Alexa Ferr first gained her start in the music industry with the release of her single “Fell” which features Mathew “M dot” Finely who’s predominately known for his role in Disney Channel’s Camp Rock 2. A triple threat, who not only sings but also dances and acts. For the past few years, Alexa has been in Los Angeles working with The Invaders who produced her debut EP Lipstick In The Glass. Developing her sound from the release of “Fell,” Alexa has been able to captivate a “rugged pop” sound that not only shows her maturation but also her potential as an up and coming artist. Alexa Ferr herself discusses her debut EP release and future plans for releasing her debut full-length album and much more!
1. Introduce yourself; tell me what you do and how long has this been going on?
Alexa: I'm an 18 year old Canadian artist. I sing, dance, acting and write songs, so I guess you could say I do a bit of everything! I love to perform for people and make music! I've always had a strong passion for both and it's been that way since I was little!
2. Where are you based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local artists/bands you could recommend?
Alexa: I'm grew up 20 minutes away from Toronto! Music has always been a huge part of our city! There's so much incredible talent all over Canada but of course everyone knows Drake and Bieber are from the same city! I'd definitely recommend those two artists, as well as Hedley, and Danny Fernandes!
3. What type of artist are you?
Alexa: I wouldn't classify myself as a specific type of artist, but I am definitely different. I love to listen to different genres, and experiment with different sounds. My music is, what I like to call "rugged-pop", it's my own take on r&b/pop!
4. Tell us the brief history of being an artist.
Alexa: Well, for me personally, my love and passion for music began at a very young age, I took vocal lessons, participated in local singing competitions and festivals and started flying back and forth to L.A in the 8th grade to work with different producers! It's definitely a lot of hard work, sacrifice, patience and takes a lot of effort, but I love doing what I do and I want to do this for the rest of my life!
5. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Alexa: Some of my songs are about heartbreak; some are about getting over someone, or trying to play hard to get with a guy that you have your eye on. "Rum Cake" is definitely one of those fun, feel-good songs that makes you just want to dance, and it definitely reminds me of carnivals and the summer time!
6. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
Alexa: On this EP, I did not write any of the songs by myself, but for most of them I collaboratively wrote with Tyce from the Invaders (my production team), and being in the studio, working on a song from scratch is one of the coolest things to do when recording new music. I got the chance to hear the songs from beginning to end, and to really have an in put on what I wanted the song to sound like, what I wanted the message to be, and so on!
7. Who are your musical influences?
Alexa: Some of my musical influences are definitely some of the biggest r&b and pop singers in the world, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Jojo, Aaliyah, Rihanna, just to name a few!
8. Why did you want your two singles to be "Lipstick On The Glass" and “Rum Cake"?
Alexa: I chose "Lipstick On The Glass" as my first single, because I wanted to come into the music world with a bang! It's a trap-beat type of song, and it's definitely not a song that someone would picture me singing so I wanted to surprise everyone with something like that! The second single, "Rum Cake" was definitely the perfect choice, because by the time the single came out, a lot of people heard it already and gave me such great feedback for it so I knew I had to put out this song right away!
9. What can you tell me about "Lipstick On The Glass"?
Alexa: "Lipstick On The Glass" to me is a very mysterious, sexy, song with dope beats! The whole concept of the song was basically about a girl for example, playing hard to get with a guy, which will always keep him wanting more and keep chasing after her.
10. Why did you want to release a debut EP as opposed to a debut full-length album?
Alexa: I think it was a better choice for me to release a debut EP rather than a full-length album, because I wanted to get the reaction of my fans, both new and old, and see what kind of songs they'd prefer me to continue to make for the next EP! I would definitely love to create a full length album one day though, so maybe instead of a 2nd EP, I’ll just put out an album instead!
11. Where is this new material headed as far as future material?
Alexa: For my new music, I’m definitely going to be asking for my fans' opinions on what kind of songs they want to hear me put out. I also want to create with different artists, songwriters and producers so we'll see where it takes us!
12. What are your dreams and goals?
Alexa: My dreams are to travel the world, make music and perform for millions of people! So far, I’ve been travelling quite a bit, making music and performing, even though it isn't as big as I would hope for it to get, I’m currently living my dream only hoping to further expand my career and continue to grow as an artist!
13. How do you promote yourself and shows?
Alexa: I have a great team of supportive fans, friends, family and people I work closely with who help to promote my music via twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Social networking these days is a big help to promote artists and their shows, and so far it's been helping me!
14. What can one expect from a show like yours, what makes it stand out above everyone else?
Alexa: When people come to see me perform, they can definitely expect to see a lot of dancing, engaging and connecting with the audience and my fans as much as possible, and just having a good time!
15. What inspires you to do what you do?
Alexa: My parents are truly my biggest inspirations. They've been supporting me since day one, constantly reminding me of my talent but also reminding me of how much work it takes to achieve my goals. They definitely keep me grounded, but they continue to inspire me to live out my dreams with their love and support!
16. What advice would you give to fellow artists/bands?
Alexa: The only advice I would give to fellow artists/bands would be to never give up and always keep dreaming. Never listen to the negativity of others and just keep pushing yourself with whatever passion you have!
17. How does music affect you and the world around you?
Alexa: I think music is such a universal thing. It definitely allows people to escape their problems and connect with a certain song, or it can simply just make people feel good and/or bring back memories! For me it's always been something that I can escape to, and it's always been very therapeutic, so I really can't picture my life without music!
18. Where can we listen to your music and where can we buy your stuff?
Alexa: You can purchase my EP "Lipstick On The Glass" on iTunes and you can check out my music videos and watch/listen to my covers on my YouTube channel
www.youtube.com/alexaferrmusic :)
19. What do you have planned for the future?
Alexa: For the future, I plan on continuing to make music, performing more, collaborating with different artists, writers, producers and one day even start my own clothing line!
20. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Alexa: When listeners hear my music for the first time, I want them to remember me as a unique artist, who doesn't necessarily try to sound like other artists, but tries to bring out different styles of music to make her own, "rugged-pop" sounds! I also want people to be able to feel like they can connect with my songs and lyrics as well!
