Interview w/ Alexander

Closing out the week with an all new interview in my continuing series! Today, we head across the pond to one of my favorite music scenes outside of America, Durham, England to be exact as we have a chat with an up and coming band from the area by the name of Alexander. The band are currently signed to I Am Mighty Records, one of the preeminent and fastest rising independent labels in the U.K. and home to a host of other immensely talented acts including Lower Lands and The Ocean's Eyes. The band were kind and gracious enough to lend some of their time to do a sit down chat as we get to know the band a little bit better personally, what their music is like, and what life is like on the road. And here's my transcript from that interview:

Give us your names and roles in the band?

Anthony Snowdon - Rhythm guitar/vocals

Jamie Clark - Lead guitar

James Simpson - Bass

Andrew Michaels - Drums

How did you guys all meet and when did the band form?

We all met through education and the local scene 3 years back. We recorded our debut album "Say Hello" in Winter 2012, however we wrote together for months before this. We came out as Alexander January 2013 when we released our debut video, "You Lost Yourself" and the ball has been rolling since.

Describe your sound and influences to those who may not be familiar with you guys?

We’ve got a really British sound to our music, very guitar driven with sweet harmonizing melodies and trashy drums sounds. "Say Hello" holds a great dynamic value, from a piano ballad to a full British rock and grunge trash. It’s quite a spectrum hence why we draw influences from the likes of Michael Jackson, Jamiroquai, Fleetwood Mac and Death Cab For Cutie.

What themes and/or subject matter typically runs through your music?

From the start we’ve always been about positivity and optimism, getting through the hard times as one and all types of relationships as there is a lot of romance portrayed in "Say Hello". That’s how the idea of Alexander came together, a way we can channel all our triumphs and hardships into a fictional character who we write songs about. 

What is life like being on the road together, and how do you guys adjust to life away from home?

It’s just the same really being on the road is a breeze for us, we spend all our time together outside of touring and band related things so it’s never really a test of patience. We’re always writing together no matter where we are, foreign countries, up and down the country, it’s all the same vibe for us. What can i say, we just can’t get enough!

Take us through the recording process of your debut album, "Say Hello" and what that whole experience was like?

Recording "Say Hello" was a real milestone for us, we whittled the album down to these 8 final tracks and it was a pleasure working with some great producers in the process. It’s really taken us by surprise the incredible positive vibe we’ve received from fans and industry.

What are some of your favorite songs to perform live?

I think all of our favorite song to perform live is "Vapour Trails", the dynamics are crazy and by the end you feel like Zeus as it climaxes! I tend to take my guitar off during the break and smash it about the stage before this point though, it gets intense.

Besides music, what do you guys like to do in your spare time, any sports/interests/hobbies/special interests?

We all have a crazy obsession over Astrology and star signs, so much we’ve got identical tattoos. It’s the best conversation starter with new people we meet on the road, they love it every time! It’s as if sometime we judge people by their sign. ‘She’s breaks hearts because she’s a Scorpio’ ‘He’s so good at explaining things, it must be his Aquarius moon’.

What can we expect to see from you guys this year, any plans to tour in the U.S. sometime in the future?

This year we are focusing on pushing "Say Hello" out there, we’re really storming the U.K. between now and the New Year and we have some big plans for it. Definitely plans to tour the U.S. from the demand we’ve had so far, just hang off for a while so we can take over England!

Lastly, what words do you have for your fans both in the U.K. and the U.S.?

I can only express a tiny portion of our gratitude and love to our fans. We are really overwhelmed with the support of "Say Hello" so far and we hope it keeps growing and the Alexander family tree gets bigger and bigger.

Thanks once again to the fellas in Alexander for taking some time out of their hectic schedules to do this interview! They are extremely talented, upbeat, and positive individuals who have a knack for getting through to their audience solely through the power of music. For more information on the band, 'Like' their page on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter from over here. If you would like to buy their debut album, "Say hello" it's now available to purchase at iTunes at this link right here