{"id":3098,"date":"2021-04-23T04:46:01","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T04:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/?p=3098"},"modified":"2021-04-23T04:46:03","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T04:46:03","slug":"blog-interview-alex-lleo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/2021\/04\/23\/blog-interview-alex-lleo\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog interview: Alex Lleo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Hello Alex, how are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hey Derek, I\u2019m great thank-you! Hope you\u2019re well! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations on the release of \u201cWhite Water\u201d how does it feel?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another musical baby out into the wild, it feels good. It\u2019s been a weird time figuring out releases with the current climate. It\u2019s felt a bit of a slow process, so it\u2019s nice to finally see the wheels turning again!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a gorgeous predominantly acoustic number, how did it come about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for listening! \ud83d\ude42 The song was inspired by a surfing trip to Ireland actually. It came after a near death experience involving some swell I had no place being involved in! Haha. I basically gave into that stupid macho peer pressure and entered into a situation that was quite literally, out of my depth! It was mid march, so that wild west Atlantic was doing her thing. The whole scenario  sort of made me reflect inward towards things like masculinity, and the importance of voicing your concerns with all aspects of life really. It\u2019s a bit wild that it took a bashing to make me stop and think, but there we go! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was recorded at Abbey Road, how did it feel being surrounded by so  much history?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well as much as I\u2019d love to say it was all tracked at Abbey Road, it was just the mastering we had done there, by the very awesome Christian Wright. All the songs were recorded with Producer Sahil Ansari in Goanus, Brooklyn. (Making it\u2019s own history!) Haha. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are a singer songwriter and musician how did it all begin for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most musicians really.\u00a0Acoustic guitar, learning to\u00a0play your favourite song in the bedroom! My dad worked all over the\u00a0country, and in the summer\u00a0holidays I\u2019d go with him on some jobs.\u00a0With the\u00a0acoustic loaded in the van, wherever we\u2019d end up, he\u2019d find us a local open mic to hit up. Looking back now, it was a real good way to cut your teeth!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What did you listen to growing up?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All sorts really. My parents aren\u2019t musical but were true music lovers.\u00a0So we\u2019d have\u00a0everything\u00a0from Rod Stewart and the\u00a0Beatles to East 17!\u00a0Haha.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You spent a bit of time in Brooklyn recording, what\u2019s a funny story from those sessions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u00a0didn\u2019t happen during the session, but at a party one night. It involved me and my buddy Quinn hopping the\u00a0subway from Brooklyn to\u00a0Manhattan for a Stephen King movie\u00a0drinking night. After\u00a0courteously\u00a0leaving my shoes at the door of the\u00a0apartment, I proceeded into the party.\u00a0Some hours, and a few\u00a0too\u00a0many\u00a0sherbets later, I decided to locate my shoes for\u00a0some rooftop air, only to discover their\u00a0replacement with paper towels. Weaving through the party\u00a0goers I stumbled into the\u00a0kitchen to find a cool looking chap arched over the sink doing a deep scour on a soggy\u00a0object that kind of resembled my shoe. As I\u00a0approached the sink, the scrubbing got quicker and that\u2019s when I noticed the other shoe\u00a0beside\u00a0him, full to the brim of his\u00a0girlfriends\u00a0burrito. It all started to make sense. I thought it was quite a\u00a0unique party trick to be cleaning someones shoe during a gathering, and I was\u00a0almost ready\u00a0to score it down to ‘cultural differences’,\u00a0until the\u00a0vom of course. Moral of the\u00a0story, Next\u00a0socks are sturdier than the look. That, and the New York\u00a0subway\u00a0grills make for an\u00a0interesting\u00a0sensation on the toes!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are also work with mindcafemedia, being their podcast director, tell\u00a0us a bit about that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind Cafe is a brand based on relaxing, mindful essays about happiness. Founded by my good friend Adrian Drew, with the\u00a0incredible collection of writers the team has for the print\u00a0editions, and their steady rise to\u00a0critical acclaim on the app Medium, I felt there was a\u00a0space to bring the conversation into the audio world, so suggested the podcast. We\u2019re only two episodes in so far, but it\u2019s already\u00a0proving to be incredibly insightful for me personally, so I hope people enjoy\u00a0listening\/watching them. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your EP is pending release. What\u2019s your favourite track from it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think for me it has to be the track\u00a0\u2018Calibrate\u2019. There\u2019s so many evolving parts to that\u00a0track, and before I\u00a0went out to NY, I used to dream about how all those parts would interlink if I could ever find a way to pull it off.\u00a0Then of\u00a0course I had the\u00a0privilege of getting to know Sahil, and he made those dreams a reality.\u00a0Favourite part is\u00a0probably the counter female vocals from Sarah Cicero and Margaux. The blend was better than I could\u00a0have\u00a0imagined!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020 was generally a time to reflect. What did you learn about yourself\u00a0in that time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That I have a\u00a0drinking problem?\u00a0Haha (Bad joke soz) I think I really learnt the\u00a0value of friends and\u00a0family during this time. It\u2019s been so difficult being cooped up with everyone, and the fact that we all still get on is a\u00a0testament that\u00a0really. Also found a deeper love for\u00a0gardening too! (I grew some pretty impressive crop last year if I\u00a0don\u2019t say so myself!)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID has had a major impact on the creative industry as a whole, what\u00a0kept you motivated?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To\u00a0be\u00a0honest I have\u00a0struggled with the motivation during parts of last year.\u00a0Gigging was\u00a0basically my life, and\u00a0having that abruptly pulled, did leave some pretty big\u00a0identity questions. Slowly but surely\u00a0though, I made it back into the shed, and\u00a0through\u00a0listening to all the\u00a0amazing efforts of so many of my friends, it gave me the kick I needed to start\u00a0writing again.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What artists are getting you excited at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s so much good stuff looming from every corner of the\u00a0industry right\u00a0now, so it\u2019s hard to say. But\u00a0for me, it\u2019s always\u00a0worth keeping an eye on Charlotte\u2019s label\u00a0\u2018Babywoman Records\u2019 (Not cuz I\u2019m on the roster!) she\u2019s really got her ear to the\u00a0ground, and\u00a0I\u2019m really exciting to be working alongside other\u00a0artists in the quest of\u00a0bringing some of that gold to light!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are you looking forward to doing next?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gigs, gigs and more gigs!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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