, and Leslie West. A highlight during this stage of her career was performing a duet with West of “Mississippi Queen” at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City.

Festivals, Competition, and Pop Crossover

In August 2017, Ayala showcased her talent at the annual Spiedie Fest in Binghamton, New York. At this event, she opened for renowned rock artists Blue Öyster Cult. Ayala continued to make waves that year, captivating audiences as she opened for Taylor Hicks at the Palace Danbury Theater. She further solidified her presence on the emerging rock scene by performing alongside Dee Snider from Twisted Sister at The Chance.

After years of paying her dues and achieving modest success, including breaking the top 100 on the iTunes Rock charts for the songs she performed on The Voice , Ayala was determined to break into pop. With musical influences including Pat Benatar, Guns N' Roses, and Paramore, Ayala released her first full-length album, Hooked, in 2021. Her single “Seventeen” marked her first number-one hit, achieving the milestone on the New Music Weekly Indie chart.

Yonkers Roots to Global Dreams

Ayala's hometown pride has been a consistent factor in her personal and professional success. Like both of her parents, she was born and raised in Yonkers and built the foundation of her career playing clubs, bars, and venues in the city and neighboring communities.

We're Westchester natives and [in] my personal life, my social life, Westchester has been a huge part of the community of everyday life. There have been a ton of shows I've done in Westchester throughout my entire career that I am so incredibly thankful for.

In 2024, Ayala was honored with a Spirit of a Woman Award during Women's History Month. The award, which recognizes trailblazing women who have made significant contributions to their respective fields, holds special significance for Ayala. “It's truly amazing to come back to where I was born and where I came from. To win an award as a trailblazer—it's truly such an honor. I'm very, very grateful.”

Far from being confined to a single genre, Ayala's music reflects her diverse influences and her commitment to hard work and artistic growth. Whether she's belting out a rock anthem or crooning a pop ballad with what country music star Blake Shelton described as having a “slower vibrato with a little bit of rasp”, Amanda Ayala's music career is on the rise.