Alex Sloane is a half Chinese/half French songstress from right here in Los Angeles. Coming from a musical family, she has always been exposed to music and although she always enjoyed singing privately, her shyness kept her from even considering even being a singer. So, at the age of 10, she learned to play the guitar when her father restrung his old Peavy left-handed guitar and taught her some chords and scales. A year later at “Rock Band Camp”, her counselor forced her into singing even though she was terrified and has been singing ever since.
I had the opportunity to interview the talented beauty and it went a little something like this…
MHB: Who are some of your biggest musical influences and why?
Alex: ‘Avril Lavigne was definitely the catalyst for my interest in music, but Gwen Stefani is also a favorite! They’re both one of a kind and have been able to reach the masses while maintaining their individuality. I especially love how both merged their musical style with their signature aesthetic style.’
MHB: What genres of music do you most enjoy and in which genre would you classify the music you are working on?
Alex: I listen to everything! Which is probably why people have difficulty classifying my own music - I love everything from The Smiths to Azealia Banks to Chromeo, even old standards. Just no metal or country! I’d generally describe my sound as Pop, but a lot of people have compared it to EDM, K-Pop, R&B, and even Trap. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to classify myself, but I love hearing other people’s responses
MHB: What is your creative process and the inspiration behind your song writing?
Alex: A lot of people are able to sit down and write, but I’m much more sporadic than that. I usually think of one hook or one phrase and leave myself a voice memo. If I still like it the next day, I’ll maybe add a verse or two.
MHB: Where do you see this project in 5 years?
Alex: I can’t see that far into the future! Hopefully I’m reaching lots of people. Maybe I’m finally able to drive or have a membership to SoHo House. Lol.
MHB: If you were stuck on an island with only one record, what would it be?
Alex: Right now— probably Lana Del Rey, “Born to Die”.
MHB: What is the ultimate driving force that gets you up in the morning?
Alex: The desire to be heard. The women in my family have been silenced for generations, and many of the Chinese traditions of patriarchal structure, male inheritance, and female obedience still linger in my day-to-day life. I’ve grown up watching my mother and grandmother fight against these misogynist values, and I want to continue that tradition.
MHB: What does music mean to you?
Alex: Music means everything. My fondest memory is listening to my father sing “Surfer Girl” every night to put me to sleep. Music has been everything from a form of comfort to a form of self-expression and even rebellion. Ultimately, I hope to use music as a narrative tool to tell my singular story.
Alex just finished her EP “Dynasty”, which includes the song “Dynasty”, her last release “G2GG’, and two unreleased tracks that she will be releasing very soon. She is also currently working on some accompanying visual material. According to the press release of the single “Dynasty”, every song off of her upcoming EP was written solely by Alex herself. The project straddles the boundary of Indie and Pop with a wide range of influences varying from track to track, including some strains of R&B, Trap and K-Pop. This easily provides a solid foundation for her bold, sensual vocals. I personally can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us. You can check out her single “Dynasty” as well as her self-directed and self-edited video for “G2G’ below:
To hear more from ALEX SLOANE visit her website at http://www.alexsloane.com