OCMM: Hi Alex, thanks for your time. How are you?
Alex: Whoever booked my schedule needs to look at it again because I don’t think they understand that my mouth runs on.
(Laughter)
But it’s not too bad. It’s a beautiful night in London Town. It’s gloomy but it’s not that cold.
OCMM: Well it’s gloomy and cold in Orange County. I think we changed weather.
Alex: You guys deserve it. Growing up in Detroit, I don’t feel bad for you at all.
(Laughter)
OCMM: Fair enough! So you’re classically trained in opera? How did you progress from opera to the Indie/pop music you sing now?
Alex: I started when I was 10. It was the only option for music. My mom’s friend taught opera, but I didn’t really like opera. I wasn’t like, “Mommy, I’m passionate about singing opera.” The problem with opera was that nothing was remotely me. It took me a long time to un-train myself to find my own sound and voice. I felt like I didn’t have heart in it because it wasn’t natural. Somewhere, opera’s still ingrained in my style, but I don’t revert to it.
OCMM: Opera’s very confined, and you have to follow a certain standard.
Alex: It’s not very creative. I can’t even remember how I got out.
OCMM: Considering you started when you were 10, what started this ordeal?
Alex: Ordeal’s a strong word: let’s keep it. My dad’s a musician, but he worked in a scrap yard. My dad always wanted us to play music. We had like a hundred guitars. He gave one to my brother, and my brother broke it or something, so I picked it up and started playing.
OCMM: You’re a guitarist, but in my experience most musicians play more than a single instrument. Do you play anything else for fun or for your career?
Alex: Guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, shit at drums, and accordion: hardest fucking instrument on the planet. It’s heavy, and you make two motions, and you can’t see it! There’s one button marked and sixty unmarked. I give people lots of props for playing the accordion.
OCMM: Who are the musicians do you dream about playing with?
Alex: I’d want to play with Sam Cook and then Little Richard.
OCMM: At the same time?
Alex: Give me some time to think about that one… Oh, can I throw in Dolly Parton?
OCMM: This is your answer, you can do whatever you want!
Alex: I want to throw in Dolly Parton.
(Pause)
OCMM: I’m waiting for more because I feel like this is going to become a chorus of people.
Alex: We should probably move onto the next question then before I keep throwing out names.
OCMM: What inspires you to write music?
Alex: I’m not one of those people who sits and writes everyday. I will go home at night and sit there for eight hours when I feel inspired by something. Sometimes I feel like a complete failure.
OCMM: What’s it like from Detroit to the outside world?
Alex: I love Detroit. I was really influenced by Detroit and the outside world. It’s just so amazing to travel. I have two bands. New York was daunting at first, but now it’s fantastic. Even the seedy parts. You have to start and be ambitious, but it’s great.
OCMM: What’s your favorite city? And where would you want to go? I know that question’s easy ’cause it must be Orange County.
Alex: I’ve never been to Orange County!
OCMM: I know. You should come out here at some point.
Alex: When I was 19, I went to Poplar Bluff in Missouri. It was such an event to go to the show. People just wanted to see music. I want to go everywhere.
OCMM: Well, I had a fantastic time speaking with you. If you come to Orange County, you’ll have to give us a shout!
Alex: Absolutely! Take care!
Alex Winston is an emerging indie/pop artist from Detroit. You can visit her MySpace page here.
