Project Description
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Interview with
ALAE
Interviewer – Dave Bruce
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How did you all find each other and decide to share your musical talents as a group?
Allister and I are friends from college, we’ve been writing music and playing in bands together for about 9-10 years years. Jayden and Marika are people that we’ve met along the way – through friends, shows and tours. We first met Marika when we toured with Holly Smith. She played bass for Holly at the time, and still does. Jayden plays in a few other bands and was recommended by a friend, he was easy going and liked what we were trying to do.
How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
Our sounds has evolved as the band has grown, the opportunities we’ve had and the people we’ve worked with over the years have given our sound a few different elements. Making it broadly relatable, it doesn’t have a specific demographic. We all have different ideas and styles we naturally lean towards. The band is currently indie pop, but started as a more Alt folk, melancholy confessional outfit. Moving forward, I think some of that is going to find its way back in to the mix.
Your new release, ‘Lucy’ is out this month! Can you share the origins or inspiration behind the release?
Lucy was a co-write with an amazing writer and all round good guy (Maxx Gunn). We met during a week long songwriting session, we both really liked each others sound and what we were creating that week. From there we had a few sessions of our own and Lucy was the product of one of them.
Alex’s vocals are very strong on this one! Did you make a conscious choice to have this song be very vocal led?
I guess throughout the production process, the track can change a lot. The song started very stripped back, it was then added to and edited over time. The lead melody and how that worked with the chords was where it began. These parts are anchors in this song, so they naturally made their way to the foreground.
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Is there anything you want people to know about the track?
If you know, you know, you know?
Your track ‘Summer Thing’ is also getting a lot of attention at the moment! What’s been happening with that song?
It’s been received really well, which feels great. It’s nice to have been recognised by a few international radio stations and to get on a regular rotate in NZ. It’s really helped us get some more momentum.
How does it feel to have your songs recognised like that?
It feels awesome, and makes us more excited to release ‘Lucy’! I’m hoping people like this one, it’s a favourite of the band, and it’s really fun to play live.
Are you working on any more new music at the moment?
We’re always working on new music, it never stops really. Even if it’s not as alae, we’re all actively practicing and at least trying to write most days. We’re working on a few in particular at the moment.
What are your plans for your music career in 2020 and beyond?
To continue to develop and hone our songwriting and live performance skills. To learn as much as possible, and to write music that feels good, and pushes our perception of what we’re capable of making.
Do you have any longer-term plans or goals you are working towards?
Eventually another album is the goal.
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What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
When people start clapping when you haven’t even finished the song. It’s like all the feels at once. The satisfaction of playing to an audience and having them agree and resonate with what they’re hearing (the product of your emotions) is an amazing feeling.
Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
Artist – Way too many to choose.
Movie – I don’t really know, but I want to check out more of Gregg Araki’s films.
Place to visit – This one beach that I’m not gonna mention, because no one ever goes there, and that’s the best part haha.
Venue to play – Big festival stages, any of them.
Food – Pasta.
Drink – Most…
Person in History – anyone who’s ever strived for positive change.
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) I have a huuuge tramp stamp, and a ruler going down my thigh.
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Check out ALAE below
Website – Facebook – Instagram
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New Zealand’s
ALAE
return with brand new single:
‘LUCY’
Alae are back with their new single: ‘Lucy.’ The third recent release, with more to come this year. Following up their recent Summer smash: ‘Summer Thing’ (which has just been released across the U.S), ‘Lucy’ continues the Band’s journey into Chart territory, which first began with the radio smash, ‘Hit Me Where it Hurts.’
Alae Front man Alex explains more about ‘Lucy’: “Lucy is about letting go of the outside world and just doing you. I imagine myself at a festival in the sun, dancing to my favourite tunes, with nothing to worry about. I think the chorus lyrics speak for themselves. I co-wrote this track with a mate called Maxx Gunn, we met at a song-writing session in Auckland. Our styles and direction meshed way better than we could have ever thought. So we started writing in our own time, and this is the product of our joint thinking. I’m excited to release ‘Lucy,’ because I think it ties together our first release: ‘Hit me where it hurts’ and our most recent single ’Summer Thing.’ It’s cool to get to show off Maxx Gunn as well (The song’s co-writer). He’s responsible for the beautiful keys and the sassy harmonies. This song is also insanely fun to play live!”
The Director of the video clip for ‘Lucy,’ Mardo El-Noor, also explains the visual concept of the video: “Inspired by the imagery of the song’s lyrics, the music video is a visual free-association of colours & textures, words & shapes, narrative & abstract, while centred around the interplay between a purple-haired Lucy & a green-haired Mary Jane.”
With touring currently off the table for all Artists right now, the year has still been a big year release wise so far, for Alae. After seeing in 2020 with a repeat performance at ‘Rhythm & Vines’ in Gisborne, NZ the band also collaborated with local hip-hop hero Kings and released a second remix of ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts.’ A headline set at Auckland’s Pride celebration ‘Big Gay Out’ bought the noise to a 10,000-strong crowd early February. More live dates are on the cards, with a tour across New Zealand and Australia in the works later on in the year.
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