Catchin’ Up With Alexz Johnson – Is There Anything The Young Woman Hasn’t Accomplished? –HiiBye.com
Check out this interview Alexz did with HiiBye.com. It talks about her new album, touring, and some future plans.
Alexz Johnson is only 28 years of age but she has accomplished more in that span than many people could dream. She found stardom in TV and film with roles in Final Destination 3, So Weird and Instant Star. However, the Canadian born actress is also an extremely talented and upcoming musician. Her new album Let ‘Em Eat Cake fuses together an eclectic mix of sounds that are highlighted by Johnson’s incredibly powerful songwriting and voice. Johnson is currently out on tour in support of the album and took some time to speak with me about the new album and more:
Kevin: The new album Let ‘Em Eat Cake is great and it has a lot of soul built into it. Is that the kind of record you envisioned making? What kind of influences gave you your sound for this album?
Alexz: It is. Songwriting wise I wanted it to feel classic and strong and I wanted it to feel like overcoming, you know. I wanted it to have a hopefully timeless feel to it. Working with David Kahne on it really brought in fresh ideas. I’d say I want that old classic sound of Aretha Franklin and he would say to me “Aretha Franklin wasn’t trying to use old recording technology, she was trying to use the newest stuff out there.” He really changed my thinking.
Kevin: What was making this album like? Did you have the songs already written or you were primarily writing in the studio?
Alexz: I went to a studio with my brother and definitely came into the process with a bunch of finished songs. There were two that David came in and added choruses and stuff to and I’m totally open to that. At the end of the day, it’s the song that matters most. I had a very open mindset with this record. I’ve been doing music for a pretty long time. I mean, I’m only 28 but I signed my first record deal when I was 18 and it’s been kind of a journey getting to this point. I feel so lucky to be able to have worked with David Kahne. He’s such an amazing producer.
Kevin: The song “Cologne” is a favorite of mine off of the album. Can you explain the back-story of that song?
Alexz: It’s just like an alter ego song (laughs). We were writing in the studio and having some red wine and I basically just wrote the song to a beat. I just free styled that song. That happens sometimes. I’ll just be playing guitar and I’ll write acoustic songs that have that songwriter vibe and other times I’ll be in the studio and hear something and say “I wanna rip on this,” and that’s literally how “Cologne” got written.
Kevin: Like you said, you’re only 28 and you’ve already done so much. Your fans really adore you and support you through campaigns with Kickstarter and PledgeMusic. How does it feel to have that kind of support at such a young age already?
Alexz: Amazing. There are two things that are happening here. I was the lead of a series for four years like five years ago and that’s been a blessing because of all the support it’s given me. But, it’s been a curse when it comes to any kind of publications like Pitchfork or Stereogum because there’s some kind of clash because I played a singer songwriter on a TV show. I wrote the songs for that show and for some reason that sticks with you. No matter what I do in my career, how much I tour, how many record deals I’ve turned down, no matter what I do, it stays with me That’s the hardest part. Some people have a hard time allowing people to have a career after being on TV. That’s not something that’s going to stop me. I’m going to keep going and do what I do.
But the tour is going amazing. I feel like I’m really playing for my solid fan base, which is amazing, and they follow me through everything. I keep them in the loop and with Pledge, they are totally a part of the process. I have a photographer documenting behind the scenes and giving them a feel of what it’s like to be an independent artist.
Kevin: So it feels good to be out on tour and promoting the new songs?
Alexz: It’s such a fun tour so far. It’s been so cool. The best part about playing music is playing live. Touring is hard (laughs) but playing live is just the best.
Kevin: Any embarrassing stories from the road so far?
Alexz: Well…a fan walks in on you taking a pee, that’s awkward. Especially when you’re wearing a jumper and you have to remove the whole ensemble. That was kind of a scarring moment. We laugh about it in the band but then you have to go get up on stage! Just little human things that like, nothing too big.
Kevin: The album title itself Let ‘Em Eat Cake…what does that mean?
Alexz: It’s based on the track “Let ‘Em Eat Cake”. It’s been a really interesting year for me. Twenty-seven was about learning how to stand up for myself and be stronger in the industry. It’s really just a representation of my experiences in this last year and I guess more simply just kind of like “fuck you” in a way. People can use it however they want to, I don’t want it to be defined as one thing. Let ‘Em Eat Cake as in like take it or leave it. This is happening and if you don’t want to be apart of it then fuck off.
Kevin: Will you be doing more acting in the future or is music now the main focus?
Alexz: Just right now. I just decided to up my game on the agency front and there have been a couple of scripts I’ve been sent. But this next year I want to give attention to this record and do this for a bit. But acting is definitely something that is a big part of my life.
Kevin: Can you watch yourself on screen or does that make you cringe?
Alexz: I can’t watch the stuff I do. I get way too critical.
