Canadian songstress Alexa Ray trained to be a classical singer but her musical journey took a different path with inspiration from the gaming world. On top of the various awards and accolades throughout her career so far, in 2019 Alexa reached another milestone with one million views on YouTube! Her album “From the Ashes” is cinematic with soaring vocals, lush orchestration, and original lyrics.
What draws you into the music you listen to?
I listen to a lot of music in a couple of different genres. Sometimes it’s the singer that draws me in; the colors of their voice they use or interesting texture to their sound. Sometimes it’s the brilliant lyrics or amazing production but I think what I’m drawn to most in music is the emotional story, even if there are no words. I grew up listening to classical music and studied opera for a number of years so have a deep appreciation for the classical genre. I was always in love with the emotion of music which is why I think fell in love with film, game and tv music. There is so much emotion and creativity in the production, using both classical and futuristic elements to convey a certain image, feeling and or story.
You come from a classical background, tell us a little bit about that time in your life and the lessons you learned from that training.
I remember my parents had a record player, and would sometimes put us to bed playing the full soundtrack of Star Wars or Dvorak. My mom was probably the reason I fell into classical music. She would often play CD’s of the greats such as Kathleen Battle, Cecila Bartoli and Maria Callas while cooking or cleaning and I remember telling myself I wanted to be just like them. I began studying music and classical voice at the age of 10 and was always very serious about music. I knew if I wanted a career in music the path wouldn’t be easy so immersed myself both in study and training. When I was 18 I joined the conservatory and Young Artist Programs and graduated from a specialty High School for the Arts. I then went on to study classical voice in University and was briefly a part of an opera studio here in Toronto. I definitely learned a lot of vocal technique and a lot about my body as an instrument. I think if nothing else I also learned a lot of discipline and training gave me a lot of good structure and understanding of basic theory.
Your music has really evolved into epic pop / fantasy / soundtrack. How did this process come about, and did you have a moment or series of moments that made you realize you’d found the right sound?
Great question, I don’t know that I went searching for a sound. I think my initial change in music came from having to adapt my career. I found that it was becoming more and more difficult to find work as a classical musician, or that the classical work that was available I didn’t enjoy. I also realized that over the years I had been doing what everyone wanted me to do and felt a growing restriction without a lot of creative room, especially among the purists in classical music. I never cared about making my music mainstream, I just wanted it to be something I’d listen to and I’m really enjoying the creative process right now. There was definitely a period where I was trying different things and experimenting with different elements, but the root of my searching was always ‘is this me?’. I started going after my authentic sound but ultimately, I’ve stopped caring about pleasing others, I’m just putting my soul into music and hopefully some people enjoy and will relate to it.
How do you adjust your vocal technique to accommodate the new styles you are singing?
I’ve thrown it out the window, ahah. I’m sure some of its ingrained into me from my operatic training but I don’t even think about it anymore. When I studied and sang opera it was always about singing the ‘correct’ way. I lived and breathed vocal technique and saw vocal coach’s weekly who told me exactly how to sing, what to feel and how emote the ‘right’ way. I was so focused on being perfect. Now when I sing it’s about using a color or sound that conveys a feeling, I want the listener to feel. So sometimes I’ll purposely sound breathy or want to have a bit of grit to my belt- I feel a lot more freedom in my sound now, and because I’m writing my own music, there is no right or wrong. Because of this, I also feel that I also have a deeper connection emotionally to each song. A lot of what I write is from experience; things that have happened or lessons I’ve learned. It’s a bit scary to open your heart for everyone to hear and judge, but I equally feel that you can’t fake the music. Good music goes there, and that’s what makes it relatable and people are drawn to real… at least I am.
You have the word “Fearless” tattooed on your body and it also features in your artist shop on your website. What does that word mean to you both as a person and the artist you have become?
Yes, fearless or ‘No Fear’ as it appears in my tattoo, is sort of a moto I’ve embraced. I was asked a few years ago how my life would differ if I lived without fear -If I wasn’t afraid to fail, how would that change my decisions? It really made me see life in a different light and still something I ask myself every day. By no means is it a state of being I’ve achieved. Being Fearless isn’t something you are, it’s a conscious mindset you choose; in spite of fear you chose to be fearless anyways.This concept is what has inspired the title of my next album I will be releasing with composer, Randall Jermaine ( Date TBA) . I’m excited for this album, not only has it been a great experience to work with Randall, but we’ve really tried to create a fresh sound and blend the worlds of pop and film score in a unique way. The album is themed on fearless but not the epic hero version everyone thinks of when you hear the word. The album focusing on being fearless in everyday life; being fearless to go after your dreams, fearless to start over, fearless to walk away, or just getting up in the morning to face another day… for some that’s not easy. So, I hope that my music is uplifting and gives my listeners the inspiration to keep going and be fearless.
When did you first begin songwriting? Was it something you learned naturally, or did you take classes, write with a team?
I actually never took any formal songwriting lessons. It was only about two years ago I was doing an atmospheric vocal when the composer asked me if I could put the lyrics to the song. I admitted I’d never done it before but could give it a try. I thought it would be difficult, but it seemed to just flow out of me and I realized a lot about myself from that project. As a kid I remember going through a phase where I wrote poems and loved the sound of certain words. Because I was bullied a lot, I always thought that maybe it was weird because other kids weren’t doing this so didn’t embrace it in order to fit in better. Now I realize that maybe there’s been a writer in me all along and didn’t realize it until now. It’s been interesting to see all these pieces of my life I didn’t know could work together, all of a sudden come together and I’m learning a lot about myself.
Right now my creative process involves me being in my PJ’s curled up with a lot of coffee and a good bar of chocolate ( a writing tip from Jennifer Thomas – Chocolate 100% creates better music ) After winning the Hollywood Music In Media Awards for Best Lyrics, I feel a lot more confident in my abilities and writing is certainly something I want to continue to focus on.
I actually just my first ever official writing session the other day which I intend to do more of in the future so I can continue to grow as both an artist and writer.
Tell us about your new album, “From the Ashes.”
This is my very first full body of published work I have written lyrics for. It was an amazing experience to be able to work for Atom Music Audio on this project and had a lot of fun with Lisa Val Hal creating each track. She is such a talented composer and I hope we get to work together on a project again in the near future.
From the Ashes is meant to be an epic uplifting and motivational album for people in hard times and written in an epic trailer/ film score style. I had gone through a couple years of low moments myself, so I think a lot of these songs were me coming back to life and finding my footing to stand up again after feeling like I’d been knocked down.
What do you want people to take away from your music?
A lot of what I write is from experience either things that have happened or lessons I’ve learned. So, I hope listeners relate to the lyrics and love the epic orchestration. But on a deeper level I hope they find it motivational and uplifting.
Are you planning any live events soon?
I have been heavily focusing on writing and recording but hopefully, in the near future, it would be wonderful to perform some of the tracks live!
Official Website: alexarayofficial.com
Instagram: alexa_squad
