Alexz Johnson Interview: CMJ Music Marathon — WhatsTheSmack.com
At the CMJ festival Alexz was interviewed by WhatsTheSmack.com. It’s a pretty lengthy interview and a good read:
Last week we got to sit down with Alexz Johnson at the CMJ Music Marathon. Alexz has just released her album “Let ‘Em Eat Cake” which was funded by PledgeMusic and has been featured on the TV show Instant Star. She told us a little about the new albums, her inspirations, and what her goals are. We loved seeing her show on Wednesday night, it was absolutely fantastic.
Tell us a little about your history with music. What inspired you to get started in the first place?
I just always had it in me and it felt like I didn’t really have a backup plan. I came to the planet singing and I started writing when I was really young. I felt like being in the middle of ten kids, from the same mom and dad, it was a way for me to be heard and get my pain out.
“Let ‘Em Eat Cake” just dropped! How exciting is that! What was the writing and recording process like?
It was awesome. I Pledge funded it so I raised money to make the album. I got to work with David Kahne which was amazing. I got offered a major record deal on completion of the album but I chose to not take it because I’ve already signed twice to majors and it didn’t really work out to be the best choice for me. I just like having control over what happens.
What are your biggest inspirations?
I like a lot of classics, Things that’ll never go out of style and have long lasting careers. Annie Lennox, Regina Spektor, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, and Fleetwood Mac
What do you like most about being a musician?
Being able to connect with people through music and move people with my voice.
What has been the most fun project you’ve worked on so far?
This most recent album, “Let ‘Em Eat Cake”, has been the most exciting thing I’ve worked on this year. A lot of heart and soul and gone into it and I’m going to be touring it for years. I’m doing a music video for “Let ‘Em Eat Cake” the song.
What motivates you the most in your career? What do you ultimately want to achieve?
To be able to continue doing what I’m doing. I want to keep touring. I don’t really have any expectations to be Iggy Azelea. I just want to have a long career. The fans that I have now, I want to keep them happy with the music that I make and hopefully they’re fulfilled. I just want to keep making albums and touring.
How important is it for you to maintain a personal relationship with your fans and how do you go about doing that?
It’s hugely important. Especially doing Kickstarter and Pledge, I find that that’s one of the coolest things about that whole process is being one on one with the fans and able to have them be a part of my projects. It gives me the momentum to keep doing what I’m doing and to tour. So I’m hugely thankful. I love having Twitter and Instagram to keep them in the loop of my life. I also have a blog and an email that they can reach out to me on too. I offer VIP packages at my shows and that’s a chance for them to get to meet me and do acoustic songs. I like being very interactive with my fan base.
Do you often find it difficult to balance what you want in your career versus what your family and friends want you to do?
Not at all. Everyone in my life has always been super supportive of me and my career. I feel like I couldn’t have done it without them. With tackling something like this it really takes a village, people behind you that believe in you. My parents have been nothing but sportive, they have their quirks but they’re so supportive of my music career which is amazing.
If you could go back is there anything you would’ve done differently in your career?
I don’t know if I would have. Sometimes I wonder if I would’ve done Instant Star. I wonder if that’s put a damper on my career. I think it’s a great show and I loved playing Jude. It has its positives and negatives being on a TV show because you get compared to your music sometimes as an indie artist. Instant Star I did 5 or 6 years ago and It was a gift. I can’t think that way I have to just know that I wrote music for that show and it was a time in my life and now music is my life and hopefully people can just listen to the music.
Do you think you would ever go back into acting?Oh yeah, I just did a series on Hulu with Julia Stiles called “Blue”. I played a musician and I wrote music for it. I’m always going to do projects as they come in. But my goal is touring and music. I’m just trying to get the ball rolling on my music and that takes so much of my energy. I’m not really searching in the acting end right now but that’s not to say I won’t in the future.
What are some of the things that you love to do the most in your free time?
I love cooking. I love wine. I love hanging out with my friends and going to shows in New York because I live in Brooklyn. I love just chillin’ and listening to records.
You’re originally from Canada. Why did you decide to relocate to Brooklyn?
I’m here for now. Maybe I’m off to Europe next. I came here for music. I moved here to meet amazing musicians and tour with them in the States and that was my goal and so far since I’ve moved here it’s been my fifth tour.
If you haven’t checked out Alexz’s new album “Let ‘Em Eat Cake”, you’re really missing out!
