Name: Angelique Henle
Location: Washington, DC
Age: 31
Profession: Technical Specialist/Singer/Songwriter/Producer
Website: www.reverbnation.com/angeliquehenle
In a few words, how would you describe yourself?
I am determined, extremely passionate, serious when it comes to my work, curious about learning new things, funny, and loud.
Who is your biggest musical influence? And why?
This is a tough one because I don’t have just one big musical influence in my life. I have tons. I love classical music because that was the first type of music I learned and it taught me the basis I needed to create. I have deep profound respect for the composers that made music like “Moonlight Sonata”, “Four Seasons”, and “Fur Elise”. Classical music shares emotions without all the words getting in the way.
I also love the artists my parents listened to when I was growing up including Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, James Taylor, and Sarah McLachlan, because I learned great song writing and lyric writing. Then, I have all the artists that I personally looked up to growing up and still look up to including Jewel, Alanis, Missy Higgins, Brandi Carlile, Ray LaMontagne; and bands like Coldplay, Anberlin, Goo Goo Dolls and LifeHouse. All of these artists/bands, musicians and types of music are huge influences on me because they teach me and inspire me to work hard and believe that one day I can also be great.
What spaces or venues do you like to play in?
I have played in so many different types of venues from small little coffee shops that aren’t big enough to have more than one person crammed in a corner, to a huge festival stage where you can hear the music for miles. They all offer something different because the coffee shops are super intimate and you can really connect with your audience; but the sound and the power that comes from playing on a huge stage with a band is a completely different rush. It’s exhilarating. I think spaces like some of the ones I have played in Baltimore and New York that offer the best of both worlds like The Recher Theater, The Bitter End, and 8×10, would be some of my favorites. They are intimate enough to still be able to connect with your audience and they offer up the great stage sound that adds to the rush that helps me to put on a great show.
Your favorite hangout spots.
Anyplace that is outdoors. I really love hanging out with good people and going hiking, or going to a park or festival, or even just hanging out on the back deck with a fire going in the pit. I spend most of my life in bars, so when I think of hanging out I usually want to break away from that.
Favorite guilty pleasure.
A day on the couch watching movies and sharing a pizza.
Favorite quote.
“The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. “ – Marcel Proust
Favorite gig (past or present).
I would have to say my favorite gig was when The Bad Ass Brothers (what my band called themselves) and I played at the New Jersey Balloon Festival opening up for MeatLoaf. That was the first time we had ever been on a major stage and the response from the crowd was so humbling and amazing. So many people came to the stage from walking around the festival, really got into our set, and even lined up to talk to me after the show without ever having heard of me before. That was an amazing feeling. It was also really cool seeing how everything is run on the backend for a major show. It’s a lot of work!
Do you have any regrets in life?
Nope, I wouldn’t be where I am if I never made the mistakes I have and learned from them.
Favorite lesbian celebrity.
Ellen for sure. She is hilarious. I love all of her stand-ups and she is also such an inspiring woman. She came out to the community in a time that it was still really hard and faced oppression because of her sexuality – but she pushed through that and didn’t let any of that keep her down. She also didn’t let that define her. I think I would like to be like Ellen one day, in the way that she has grown to inspire people.
Any fun facts or anything else you want our readers to know?
I love to cook. It’s like therapy for me to be in the kitchen. I love making food to share with friends and family. I am by no means amazing (my timing is horrible), but I think I am all right. Things always taste good, so I guess that is what matters. I watch the cooking channel a lot to learn different techniques and what goes good together. I am secretly a huge dork. I love useless trivia and I know how to complete a Rubik’s cube.
