I heard Miss Alana Stewart's song "perfervid" one afternoon. You know the routine- I get a lot of music thrown at me so I clicked play and got back on with my work not thinking twice. As soon as the track started though Stewart's voice was so successfully piercing that I paused just to focus on her range, the unavoidable longing in her addictive voice was hard to ignore, and before I knew it one track had turned into five, and without realizing it- I was hooked.
My first show in London, and one public transport ride and three flights of stairs later and I was sitting across from Stewart, innocently spinning in a chair as we prepped for our interview, and off we went!
LN: Let's dive right in and talk about your main musical influences!
AS: When I was younger- way younger- my Grandfather kind of directed the music at our church and my Grandmother played piano, and they used to take me to these things called gospel singings- kind of in the Ozark country in the Midwest, and that was the biggest chunk of music I was exposed to until about age 12. Then, I moved to California and the music scene in San Francisco was really great- they had a lot of great influences like Jimmy Lewis and the whole Rilo Kiley thing. I was trained as a jazz singer so I was listening to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James.
LN: Does religion play a big part in music for you?
AS: I think at best, music has a religious or kind of cathartic feeling to it. But you feel kind of the same buzz if the music is good.
LN: I read that melody primarily holds the most importance to you in your music, and not lyrics- explain that a little bit.
AS: Sometimes I'll just be walking down the street and the melody will come, or I'll be working on a chord progression and the melody will come- and to me, that's when a song becomes a song, is when you have the melody.
LN: You were in school focusing on the visual arts- what did you originally want to be when you grew up?
AS: Originally I wanted to be a singer! But I got it in my head that that wasn't going to possible. So I started doing visual art for film and advertising and stuff like that. But I did a demo CD and I gave it out as Christmas presents to my professors and they were like- what are you doing?! You should be doing this (singing) school will always be here...
LN: Well I'm happy they said it!
LN: Pre-show vices or rituals?
AS: Hmm- I get nervous, I talk a lot. Can't sit still. Rituals, rituals... I should get a ritual!
LN: Festival you're looking forward to in the coming year?
AS: Well- I don't have any money to go to festivals... but if I could pick any it would be SXSW!
LN: Alright main musical differences between the states and the music scene here in London?
AS: I think London bands are a lot more plugged in! They're using a lot more equipment than California bands are. I think California bands are going through like a neo-acoustic thing and using a lot more kind of jazz instruments and things that just don't need to be plugged in! And- the fashion's a lot different! They have cleaner lines.
LN: Craziest trip/ show story to date?!
AS: Well... there's the deportation story! I came over here (London) in 2009 to try and play shows and I bought a one way ticket to London and I had all these shows I had booked myself so I was just going to travel after and play shows, etc. But I got rejected at the border, and they sent me to Iceland because I took Iceland Air and so their policy was to send you back to your last port of entry! So I ended up stuck on this island in the Arctic Ocean for 2 months. So then, when I was trying to come here for meetings and tours and stuff my passport had obviously been flagged so I ended up in airport jail overnight.
LN: But the moral of the story is you made it!
AS: I made it! I had to get a lawyer but I got people involved who really cared and it worked out!
The soft-spoken Stewart seems like she would be in possession of a mere meek voice incapable of any amount of substantial depth, but she took the stage, and nothing (nothing, including a glass of Chardonnay) could have prepared me for what was about to come out. I was in complete acoustic shock, and couldn't grasp for the right words when she stepped off stage post-performance. Her jazz style influences are more than apparent, but equally so are her mid-west roots that pop up every so often mid-song.
You can keep up with the latest and greatest in Miss Alana Stewart's life HERE and London, you can catch her at the Old Queen's Head on Thursday, Jun 30! I can't thank her enough for being my intro into the London music scene- the show was an absolute blast and if I walked away with anything it's knowing this is just the beginning for this artist!
My first show in London, and one public transport ride and three flights of stairs later and I was sitting across from Stewart, innocently spinning in a chair as we prepped for our interview, and off we went!
LN: Let's dive right in and talk about your main musical influences!
AS: When I was younger- way younger- my Grandfather kind of directed the music at our church and my Grandmother played piano, and they used to take me to these things called gospel singings- kind of in the Ozark country in the Midwest, and that was the biggest chunk of music I was exposed to until about age 12. Then, I moved to California and the music scene in San Francisco was really great- they had a lot of great influences like Jimmy Lewis and the whole Rilo Kiley thing. I was trained as a jazz singer so I was listening to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James.
LN: Does religion play a big part in music for you?
AS: I think at best, music has a religious or kind of cathartic feeling to it. But you feel kind of the same buzz if the music is good.
LN: I read that melody primarily holds the most importance to you in your music, and not lyrics- explain that a little bit.
AS: Sometimes I'll just be walking down the street and the melody will come, or I'll be working on a chord progression and the melody will come- and to me, that's when a song becomes a song, is when you have the melody.
LN: You were in school focusing on the visual arts- what did you originally want to be when you grew up?
AS: Originally I wanted to be a singer! But I got it in my head that that wasn't going to possible. So I started doing visual art for film and advertising and stuff like that. But I did a demo CD and I gave it out as Christmas presents to my professors and they were like- what are you doing?! You should be doing this (singing) school will always be here...
LN: Well I'm happy they said it!
LN: Pre-show vices or rituals?
AS: Hmm- I get nervous, I talk a lot. Can't sit still. Rituals, rituals... I should get a ritual!
LN: Festival you're looking forward to in the coming year?
AS: Well- I don't have any money to go to festivals... but if I could pick any it would be SXSW!
LN: Alright main musical differences between the states and the music scene here in London?
AS: I think London bands are a lot more plugged in! They're using a lot more equipment than California bands are. I think California bands are going through like a neo-acoustic thing and using a lot more kind of jazz instruments and things that just don't need to be plugged in! And- the fashion's a lot different! They have cleaner lines.
LN: Craziest trip/ show story to date?!
AS: Well... there's the deportation story! I came over here (London) in 2009 to try and play shows and I bought a one way ticket to London and I had all these shows I had booked myself so I was just going to travel after and play shows, etc. But I got rejected at the border, and they sent me to Iceland because I took Iceland Air and so their policy was to send you back to your last port of entry! So I ended up stuck on this island in the Arctic Ocean for 2 months. So then, when I was trying to come here for meetings and tours and stuff my passport had obviously been flagged so I ended up in airport jail overnight.
LN: But the moral of the story is you made it!
AS: I made it! I had to get a lawyer but I got people involved who really cared and it worked out!
The soft-spoken Stewart seems like she would be in possession of a mere meek voice incapable of any amount of substantial depth, but she took the stage, and nothing (nothing, including a glass of Chardonnay) could have prepared me for what was about to come out. I was in complete acoustic shock, and couldn't grasp for the right words when she stepped off stage post-performance. Her jazz style influences are more than apparent, but equally so are her mid-west roots that pop up every so often mid-song.
You can keep up with the latest and greatest in Miss Alana Stewart's life HERE and London, you can catch her at the Old Queen's Head on Thursday, Jun 30! I can't thank her enough for being my intro into the London music scene- the show was an absolute blast and if I walked away with anything it's knowing this is just the beginning for this artist!
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