Interview with Alexz Johnson by Emily Correa — CreativeSpotlights.com
This interview covers a wide variety of topics from Alexz’s career from PledgeMusic, going independent, her influences, and lots more.
Alexz Johnson was recently interviewed by Certified Life/Business Coach, Emily Correa of Vida Linda Coaching about her musical career:
Today we are featuring singer/songwriter Alexz Johnson to share her experiences navigating the music industry from child-star in acting, to being signed with Sony then Epic, to now being a successful and independent Europe-touring artist with Ron Pope and Wakey/Wakey. Her advice will help countless of our fans to stay inspired while knowing the realities of the music industry!
Alexz also has co-writes under her belt with Bruno Mars, The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams and Ron Sexsmith. Some of pop music’s top women – including Nelly Furtado to Demi Lovato has shown support for her work too! Welcome Alexz!
So the first thing we would love to know is:
Emily: What first inspired you to be a music artist?
Alexz: I was around 15. I knew I had a bigger than average voice, but I didn’t want to just perform other people’s songs and feelings. It was around that time I started writing music with my brother Brendan, who was drumming in a band at that time. I started feeling like I could define myself through my music. It became my escape at a young age – rather than hanging out at the mall or getting into trouble.
Emily: Sounds like you come from a musical family! You shared that you felt it was an escape for yourself, to a lot of artists I coach, they say music is something they “have to do” part of their life purpose in a way. Now, you have been called the modern day Stevie Nicks with the power of Bruce Springsteen and vocal soul of Adele., how do you feel about that?
Alexz: I’m flattered.. Bruce is the boss!
Emily: I bet that was! That’s a really impressive compliment huh? So, you got an interesting start in the entertainment industry, you were actually a child actor before you got into music, how was that experience? What advice do you have for those music artists doing more than just music?
Alexz: It would be the same across the board for acting or music, or any creative passion really.. You need to love it more than anything and I also feel you need to manage your expectations. You should never do something based on others praise or wanting to be “famous”. It needs to come from a real place – you need to sacrifice and usually there’s more struggle than most people know. That being said, follow your passions!
Emily: I agree that is is so important for one to follow their passions. One of my theories on the key to success is threefold; one is to clearly pinpoint who you are at your core and follow your passion, but secondly, pick a passion that you are EXCELLENT at, meaning way past your competition based on your skills, training and work ethic. Third, you must find a passion that the “market” will pay you to share with the world! All three of these will bring anyone happiness and prosperity! So how is the acting world different from the music world for you?
Alexz: I enjoy doing both… acting is portraying someone else. It’s expressing yourself beneath a mask. It’s also often luck-based on a great audition. Which can be a lot of pressure. With music, it’s free and expressive. It comes completely from my words and my experiences. I feel at home on a stage.
Emily: I agree there is more freedom as a music artist in a way, than in the performing arts. I myself spent 10 years on and off pursuing acting. Music always seemed to me to be more powerful on having that artistic edge and freedom because you LEAD clearly your branding and expression. What do you feel all the qualities an artist needs to have to be successful?
Alexz: Persistence, commitment and willing to take constant rejection!
Emily: True! New direction for a question, How would you describe your song writing process?
Alexz: Inconsistent! It changes song by song.. I like to set up blocks on time to focus on writing. I get into the groove a few days into it. I like being in the studio and having the equipment at my fingertips so I can lay stuff down as I go.. Although, there are times on tour when you just grab your guitar and start writing. You never know when a song wants to be born – in my experience anyway.
Emily: Great info for our fans! Who are your musical influences? What are your dream collaborations?
Alexz: I really love the old-school stuff. Aretha, Paul Simon, Rickie Lee Jones, The Cocteau Twins. I’d love to collaborate with Peter Gabriel, or David Gray.
Emily: You have an extremely loyal fan base of 113,000 Facebook fans, 45,000 twitter…how does using social media help your music career?
Alexz: It’s been amazing having these different social platforms to build a connection with my listeners. I feel it’s really helped independent artists have a chance at making a life of music. I’m very grateful for that.
Emily: I agree, there is much more liberty for an artist to build their network with social media. What is your opinion on networking…they say it’s all “who you know”…
Alexz: Definitely. It’s important to keep your connections, and also not be afraid to reach out and ask questions. You’d be surprised how many people want to help you out. It’s inspiring and makes you want to do the same for upcoming artists.
Emily: Tell me about your pledge music campaign…why was it important to you?
Alexz: I liked the fact that Pledge was solely music based. It was time to start the next album process and I felt it was a nice way to include the fans into the process. There’s no science to recording a full length record and it’s taking a bit more time than expected, but I’m so excited about the songs and I’m looking forward to the full album release.
Emily: Amazing heart! So what is your vision for your career 5 years from now?
Alexz: Touring, touring and more touring. Then recording more music, and then having the chance to start a charity to give back, give back, give back.
Emily: Now before you were signed with Sony and Epic, but now you are independent. What are some of the realities on the music industry that our fans should know?
Alexz: Being signed can be a gift or a curse depending on what’s happening within the label (that you don’t often hear about on the surface). You can get trapped and time can be wasted based on others opinions. It can take away from the natural music process, I feel. On the other end, you can also find a great team that supports you and your vision. “It takes a village”, so to speak. As an independent artist, you have to hustle, a lot. It’s a ton of work, but you remain in control and the captain of your ship. It just depends on where you feel comfortable and what you want to manage, what you’re capable of managing. I see positives and negatives to both. Isn’t that with everything though?
