You might not have ever heard of singer-songwriter Alexx Calise, but someday, hopefully soon, that will change. Alexx is a young woman who in her short career in a hard-as-nails industry has managed to release a debut album, Morning Pill; rack up over a dozen endorsements from music gear and clothing manufacturers; get featured as a Boston radio’s “Hot Up-and-Coming Indie Artist”; and have one of her songs used in a promo for TV series One Tree Hill. Those are just a few of her accomplishments.
We were curious about how Alexx landed on her unique sound of electronica, hard rock, and urban-edged pop, as well as what drives her to work so hard to achieve her dream. She took time from working on her two next albums to give us these insights.
* * * *
Interview with Alexx Calise, February 2010, red Ravine
red Ravine: By way of introduction, tell us a little bit about yourself and your music. How would you describe your music to someone who’s just getting to know you?
Alexx Calise: Well, I’m a bit of an enigma. I’m too alternative to be considered “normal,” and I’m too “normal” to be considered alternative. Sometimes, I don’t even get myself. I’m extremely introverted in person yet unabashed and raw when I get on stage. I think that my material is an accurate portrayal of my personality. The music is high-energy and adrenaline inducing yet the lyrics are esoteric and thoughtful.
red Ravine: You’ve worked hard toward the goal of being a musician, which is noteworthy given that many people your age are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. How did you get so focused and how do you stay that way?
Alexx: Thank you! Fortunately, I’ve known since I was 5 years old that I wanted to be a writer in some form (over the years music started to accompany those writings). Knowing what you want to do early on makes all the difference in the world. Essentially, I had my whole life to hone my craft. Not everyone is that lucky. Being focused and motivated has always been kind of innate for me. I’m always striving for perfection (which is also my downfall), and I’m constantly pushing myself to be better in every sense of the word. No one else is going to do this for me, so it’s up to me to make it happen.
red Ravine: Making it as a musician must be challenging. What specific actions or milestones have you found to be most significant in moving you closer to your goals?
Alexx: There are a few specific things that have helped propel my career, like when my music was featured on One Tree Hill, or when I was Frostwire.com’s featured artist for a while. But I’ve found that hard work, dedication and perspiration created those types of opportunities. The more you put yourself out there, the more you get back. I always have 10,000 different poles in the ocean. If one thing falls through, I don’t dwell on it because another opportunity is bound to come up. I’m constantly moving, and I’m always attempting to generate momentum and interest. I think of my music career as a business, so like Donald Trump or any of these successful entrepreneurs you’ve seen or read about, I’m constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to market myself. I’m always researching and I’m always trying to make my “product” better.
red Ravine: I read in an interview that your father was a musician and an early influence in your musical life. What did he say when he found out you wanted to be a musician?
Alexx: I think my father loved the fact that I wanted to be a musician as well, because it became our way of communicating. We’d spend our father-daughter time playing or talking music, and he even ended up playing a few shows with me when I needed a bass player (by the way, he rips on the bass!). I think some of the most special and memorable times in my life were those moments. You really can’t buy moments like those.
red Ravine: Who are your other musical influences?
Alexx: I grew up listening to silverchair, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Toadies, STP, Soundgarden and Buckcherry. My forthcoming album, In Avanti, incorporates a lot of my electronica influences, such as Archive and The Dust Brothers. I think the best way to describe the new sound would be “Alanis meets The Prodigy.”
red Ravine: What do you think of shows like American Idol or America’s Got Talent? Are these credible venues for musicians who are starting out or who haven’t found other means of making it big?
Alexx: I’m personally not a huge fan of those types of shows, but that’s not to say they’re not credible launch vehicles. I don’t have a problem with anything that doesn’t compromise someone’s artistic integrity.
red Ravine: Do you like to read, and if so, what books or authors?
Alexx: I’m actually a voracious reader. My favorites to name a few are Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, Janet Fitch’s White Oleander, Downtown Owl and Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman, Girl by Blake Nelson, anything Stephen Covey, and Bully by Jim Schutze.
red Ravine: Describe a typical day in your life.
Alexx: Depends on what you’re definition of typical is! (Ha ha!) Lately my days consist of interviews, recording for either my solo project or Sound of Cancer (my other new album/project with drummer/songwriter Dennis Morehouse), doing photo and video shoots, tracking vocals for commercials, writing, practicing, marketing and promoting, and spending whatever little time I have left working out, hanging with my kitten or sleeping.
red Ravine: Talk a little bit about what it’s like to be a young woman in this industry. Have you had to make any adjustments, or do you find the industry to be equally challenging for men and women?
Alexx: I think it’s a challenge for everyone these days. There are thousands of distractions, like social media and other technologies, so that it’s difficult to stand out and be seen as an artist in general. To be a successful musician nowadays, you need to do some serious out-of-the-box thinking. As far as adjustments are concerned, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that people aren’t buying CDs anymore—hence you have to come up with alternative ways of generating income—and that you have to do everything yourself. No record label is going to save you from a lifetime of poverty and obscurity, and most importantly, no one is going to care about your career (or you!) more than you.
red Ravine: I have a ten-year-old daughter who has been playing guitar since age 7. She’s recently discovered the joy of playing for others. What advice would you have for her (or for me, as her mother) in nurturing her love of music and performing?
Alexx: Scatter as many law books around the house as you can before it’s too late! Just kidding! As far as advice goes, I would encourage her to follow her dreams and to reach for the stars. There is nothing on this Earth that you can’t do so long as you put your mind to it. Sure, it’s a long, hard road, but if it’s in your heart and that’s all that you know how to do you owe it to yourself to give it a try. The worst thing you could ever do is give up or let fear get in the way of your love.
____________________________________________________________________________________
About Alexx Calise: Alexx Calise grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she spent her childhood mostly alone or in the pages of a notebook, finding comfort only in her parents’ vast record collection, which included everything from Mozart to Led Zeppelin.
At 11, she picked up the guitar to emulate her father, also a talented musician, and began fusing the melodies she heard in her head with her own poetry and recitations.
She lives in Los Angeles, California. You can learn more about her at her website, plus follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexx.calise and on My Space at http://www.myspace.com/alexxcalise.
I checked out Morning Pill. Great vocals. Tight band. There’s a small place in Costa Mesa, CA (45 minutes from LA) called Detroit where new music gets heard in the OC…many going on to great things. http://www.detroitbar.com/
Hope to see Alexx’s name there someday and listen live
LikeLike
Your comment made me wonder about location. Alexx, I take it the move to Los Angeles was prompted largely by opportunity there, yes?
Also, just want to say that I’m so impressed by you. So many young people are veered in the direction of not following their passions. But you’re proving that if you follow your passions and work as hard at them as you would anything else, you will succeed. I believe you’re succeeding now and will continue to.
Regarding having to do so much yourself, I wonder if you have had to surround yourself with a team of people who have certain talents like web designers, or audio people, etc., or have you also taken on many of those technical/promotional skills yourself?
LikeLike
Alexx, thanks so much for being our guest on red Ravine. I’m amazed at how much energy and focus you have to pursue your dreams. It’s truly inspiring. I wanted to ask how much time percentage-wise you’d say you spend on practicing and songwriting as opposed to actually traveling or being up on stage performing? It sounds like you have two very distinct parts to your personality — one that is more pensive and the other more extraverted. I also had a question about why people don’t buy CD’s anymore. Maybe it’s an obvious question, given the current technology. But I remember learning as much as I could about musicians from their album covers or their handwriting (when lyrics used to be printed in CD’s and albums). Why aren’t people interested in that aspect of music anymore? Or are they simply able to find it somewhere online.
LikeLike
What a great story on working towards a dream. Best to you, Alexx.
LikeLike
First of all, thank you all so much for your kind words! I truly appreciate it.
To answer ybonesy’s questions, I moved to LA because there is a wealth of opportunity here, and as an artist, you’re definitely more accessible to industry folk. LA is also more accepting of career musicians. In other words, being a musician is considered a credible profession. Haha. I remember someone from my hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, FL once telling me that the whole ‘music thing’ I did was a “nice hobby.” That would be like telling an accountant that the whole “number crunching” thing they do all day is “cute.” Haha.
I do all of the promoting, marketing, advertising, and web development/upkeep myself, but I do have a fantastic team of people I also work with, like my band mate/songwriting partner, Dennis Morehouse, my producer, Luigie Gonzalez, my video director/photographer, Ricardo Moreno, and my makeup artist, Mieko Ito. They all make my life a little bit easier and less stressful 😉
QuoinMonkey, thank you for having me here. It’s been a pleasure getting to know all of you at RedRavine! To answer your questions, I spend probably 50% of my days songwriting and practicing, and the rest of the time traveling or performing.
In regards to people not wanting to buy CDs anymore, I offer a few theories as to why that may be happening in my blog, “Is Music Dead?”, which can be found at alexxcalise.com/blog. Personally, (like yourself) I’ve always wanted to know as much as possible about every band I’ve enjoyed, and I feel there’s something really special and personal about reading a CD inlay. I think people just don’t have the patience anymore for that. They’re all about the here and now, so the first thing they usually do is just download it, and that’s the end of it. I do feel that they’re missing out on an incredible experience though.
I appreciate you all taking the time to get to know me, and I hope you’ll all keep in touch with me at alexx@alexxcalise.com. Take care and best of luck!
LikeLike