Alina Smith – 2000’s Teen

By starrymag | November 18, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Pop/R&B with 2000’s sonics and Nashville-leaning lyrics. But honestly, I feel like my sound can be a little amorphous because as a producer I’ve worked on just about every genre under the sun. So, I like to put things together in new ways and see how they work. The thing that, to me, makes my music mine is the perspective I share in the lyrics.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, early 2000’s Christina Aguilera. Basically, the stuff I grew up listening to. But since I spent a lot of time in Nashville back in the day, I also have a strong love for lyricism and songwriting in the style of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell and Fleetwood Mac. I love to include that sort of storytelling in my music.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Grown F**king Woman.” The song is super empowering for women. What do you think it is about the song that fans will connect to?

 

A) The music industry is rampant with ageism. I remember being told at twenty-four years old that I was too old to be an artist and should just focus on writing for others. And while I do agree that it’s important for kids, teens and people in their early twenties to be able to share their worldview through music, I think there’s a glaring lack of more mature perspectives in the pop world, which is how “Grown F**king Woman” came about. I wrote this song to share my view on aging and to highlight the confidence you gain as you age (hopefully!) I obviously hope that people my age and older can jam out to the song as their personal anthem, but I also hope that it gives younger people a glimmer of hope, that it shows them that growing older doesn’t have to be such a terrifying process.

 

Q) How will the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) The thing about this video is that it’s very simple. It’s literally just me bopping around on cam and some really cool lyric art, but the thing is, I actually used to be terrified of performing on camera. I thought I looked awkward (and I did because you could literally feel my insecurities through the lens), I hated certain parts of my face and body, so I never wanted to appear in my own music videos. I always used animation or covered my face. So, just the fact that I’m in it showcases the maturity and growth that this whole song is about!

 

Q) As someone who is no stranger to writing a hit song, what is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) My process is different every time. Sometimes I literally feel like I’m getting a download from the universe, and everything is already there: chords, lyrics, melody. At other times I’m not so naturally inspired, so I need “help” – a/k/a I need to create a track first or to collaborate with someone and have them bring an idea, be it a beat, a song title, or even a reference for the sonic direction. One of the things I don’t hear spoken about enough is that we all go through natural cycles of inspiration and expiration. It’s OK if you’re killing it one day and struggling another. I think getting ample rest is very important for staying inspired. Also, finding new ways to write. Sometimes I look for samples or play with different plug-ins to try to find interesting vibes, which can spark ideas for songs. Sometimes I journal my feelings. It can come from anywhere, so stay open!

 

Q) You’ve noted about the lack of female music producers out there. How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I write, produce and perform all of my music by myself. I know it’s a little unorthodox because our entire industry is based on collaboration, but I wanted to launch my project this way to showcase that yes, in fact, a woman can do absolutely everything and kill it. I do think in the future I’d like to be more open to collaborating on my artist project because it will help bring other perspectives into my work. But I’m really happy I’ve done it this way so far!

 

Q) You’re new EP 2000’s Teen drops just dropped. What are some themes you are exploring on it?

 

A) A lot of what I explore is just my personal journey. In “Girl That Was Perfect” I touch on recovery from an eating disorder. “Proud” is all about learning and growing from trauma. “Day One” is super personal as it describes my marriage of seventeen years and the challenges it’s faced. Really, my work is just self-therapy in song form.

 

Q) What are some tracks you felt challenged you the most to create?

 

A) The writing part on my artist songs is always the most challenging because I’m always trying to find a perfect way to express something that’s real to me. I’ve re-written certain lines dozens of times before I was happy with them. The track part is usually easier, but I will say “Grown F**king Woman” was a doozy to crack because it’s got a lot of unusual elements, like the snare not hitting the two and the four and that classical piano outro. What I really enjoy though, track-wise, is that my music is an opportunity for me to really push myself as a producer. I can try things most other artists I produce wouldn’t want in their music, and it feels like being a kid on the playground.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners will take away from checking out this new EP?

 

A) That they can do whatever they set their minds to. If a thirty-four-year-old immigrant from Russia can release a bomb music project she created by herself, anyone anywhere is capable of anything!

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) I have a complicated relationship with performing at venues, having faced a lot of trauma around it in the past. So, for now I just like posting my performances online and live-streaming.

 

Q) You’ve produced songs for ITZY, Fall Out Boy & many others. Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I would honestly die to collab with Alicia Keys because she was one of my idols growing up!

 

Q) What advice would you give to women looking to become music producers?

 

A) YouTube is an amazing resource for tutorials and so is TikTok. Don’t be afraid to self-educate! Also, there are a lot of icky people out there that will tell you that you can’t do this, but you have to tune out those voices and surround yourself with those who support you. I can’t stress how important it is to have people in your life that believe in you. If you don’t have supportive friends or family, seek out collaborators who you can have loving, symbiotic relationships with.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I listen to tons of K-pop because that’s what I’m currently focused on writing! But I do have to say, critical listening and listening for pleasure are different and at this moment I don’t listen to tons of music for fun. I know most writers and producers are in the same boat because we end up hearing five to twelve hours of music every day and our ears are fatigued. For me, I like to find other forms of inspiration like books and YouTube creators!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I think connecting with fans is one of my favorite parts of making music, second only to creating it. My fanbase is small right now, so I have a lot of fun getting to know my fans, knowing them by name, knowing their sense of humor. A lot of them are also musicians, so it makes me happy when they tell me they’ve learned something from me or that I’ve inspired them. At the end of the day, I just want what I do to affect other people positively, the way the music I listened to growing up affected me.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) First of all, thank you for supporting me. Being an independent artist is a difficult journey and for me it’s doubly difficult because I’ve already tried in the past and failed. I am plagued with constant self- doubt and pain around my music, so it really helps to hear it when someone’s connecting to it. Also, not to sound like a broken record, but if I can continue to do this through all of my anxiety around it – you can do anything. Anything at all. So, go out there, be brave and do it.