.

Do you get any people asking, ‘is this song about me?’

No, no. It’s usually pretty explicit so they don’t have to ask yeah.

.

So we also heard you’re inspired by Eminem. What is it about him that makes him such an inspiration?

His lyrics, I just like the lyrics yeah. I like what he has to say, and he’s a great songwriter.

.

Yeah. Do you have a performance that stood out to you? One of your favorites or a highlight?

No, but I just did my first two headline shows and those were really cool and then I got to perform here a few days ago and I’ve never performed in Australia before so, that was cool.

.

Congratulations!

Thanks!

.

So do you like being on the road?

Yeah, that’s my favorite part. Sometimes I don’t like it, it just depends.

.

So what was it like being in the studio with Jon Bellion?

Oh, cool! I just worked with him like 4 weeks ago. Him and I are really good friends so it’s just super natural.

.

Did you learn a lot from him?

Yeah, I learned a lot in general just about touring, I’d never been on tour before, on a tour bus or anything like that so not only from him but just from a tour in general.

.

What was like the biggest piece of advice he gave you?

John was always reiterating to me to just keep making music because sometimes you can get lost in the fact that there are so many different things you can do. You can post vlog videos, you can post Instagram pictures, you can do this you can do that be he says you’re a musician so keep making music, Don’t worry about all the other stuff cause there’s a lot of fluff that gets in your way. You look at another artist and it’s like why do they have so many followers like why is this, why is that but it’s not about your Instagram, it’s about music. Because I think a lot of artists get into it every artist starts from a different angle. Some artists start out on Instagram and they’re like ‘hey I’ll make music’ and some people start out making YouTube videos and then they go ‘I think I’ll make songs’ and that’s not saying anything about like the quality of their music cause a lot of times they make great stuff but I always started making music like I didn’t even have Facebook until I got to college. If I had a choice as I would never post.

.

I guess it all kind of speak to how much you know, how in it you are for the music.

Well I like the real stuff like I like being in front of people and performing its like you can create this amazing thing online which is special too cause I think the majority of the time, you’re fans are only gonna interact with you online like they’re not gonna be able to see you in person. My passion is the real-life performance and that’s like where I put most of my effort into, so yeah and everybody has different skills and are different so you know.

.

.

Is there like a song you’re most proud of?

No, not really. I mean whichever one is most popular and makes it so I can keep making music my whole life I’ll be most proud of that song.

.

Who’s your dream artist to collaborate with?

I don’t really have one.

.

Do you have any songs or artists that are on rotation for you right now?

Ummm, no. But I have been listening to the new Death Cab For Cutie album a lot lately.

.

Yeah? And what did you think of that one?

Yeah I think it’s great!

.

Old stuff or new stuff?

The new album is great I mean I listen to their old stuff all the time but their new album is what I’ve been listening to recently just because it’s out now, but I still listen to all their old stuff too.

.

When you are writing songs, do you write the lyrics first or the melody?

 Lyrics first.

.

How do you come up with the melodies? Are you just like driving around and get something stuck in your head or do you have to sit down and think about it?

I mean it’s different every time but I usually like to sit down.

.

Do you have any advice that you could give to any aspiring artists?

No, I don’t really like to give advice because I’m still figuring it out myself, so I don’t really want to be giving anybody advice, because I really don’t feel like I’m in a position to be telling people how they should behave.

.

Do you have any avenues you’d like to explore either in the music industry or outside the music industry?

 I wanna go back to school, like when I’m older, like way older though but on my own terms and learn about shit that I really care about. I think the problem with education is they don’t really explain to you the real-life application of things, and for people who are creative and want to make things it’s hard to see the fruits of your labor and for me, things aren’t gratifying unless I’m actually working towards a goal. So school’s kind of like ‘hey, study this and we’ll tell you in 20 years how you can use it!’ like, no thanks. But yeah, I would love to learn something else.

.

What else are you interested in possibly studying?

I studied Chinese for a long time so I like learning languages. I always like, in sixth grade I had a maths teacher who was really terrible but that was the year we learned algebra and I didn’t learn algebra because he didn’t teach.

.

.

I’m the same, my grade 5 teacher was awful!

Yeah, and if you don’t learn algebra, it’s like the basis for upper-level mathematics for your whole life so it was hard for me to catch up so it was hard for me in school, and I just didn’t really care so I just skated through. So I guess I’d be interested to see if I’m good at maths or not because I don’t really know. And I also feel like times tables and stuff is just not maths, it’s just arithmetic.

.

Do you have any favorite Aussie bands?

Ummmm, Crowded House!

.

Have you been to any Australian shows at all?

I saw this girl Thelma Plum.

.

Oh yeah! What’d you think?!

I thought she was great!

.

Have you met any Australian artists?

 No.

.

Yeah, you’re based in LA, aren’t you?

Yeah! Actually, I met Broods but I think they’re from New Zealand.

.

Oh yeah, I think they are. Is there an Australian tour in the works by any chance?

 There will be but not right now. I don’t have a plan right now.

.

If you could give your younger self, like when you were just starting out in music, any advice, would you have anything you would like to tell yourself?

 Yeah, I would tell myself to apply myself a little bit sooner, just because like, I should have paid more attention in school. I did well in school but I didn’t really achieve all the things I could’ve achieved. I think it doesn’t matter how gifted you are or whatever, like I’m not gifted or anything but I definitely like had an aptitude for music and saw I could skate by, but you can’t really do that, because there are a lot of people that are good and like they’re gonna work hard.

.

Lastly, if you could go to any concert, dead or alive, do you know who you would want to go to?

Ummm, no. I’d like to see Coldplay. But to be honest, I don’t really like going to concerts that much, is that terrible to say? I only go to concerts for people that I really care about. Because there are very few artists, John Mayer being one of them who are good enough at their instrument to be entertaining without me knowing all of their songs. You know what I mean? Even some of the best rock bands, like I don’t care about how fast you can play the guitar like, if I don’t know the words to your songs I really don’t care. For me it’s not fun to go to the shows if I’m not passionate about the artist. For me I’d only ever want to see my favourite artists live, and if I know every song. If I don’t have a connection to someone’s music I don’t really care.

.

Have you got a favorite concert that you’ve been to?

Coldplay, they’re amazing.

.

.

Follow ALEC BENJAMIN
Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB