Project Description
Alexandra Renee is a young US-based singer/songwriter who released her debut EP Little Things in July last year. The Chicago native is currently working on new material. The busy school girl had some time to spare recently and had a chat with AMNplify – check it out below!
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
There are a lot of artists that inspire me, but I don’t think there was one person who really made me say “I want to do that too.” I’d say it was my love of music in general that made me want to find a career in music. Even more than that, it was my love of writing songs that made me want to start working on performing. I didn’t want to sing songs other people had written; I wanted to tell my own stories and because they’re so personal, I didn’t want another singer singing my songs either. So, I realised I needed to pursue a career myself if I wanted my songs to be heard.
Can you describe your sound in one sentence?
It’s raw and honest, with a style that varies slightly from song to song.
Who are your main musical influences?
When I was a lot younger, I listened to a lot of ‘70s and ‘80s music because that’s what my mom would always play. I remember dancing around the kitchen table to ABBA’s Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen with my mom and brother every night when I was about four years old. So older artists like that have influenced me for my whole life.
Right now, I especially love Elton John, the Beatles and ABBA. I also listen to country artists like Kasey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert and Cam, as well as others like Christina Perri, Taylor Swift, Sara Bareilles, Trent Dabbs, Matt Nathanson, and Ed Sheeran. I’m influenced by a lot of singer/songwriters because I relate to those songs and artists the most.
What inspired the single, Little Things?
I wrote the song Little Things about one of my best friends. It’s funny because almost everyone who listens to it thinks it’s some kind of love song and it is, in a way, but not in the romantic sense. I got the idea for the song one night when I had been really stressed about something and this friend called me to make sure I was doing okay, which was really, really thoughtful of her.
I hadn’t even outright told her how upset I was over this stupid thing, but she knew me well enough to know I would have been freaking out. She was just there for me to talk through everything. I don’t think she realised how much it meant to me at the time, but it just reminded me of how lucky I am to have her in my life. Calling me that night was a simple thing to do—a little thing, if you will—but it was one of the most thoughtful things someone has ever done for me. She really liked the song before I had even told her it was inspired by her, and she was really flattered when she found out.
What are the themes explored on the Little Things EP?
The EP explores different aspects of life in general; each song expresses a different emotion I’ve felt strongly at some point over the last two years or so. The first song, Don’t Call expresses frustration, but it also explores themes like freedom and independence. Meanwhile, That Kind of Love explores the idea of true love, Little Things discusses what really makes any kind of relationship meaningful, and I’ll Be There is about admitting weakness.
The final song on the EP, Bloodstream, is a song a lot of people connect with because it encompasses a lot of different themes and emotions that someone might experience over the course of an entire relationship—whether that be a relationship with a family member, friend or romantic partner. Most importantly, it brings up the idea of acceptance; sometimes you look back on a person and realise they’re always going to be important to you, even if you want to forget them altogether. Bloodstream is about realising that and being able to look back on a situation with fondness even if things didn’t work out the way you hoped. It’s nostalgic, really.
What sets you apart from similar sounding artists?
I think the fact that I’m influenced by a variety of different artists is revealed through my music. A lot of people think my music is country when they first hear it, but they also recognise traces of pop, rock and some other styles. Thus, my sound is unique in the sense that it isn’t really defined. Moreover, my songs are personal, so there’s no one else writing the exact same songs as me. Sure, there are other singer-songwriters out there and there are other artists who are my age, but I think each songwriter has their own special sound because we each have our own, special experiences. That’s the great thing about writing original music: no one is going to sound exactly like you.
What would you be doing if you weren’t involved in music?
Well, I’m sixteen, so I’m still in high school. If I wasn’t writing music, I would probably just be dedicating more time to extracurricular activities there. My only goal would be getting into college, so I would probably be thinking about that more and doing lots of college visits right about now. If music isn’t an option anymore in a couple years, I might study marine biology and environmental sciences in college or something like that.
What has been your most memorable career highlight to date?
Releasing my first EP over the summer was really incredible. I’d never recorded songs like that before and to hear how professional they sounded was amazing. When I was first listening to the mixed tracks, I was just thinking “Wow…these sound like real songs. They sound like real tracks you might hear on the radio!” It made me feel like a real artist, not just a sixteen year old girl who wants to write music.
What is something you would like to achieve career-wise that you haven’t done yet?
I’d love to do this full time. Again, I’m still in high school, so a lot of my time is taken up by attending school and doing school-related things. I’m in all Honours and AP classes, so there’s a lot of homework that I have to do as well.
Even though I’m passionate about music, I still recognise the importance of doing well in school. My parents always remind me of that too. I’d love to get to the point where I can spend all of my time writing and performing. As it is, there’s just never enough time to do everything I want to do.
If you could play any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
I’d play at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville! First of all, Nashville is possibly my favourite place that I’ve ever been because everything there revolves around music. The atmosphere is incredible. I’ve seen two shows at the Opry and I loved both of them. I think the great thing about the Opry audience is that everyone is open to hearing new music.
Carrie Underwood was playing at both shows I’ve gone to there and people were excited to see her, but everyone was respectful of the other artists playing too. Some of the singers weren’t very well-known, but everybody was open to them. Furthermore, there have just been so many incredible artists who have played at the Grand Ole Opry, and it would be an honour to join those ranks.
