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Exclusive: Interview with Alex Cambridge

Alex Cambridge is not just another musician. Her inspired soul vocals with the taste of folk and R&B create the perfect blend of an inspired artist. We chatted with the singer/songwriter about why she’s a singer, her inspirations, and the journey behind her latest music.

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How would you describe your music?

My music is a blend of R&B, Soul & Folk. I grew up surrounded by all these genres so they always find a way of sneaking into my songs at some point. But if I had to choose just one word to describe my music, it would be ‘honest’. I see music as a form of healing that can inspire people and I always want to be as transparent as I can in my songs. Whether it’s about love, happiness or social issues, I want to make people feel something and feel connected to my music.

What drew you to music?

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember but interestingly, the writing part came first. I started off writing poetry and fictional stories but only sung as a hobby. Once I realised I could combine two of the things I loved, I knew I wanted to be a musician. It was then that I started writing songs and later taught myself the piano on a keyboard I had gotten my birthday. But one moment I’ll always remember is when my mum heard me sing for the first time. I was singing ‘Burn’ by Usher and didn’t realise anyone was listening. Half way through, she came up to me and said, “Maybe you should think about changing your career to music”. I was training to be a tennis player at the time but hearing those words was the encouragement I needed to fully commit to music. It was at that moment I thought, “Ok maybe I can actually do this!”

Who or what are some of your influences?

As cliché as it may sound, my mum is one of my biggest influences. I think the story telling part of my music comes from all the country songs she played during our long car rides and listening to Neil Diamond on a Sunday afternoon. But as far as my own artistic influences, Brandy, John Mayer, Tori Kelly and Jill Scott are definitely on that list. More recently, I’ve been really into The Internet and Anderson Paak. It’s been really cool to go back to my R&B/Soul roots and I’m excited to experiment more with it in my new music.

Tell us about your new single “Nostalgia”

Nostalgia was written from my narrative perspective of someone that is pretty much down and out and has been through so much that they just can’t see a silver lining. I think we all have our demons and sometimes it’s easier to just run and hide rather than confront them. Nostalgia is about reflecting on the past and then moving forward by facing those demons and not letting them dictate your future.

There’s a lyric where I say, “the venom seeps into your bones and every salt of hurt” as a reference to alcohol and drug abuse. I’m lucky to have a support system that keeps me grounded but I think it’s important to recognize that substance abuse and the feeling of loneliness is reality for some people. I wanted to put myself in their shoes and try to convey those feelings so that I could be a voice and support for someone who is battling their demons alone.

What was the story or inspiration behind your EP?

My EP ‘Long Story Short’, is exactly that, a long story compressed into a four track EP. The songs are in chronological order and follows my journey over two years. During that time, I was writing mainly to vent my feelings and frustration about things I was going through and looking back, those songs allowed me to finalize that chapter in my life. Those two years taught me so much about people, life and most importantly, myself and I feel each song reflects that growth. It starts off with Nostalgia where I was very insecure and unsure about myself, naive even. But then, it ends with Rupture where I finally have the confidence and experience to recognize a toxic situation and finally walk away from it.

What can fans expect at your shows?

An emotional and memorable journey! There are happy songs, sad songs, reflective songs and songs you’ll just want to groove to but as much as music is healing, it’s also fun and freeing. I want everyone to take away something positive from a show but to also enjoy the energy and atmosphere of it. It’s such a great feeling to get lost in the music and it’s even better when the crowd are vibing with you. That’s definitely my favorite part of performing live.

Anything you would love to say to your fans or to people who don’t know your music?

The response to the EP has been amazing so I definitely want to say a huge thanks to anyone that has supported in any way. Hearing that people have been inspired by certain songs and that it helped them through different situations just confirms the reason I love music so much and why I do it. I hope that I can reach out to more people in the future and also have that same impact in their lives.

What can we expect next for you?

I’m working on my first album! I’m so excited because I feel like now I can really show what I’m about and reveal layers that people haven’t yet seen or heard from me. There are so many things I want to say so I’m eager to write about deeper topics and show how my lyrics and sound has matured. The vibe and overall sound will be different but one thing that won’t change is the honesty and vulnerability behind the lyrics.

I’m also really excited to play more shows this year. I’ve already got some shows lined up so I can’t wait to get back out there and continue promoting the EP and tease some of the new stuff too.

If you want to learn more about Alex, you can head to her website here.

Do you love Alex Cambridge? Let us know at @CelebMix!

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