Words by Carol Wright | Photographer: Bobby Sing
We got to chat with singer/songwriter Alexa Ray about her album Fearless and her advice for aspiring singers.
When did you become passionate about writing and performing music?
I’ve always been passionate about music. Ever since I was small I knew music was my life. I didn’t start writing however until about three years ago. I’ve really enjoyed the songwriting process – it’s really given me a voice to share my experiences, talk about things and connect with listeners. I want my voice to be one that uplift and inspires.
Why did the name Fearless seem fitting for your new album?
I guess i’m a little backwards in the sense that I started with the concept of the album first. I think most write first and the album title is one of the last things you decide on – but for me, I wanted the album to have a strong vision and theme. A few years back I had a sort of an ah-ha! moment when a teacher of mine was talking about fear and how sometimes we limit ourselves. It was a simple question, but one that really inspired me to start challenging myself; “How would your life be different if you had no fear?” With this album I wanted to talk about being fearless in everyday settings; fearless to move on from a relationship, fearless to follow your dreams or just be yourself unapologetically.
Your song “Father Can You Hear Me” has a message that a lot of people could relate to during these turbulent times. What inspired the lyrics?
I sort of wrote this song in response to the corruption we see in the world. The lyrics were sort of a cry for help and wanting answers in uncertain times.
How did you hone in on how the album as a whole would sound?
I don’t think Randall and I really knew exactly how it was going to turn out, haha. We knew that we wanted to blend the worlds of pop with electronic cinematic productions so from there I think we just really focused on making them individually sound as great as possible. We sort of experimented on each track pushing the limits of blending the two worlds of pop and cinematic, so you can hear the spectrum of that balance; tracks that lean a little more to the pop side, such as Fearless, and others that are more cinematic like ‘World In Colour’.
Do you have a favorite song from the album or one that you feel the most connected to?
Oh man- I feel like i’m SO connected to all of them in different ways. I think i’d have to say my favorite from a production standpoint is “Father Can You Hear Me”. Jennifer Thomas is the featured pianist on this track and her performance just blows me away each time I hear it- it’s such an epic song.
From an emotional point of view I think I really put my whole self into “We’re Fine”. This song was sort of written as a lullaby to listen to at night when your heart is heavy with the troubles of the world.
What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
Work hard.. be yourself…and fear nothing. I know it sounds cheesy, but you miss 100% of the swings you don’t take, so just keep swinging! There is no one in the universe like you, so your individuality will give you your uniqueness in the industry…but your success is determined by how hard you work.
