I believe that my first concert was the Beach Boys. I just remember being mystified by their harmonization skills. That kind of musicianship unfortunately doesn’t really exist nowadays.

 

I’m not sure if that particular experience was the catalyst for my wanting to become a musician, but it was most definitely an inspiring experience nonetheless. I was just incredibly fortunate in that I was brought up in a musical household, and I was exposed to a number of extraordinary artists like them from an early age. Not everyone is that lucky.

I don’t do anything fancy really. Usually I blast my tunes in the car on the way to the gig to pump myself up and warm up my vocals. However, I do get into “the zone” right before I play. You can’t throw too much at me prior to a performance, because I’ll get flustered. I can’t help it; I’m a sensitive artist, ha ha.

It’s drastically different in that Morning Pill was more of a straight up rock/pop record. My new album, In Avanti has more of an electronic flair courtesy of my producer, Luigie Gonzalez, who has remixed a bunch of tunes for Madonna, The Veronicas, and The Killers.

I also feel like this album is a lot more cohesive than my debut, and more representative of who I am as an artist. I was still trying to figure out who I was and what my sound was going to be during the recording of Morning Pill, so now you can definitely see that I’ve found my place in the sun, and I know exactly what I’m doing.

My favorite song on the record is “See You Again.” It’s one of those songs that takes a little while to latch on to. But when you finally do, you can’t get enough of it. This even happened when I initially handed it over to Lu to produce. I could tell he was a bit hesitant about it at first, but when we started to build the track, he was all about it. Now it’s one of his favorites on the album as well, ha ha! I’ve always believed in this song, and I knew that with the right production, it would be amazing. 

I do. I am actually planning out the logistics of one right now, so I will keep you all posted about that!

Well, I love the fact that I live in the entertainment capitol of the world. Most everyone in entertainment lives and works out here, so it’s great to be accessible to all of those people. It is also amazing being in a creative environment, where a career in entertainment is actually considered a career.

I’ve had more opportunities in a year out here in LA than I ever had the whole time I was living out in South Florida (not to knock my hometown, but it’s not entirely the music Mecca of the world). If you want to have a career in music, then you need to be out here, end of story.

I hope to be doing some more extensive touring.

Well, I find myself writing and performing for fun too, ha ha! I don’t feel like I need a “break” from those things necessarily, because I love to do them. However, I also really enjoy movies a lot, working out, and hanging out with my buddies.

While I don’t find myself watching too many music reality shows (and I’m not sure whether I’d do one or not—it really just depends on the circumstances), I’m not against anything that doesn’t compromise someone’s artistic integrity.

It varies. More often than not though, I start with melody and build everything around that. Melody and lyrics I believe are the most integral aspects of a composition.

 

I don’t have a specific place dedicated to songwriting, but I’ve found that some of my best songs were written while I was in my car. Odd as it may seem, my car is my safe haven. Sometimes it feels like that’s the only place in the world where I can have “me” time.

Well, first and foremost, you need to be in it for the love of music. The fact of the matter is, you may never catch a break, you may never make any money, and you may never reach the level of success you hope to reach. It’s unfortunate, and it may sound harsh, but it’s the entertainment business. There are so many talented people out there who have the same goals and aspirations as you do, and who are fighting for the same things you are.

Also, don’t ever sell yourself short and don’t ever compromise yourself or your art for anyone or anything. It’s not worth it. Always be yourself, because your integrity may be the only thing you have left at the end of the day.

While I don’t really live by any particular quote, I really enjoy a lot of the Ben Franklin and Mark Twain ones. They always crack me up and they’re extremely insightful to boot.

For more info on the incredible talented Alexx Calise and how you can obtain her new album In Avanti, check out her official site at www.AlexxCalise.com and Myspace.com/alexxcalise.