Music has no color and Alex Boyd is a testament to that. He’s paid his dues hustling in the underbelly of L.A.’s music scene and now with tears in his eyes has been able to sign with Jive Records. It sounds like something out of a movie but this is a real artist with a real sound that has combined elements of R&B, jazz, funky rock, and neo soul. Singersroom had a chance to catch up with Mr. Boyd. Check it out.
The Influence…“I don’t even know what it is called. All our music, Johnny Mathis and The Beatles, comes from soul and jazz music. I really began to get into urban music when I was in the arts school in Washington D.C.; I got into Musiq and D’angelo.”
Brown Sugar…“Yes, I have! One of my first girlfriends was Jamaican I was like 13 then.”
Me Now vs. Me Later…“I wouldn’t trade anything with what is taking place. Of course I’m happy to be where I am. I’m standing in the shoes I always said I would. So at this point once that is done I’m like what next? It’s hard for me to say who wins the battle between me now and me of the future because I will not be the same person I am now in the future. There are all different sorts of experiences in my life that happened in order to develop into the person I needed to be to get this opportunity.”
Colorful Sound…“I guess all of them, kind of tied dyed. It’s a beautiful rainbow.”
Looking Into the Future…“I see a podium, a microphone at the Grammy’s and a trophy in my hand. Gosh the smell, (Lol) I haven’t thought about that yet, maybe the cologne I’m wearing that night. Haha! I hear nothing. I hear a pin drop. I take a moment to deliver a message that can really help people. It feels something similar to how I felt when I came into Jive Records to sign a record deal and that feeling was world winning, nothing will ever equate to that. I was in tears, I was in disbelief that it finally happened, of course I was proud because it was something I had been pursuing for so many years. It was just an experience.”
Tweaking & Making Modifications…“I think the best advice I got in regards to finding my own sound is to copy everything you like and then you can’t help but to find your own sound. I think that’s what happened, I tried everything I ever loved to the best of my ability and then I moved to the next and eventually it became my own. It’s impossible to know what your sound is until you become it.”
Overcoming Negative Experiences…“Those experiences were the years I spent in L.A. hustling and learning the record business and the underbelly of the music business. The producers that sexually harassed me, people that made promises and broke my heart over and over again. You get smashed, eventually you develop a callus so thick where they can’t knock you down any more.”
Elements of Your Music…“It varies from song to song, one thing I can say is that the songs tell a story from start to finish, I mean that lyrically and sonically. I’ve expressed some of the most significant experiences in my life in these songs. I’m not out preaching about things that I know about, I’m just telling stories that have happened to me.”
Loving Black People…“The whole black culture is real deep to me. In terms of black women, they are strong and independent. I don’t think I ever met a more soulful woman in my life. Working with Debbie Allen was an incredible life changing experience for me. I’m not sure I met someone more driven.”
It Takes a Village…“Gosh! I’ve had so many villages. It started in Virginia where I grew up with my parents who supported and believed in me. My managers along the way, the producers, songwriters and collaborators are all part of my village. Then I moved to LA and my brother put me up and got me started in the city. It certainly takes a village to raise a star and mine has been nothing but really big, I owe a lot to a lot of people.” —— By: Interview By Karina Martinez
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