ALYSSA MESSINA INTERVIEW

SEPT 21 2023

What do you enjoy most about being a musician/in a band?

What I enjoy most about being in a band is being able to share the creative process of creating, writing and performing music. There is nothing more enjoyable to me than being with like minded individuals that also love what I love doing, and through that we get to share the same experiences together. Also, having my own band for the first time ever, after being solo for quite some time, is truly the coolest.

Is fashion important to you? Explain why or why not.

ABSOLUTELY! Making a presence on stage is a big one for me and what better way to do it than by having a great outfit! If you’ve ever been to any of our shows, you definitely would know that I take my outfits very seriously or at least try to lol. I feel that fashion adds so much more to your character and vibe that you are trying to go for as a performer. I personally believe that it really helps to make that statement and capture the audience's attention.

What challenges do you experience in your creative process?

Writer's block! It happens to the best of us and as I always say, you really can’t force creativity when it just isn’t happening you know? Personally what I like to do when this happens is I try to forget the song and put it away for a few days unless something comes to me out of nowhere. It’s funny because sometimes my best ideas come to me when I’m out for a walk and I physically have to stop and voice record that melody or jot down the lyrics. This is exactly how Stone Cold Killer was born which I find interesting.

How has writing music changed for you over the years?

When I think about how I used to write music to how I do now, it is literally like night and day. I remember writing music in the early days, for me, to be so isolating but in a good way. I used to sit in my room alone for hours at a time, with a pencil and a notebook writing a bunch of words on paper. Growing up, I took piano lessons, but only for a brief time because I didn’t think it was cool enough. So since I never relied on an instrument to write music with, it was always me, my voice, a paper and a pencil. Some of my best songs have been written just like this and the rest would just come together. It fascinates me how so much has changed from writing music to even the change in the genre of music I write. Now, the way I write music makes me feel so proud. For the most part, I’m now always writing with other musicians and through this process, I retaught myself how to play the piano again. So now, writing music for me is very much a collaborative process that truly makes me happy. Through this, it has allowed me to expand and explore other genres.

What do you enjoy most about performing?

The excitement I feel knowing that I get to share my music with other people. I also love bringing people together in this kind of setting because it allows me to connect with others in so many ways. I feel very excited about the new music that my band and I have been putting out there, and right now, you can only hear this music live. So I find that for us, performing our music live is pretty exclusive. So for me, it is definitely more of a personable experience.

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