Interview with Julia Alexa!
We recently interviewed singer-songwriter, producer, youtuber, Julia Alexa.
Read the interview below!
Read the interview below!
Question 1: When did you first start singing or playing your musical instrument?
Alexa: I started playing the piano when I was about seven years old. I always really liked singing and I remember singing songs and writing music when I was still in primary school but I started taking vocal lessons and taking singing seriously when I turned 13. I stopped taking piano lessons and started focusing on singing and I tried out different music styles like classical, musical or pop.
Question 2: What drew you towards your love for music?
Alexa: I remember always loving music and I looked up to a lot of famous singers and songwriters when I was younger. I got Spotify when I was about ten years old and that helped me discover a lot of cool new artists and songs. In the beginning I was mainly interested in singing covers but as I discovered young independent artists, I got inspired to write my own songs on the piano. My dad installed Garageband on my macbook and I had a lot of fun putting together different instruments, samples and loops.
Question 3: What musicians/bands/singers are you inspired by?
Alexa: When I came across Billie Eilish in summer 2017 (right after she released her first EP “don’t smile at me”) I was immediately drawn to her style of music and her view on life and music and she definitely influenced me a lot. I was inspired by the fact that she and her brother Finneas produce and record all their music themselves in their bedroom and I realized that even I could make music without needing other peoples help. Earlier this year I discovered Clairo who became very famous due to a song and little music video she made all herself (“pretty girl”) and I fell in love with her bedroom pop/ lofi vibe and started making more music influenced by her Joji and Conan Gray. I also love Isaac Dunbar, a singer songwriter/ producer who just put out his first EP and has a very unique style of dreamy pop music.
Question 4: What do you enjoy the most about being a singer?
Alexa: Every time I’m bored, sad or lonely I write down lyrics that explain what I’m feeling at the moment and it helps me to express my feelings in a poetic way. I also enjoy just trying out different melodies and chord progressions on the piano and improvising. When I’m listening to good music, I sometimes feel so inspired that I just need to write or to produce something because otherwise I can’t focus on anything else. I love the experimental part about music - being able to just do whatever you want because there’s no wrong or right. I love the feeling of getting home after a long day of school and just sitting at my piano for hours while singing different songs by artists that I like.
Question 5: What is your goal in the musical career pathway?
Alexa: I love filming covers for my Youtube channel and I’d love to gain a bigger audience so that I can put out little music videos for my original songs. I want to be able to inspire other people and make them feel connected to my music. Obviously, I’d love to perform live shows and have an audience of people who actually like my music and want to hear more. I’ve never performed my own songs live and playing small venues would be absolutely amazing. I’d also love to collab with other singer-songwriters or producers to work on some cool projects because you can always learn from other people’s experience and everybody looks at things differently. But for now, I just want to continue making music while trying to reach as many people possible by posting covers and songs I wrote myself.
Question 6: What qualities do you believe a good musician/singer should possess?
Alexa: One of the most important qualities is that you feel comfortable with your own music and that you actually like what you’re making. Especially in the beginning it’s important to try out different things in order to find your own style. You don’t have to make music that fits in exactly one box but it’s easier to gain an audience when you put out music that’s somehow connected so that your audience can connect you as an artist to a certain type of music and they’ll like all of your songs instead of just one or two. You should never try to imitate other people’s music style because people won’t need you if there’s already another person who does the exact same thing. And last but not least, practice is key. Generally speaking, artists who try out something completely new ideas and projects have a lot more success than artists who simply follow the trends. It takes practice, a lot of hard work and ambition to find out what other people want to listen to and to eventually reach your goals. You can see that very well with Billie Eilish or Clairo, since they’ve both started their own music style and trend and they’ve released music that was far from the music that used to be played on the radio.
Question 7: How do you feel when you sing/play music?
Alexa: I usually get completely consumed in what I’m doing and when I get in the perfect mood for making music, I forget everything else. It helps me to relax and wind down after studying and when I’m sad it helps me with expressing my emotions. I love being creative and producing things on Gargeband and it makes me very happy when I end up with a new song or some good lyrics. I absolutely love making music and it sometimes feels like an addiction because I can’t go longer than a day without singing or producing.
Question 8: Do you prefer singing covers or original songs?
Alexa: It’s a lot easier to sing covers because you don’t have to use your creativity. Covers usually also do better on Youtube because other people already know that song and they love listing to different versions of their favorite songs. It’s really fun to make a song written and produced by other people your own and I love posting covers on Youtube. But all in all, I have to say that I like making and singing original songs a bit more because I can do whatever I want to in that moment and I can make all the decisions myself. Every song has a meaning and I love looking at the songs I wrote the past few years and seeing my development as an artist and person.
Question 9: Who’s been your biggest supporter?
Alexa: My family doesn’t really listen to the music I put out but my parents have always paid for my piano or singing lessons. My cousin and best friends support my Youtube channel and listen to my music which makes me very happy. I’m also really grateful for every single person who’s subscribed to my channel and who comments on my videos. They always make my day when they tell me that they like what I’m doing and want to see more. There’s also this girl in India who’s super nice and she even made a fan page for me which truly means a lot to me. (thank you!)
Question 10: What is the best advice you were ever given (Doesn’t have to relate to singing)?
Alexa: I think it’s important to know that things take time. Most people won’t just wake up someday and find themselves surrounded by millions of fans and success. It takes a lot more than just one song or one video to get where your favorite artists are. In fact, it takes hard work and dedication to make it in the music business and it can take years until people take you serious as a musician. There are are tons of other amazing artists out there trying to make money with their music and maybe you’ll never be successful. Be patient, continue working hard every single day and do what you love and with a little bit of luck the right people will someday discover your music!
Question 11: Anything else to add?
Alexa: Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity! I really love what you’re doing and I think your project is really cool and deserves to be seen by people all over the globe!
Thank you!
View Alexa's Instagram: @julia_alexa