Artist Of The Week #147 - Alex Amor
This week’s Artist of the Week is Scottish Alex Amor - who has just release her debut EP ‘Love Language’. It documents the progression of a relationship and the complexities that come with it. She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey Alex, so your EP is out today - how does it feel to have it out in the world?
It feels very very good. I made the record this time last year so I’m happy that the songs now belong to the world and not just my ears.
It is titled ‘Love Language’ - does that hold a certain meaning?
The EP title references Gary Chapmans’ introduction of the 5 love languages - words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch - which are interpretations of the different ways we express love. The title track of the EP is about a relationship that fails to be compatible as our love languages are completely different. Opposites can sometimes attract but in this case they repel!
This EP comes from around one hundred demos you wrote, how did you get it down to five?
When I began writing for the project, I was making anything I wanted, trying to find my sound. As I kept writing, the music started to naturally evolve into something coherent. With any artist, it gets to a point where you realise what you want to say, and it’s exciting when you find your own voice through your writing!
That all being said, it’s always about the best 5 pieces of songwriting. The ones that make you feel something, that live in their own world, the ones that you remember and keep coming back to.
Was it hard to pick which ones made it on the EP?
Being an independent artist, I didn’t have a committee of people making my decisions and clouding my judgment. I could develop at my own pace and I feel lucky that I could listen to my intuition at the start of my career. It felt empowering to be in charge of all my own decisions. I did wonder how I was going to pick from so many, but they usually tend to show themselves at the end.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Love language follows the natural progression of a relationship which dwells on the difficulties of trying to stay true to yourself but also navigating being in love. Listening back to the project now, there’s a restlessness to it - like I’m being pulled in so many directions not knowing which way to go. The songs show both sides of the coin: my cynicism of love and at the same time succumbing to it, despite being cautious to begin with.
The EP was influenced by a concoction of genres - 90’s bands like Radiohead, Cocteau Twins and Weezer while also listening to current artists like Blood orange and Beach house. Strong songwriters are usually a thread in my influences like Joni Mitchell, Lana Del Rey and Stevie Nicks.
Do you have a favourite lyric from the EP? If so, which one and why?
‘Please don’t prove me right, cos I think you might’ is a lyric I’m quite proud of. I’m asking someone not to be predictable, hoping that their actions won’t be disappointing so they can prove me wrong but if the past is anything to go by, I’m probably going to be let down again.
You transformed the cupboard under your parents stairs into a makeshift recording studio, how did they feel about that?
That was a good few years ago when I didn’t have anywhere else to record vocals so I thought it was a great idea to sing amongst shoes and jackets for ‘acoustic’ purposes. My parents actually found it funny. They’d open the cupboard to grab a coat and get the fright of their life because they didn’t know I was tucked away in there.
Now this EP is out there, what next for you? Will we ever get to hear the demos that didn't make the final EP track listing?
I am constantly evolving when I make music so you probably won’t hear the old songs because I am so excited by the new sounds I am creating. I definitely will be releasing a lot more music this year with a few surprises up my sleeve. I cannot wait to perform live at ‘The Great Escape’ later on this year in Brighton and play a bunch more gigs when things open back up again.