We chatted with up-and-coming songstress ALANA about everything under the musical sun—writing her inspiration, her dream collaborators, to unconventional Christmas carol traditions.
Young Entertainment: Where do you get your inspiration from?
ALANA: I like to pull inspiration from so many different areas of my life. I was in an internationally known metal band since I was a teen so I have always had this “darker” side of me that I can mix in with my love for pop music. Artists like Lana Del Rey, The Weeknd, Grimes, T.a.T.u, Evanescence, Fly Leaf, etc. have all been big models for me to see where I can push my limits with the “dark, weirder” side of my music.
YE: What would you like the audience to take away from your music?
A: Never be afraid to be yourself. If you’re sad, you’re sad, if you’re happy you’re happy, if you’re feeling like badass, you’re a badass. Embrace your emotions, when you feel them. No one is allowed to judge you for that and if they do screw ‘em!
YE: How would you best describe your music?
A: I always liked to say that my pop music is dark with an innocent twist.
YE: How long have you be singing? When did you first get into music?
A: I have been singing since I was young. My mom would always try to make me sing Silent Night in 3 different languages at Christmas time (even to this day) haha. I started taking music more seriously though when i was about 10. I started taking guitar and piano lessons till I eventually just stuck with piano. I joined a metal band called “Winds of Plague” and started touring the world with them when I was still a teenager. When I was 20 I really wanted to get into pop music and start my solo career. I was teaming up with producers and creating pop music with dubstep elements but that didn’t seem to hold over very long. It wasn’t until a year ago I had met someone who would “mentor” me so to say, and help develop and transform my art to what I am today. He gets me and my ideas and I get his, it’s a great team.
YE: What has been your favorite part so far?
A: My favorite part of this whole journey so far is creating, and keeping on creating. That is my passion. From the music to the videos to the photos, it is all a piece of my art. I want the world to hear my music and see my vision.
YE: What was the hardest thing for you so far?
A: The hardest thing for me so far has definitely been not knowing if anyone will get what I’m trying to do. I don’t want to go along the grain, I want to go against it, break some boundaries and have people like me for it.
YE: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
A: I would just about die if I ever collaborated with The Weeknd. I have been a fan since he started and always admired that touch of darkness he captured with his lyrics, music and his voice.
YE: What can we see from you moving forward?
A: Currently I am getting ready to release a new song and teaser video called “Army of Me.” Then a full music video and song release for what I feel is the best work I have done so far called “Black Magic.”
YE: If there was one song that you could say was yours from the history of music, which would it be and why?
A: This is tough, I can’t necessarily say that I would want someone else’s song to be mine just because, I read deep into the emotions a song portrays. Those aren’t my emotions, even though I can clearly relate to them, they still are not MY raw feelings. BUT if I had to pick another artists song just because I think it’s the best thing ever I’d have to go with Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.” I love how angsty she is in this. She’s just awesome. I love her. haha Or Evanescence- Going Under.
YE: What are the top five songs you are currently listening to?
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