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In Conversation with ... Alexandra Kay
Recent Posts
10th July 2024
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Ahead of her set on the Rainbow Stage as part of BST Hyde Park's Country Music line-up on July 4th, Alexandra Kay sat down with Nikki to chat all about her most recent album, her love of performing in the UK, her upcoming tour with Jelly Roll and being on the upcoming Twisters movie soundtrack.
NB: Hey Alexandra, it's nice to meet you!
AK: Nice to meet you, thanks for having me!
NB: No, thank you for taking the time!
AK: Of course
NB: So, how are you feeling being back in London?
AK: I love it! I've been looking forward to it ever since we found out. We actually didn't find out that we were playing this show until only like a month ago, or two months ago, I think. Usually we know way further ahead of time so we're all just hyped we got to come back, we weren't expecting to come back (to England) this year.
NB: Playing Hyde Park as well
AK: It's iconic!
NB: One of the most iconic landmarks, you must be really excited?
AK: Yeah, it's super exciting and also this is one of my first, I think this is my first show with Morgan. I've played a couple of festivals where we are on the same bill but it's just really cool for there to be such a small group of us that got chosen to be on this show so I'm super honoured, especially as one of 4 women on the bill so I'm just really really psyched.
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NB: Some of our team were at your show and we saw some people crying, is that overwhelming for you to get that kind of energy and response?
AK: I think it just reminds that whatever it is that I'm doing, I'm doing it at least semi-right, that's the reaction that I always wanted to get. I grew up listening to Taylor Swift and that's how she would make me feel, I mean I would just sit in my bedroom bawling my eyes out and think how does she know me! That's just one thing when I go into every single write that I keep with me. Especially writing this record, since it was such a personal record, If I'm going to go through divorce, which is the most painful thing I've ever been through, and completely starting over at this age, that I said everything I needed to say but that it felt like a warm hug to somebody else going through it. I feel like we accomplished that, and I think that, you know, we'll see some tears in the crowd today and that just reminds me that we are all healing together and we're all human, something that I'm really passionate about.
NB: It must be incredible for you now that you're on the other side of all that, to see that response from your fans, it must be the greatest thing in the world.
AK: It's amazing. I knew that when I was going through it that God had a plan for me and this wasn't just supposed to be it. I wasn't just supposed to sign these papers and start over, I needed to create beauty out of this pain. I really think we did that, I see it in the meet and greets every night, women who are in their 20's going through a divorce and women who are in their 60's going through a divorce after 20 something years, you know... it just really brings us all to the same human level, we're all having the same experience, just in different ways. I'm just happy I can make someone feel less alone.
NB: Its a great line up! So, you were just here in February, played some sold out shows in London, Manchester, what was your biggest takeaway from the UK audiences?
AK: Oh just the passion and everybody is so kind and just so attentive, and so excited to be there and excited to have me there. And so welcoming! I didn't expect to do my first headline tour to sell out the whole UK tour but that just goes to show how incredible the fans over here are and continue to be and hope to come back to do more next year.
NB: Well actually we asked our followers on socials what the biggest thing is they would want to ask you and it was overwhelmingly when you will be back to do another tour?
AK: (laughs) we'll be back in 2025, we haven't announced it yet but it'll be announced in a couple of days! We're excited!
NB: That's exciting and your fans will be excited! And your fans are super passionate…
AK: They are!
Performing on the Rainbow Stage - BST Hyde Park. July 4th 2024
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NB: And it is incredible, the demographic for your audience when I was interacting with them.
AK: It's crazy yeah!
NB: It really does range from like 20's to 60's plus. I think that's one of the great things about country music, certainly with your fans, that it resonates across ages.
AK: For sure, it's one of the great things about social media too and the way I've been able to utilise it. I started on Facebook back in 2014, I believe, or 2016. When I first started to have my virality on Facebook, before I was even on Instagram, TikTok 'cause that wasn't even a thing and so I, uh, first started to kinda get that... so it was an older demographic right, it was Facebook, so then once I started dipping into TikTok that's when I started to get a much younger demographic. We were having like 7 year olds, 8 year olds, 12 year olds come to the show and I was like, 'this is cool'. Then I put out my 'All I've ever Known’ album, which really resonated with a lot of people in their 30's and 40's. So now based on just the fact I've shared every chapter of my life as I've continued to grow and continued to age, it's like I'm bringing people with me. It’s a wide range and it's wonderful to see you know, a mother healing and she's having her own experience and her own moment; then 'Skip This Part' comes on and her 7 year old is decked out in pink doing the whole thing, it's incredible!
NB: I love the whole album but 'She Stayed' is just such a great song!
AK: Thank you! Rocko, my boyfriend and I, wrote that song together and he's my lead guitarist in the band. He was asking me like, 'what d'you want for this record?' It was the last bit of the album and he was like, 'Is there anything else you haven't said?' I was like I've wanted to write a song for my best friend for forever and it has just never been right because she's so incredible and I hold her at like the highest standard, it's gotta be great! And we ended up writing in like a couple of hours together, she's the most important thing in the world to me and she deserves it. I'm so happy like every night when I see all the besties embracing and screaming it, I'm like yay! It makes me so happy!
NB: That's the one me and my friend have on in the car, that's where we always start off
AK: Ah! That makes me so happy!
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NB: It's such a great song! Speaking of great songs, you're going to be on the Twisters soundtrack, which is out in a couple of weeks. Is there anything you can tease about that song and how it came about?
AK: Well it's an incredible song! I actually found out the day before Stagecoach. I was getting ready to play my first Stagecoach and my manager Beth surprised me, she was like, they started just talking about (there's a video on TikTok if you guys want to see it)... they started just talking about the movie Twisters and we we're going back and forth and I was like 'oh I'm so excited about it' and then she was like, 'we should go to theatres when it comes out.' And then she was like, 'what if I told you you're on the soundtrack, with Jelly Roll, and you're cutting it tomorrow?' I was like 'WHAT?' She had to repeat it like three times! I was just in shock! I found out, I learned it that night (the song, my parts), went to Jelly Roll's house. When we got to Palm Springs, (we) recorded it, got to my set at Stagecoach with 5 minutes to spare, jumped up on stage, played my set. It was a wild day! I was sicker than a dog too when we cut that song but we made it happen, we made it work!
NB: Looking forward to hearing it.
AK: Yeah it's an amazing song! I'm very very honoured to be a part of it!
NB: Speaking of Jelly Roll, next month you're starting a massive US tour with Jelly Roll. How are you feeling about that?
AK: Stoked! I mean it's going to be my first arena tour. I did an amphitheater tour with Tim McGraw a couple of years ago, I was his opener on that, also as an indie artist. So it's just really cool, not only did Tim take me out, Jelly is taking me out as an indie artist and I get to stand up on that stage in my first arena tour ever and be able to thank everybody for what they gave me. The reason why I have everything is because people believe in me and gave me opportunities; because the fans are continuously streaming the songs, buying the tickets, showing up to the shows. I would have nothing without them and I continuously tell them that over and over, thank you for everything I have. I'm excited to get up on my first big arena stage and be able to say that. I think it'll be a real turning moment for me and then I'll be announcing new music right off the back end of that.
NB: That's awesome! We're looking forward to that and looking forward to new music and super excited to see your set today (at BST Hyde Park)
AK: Super excited for you to hear it! It's gonna be awesome!
NB: Thank you so much for your time
AK: Thank you so much for having me, I appreciate it!
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Alexandra Kay’s recent album ‘All I’ve Ever Known‘ is OUT NOW! Available on all streaming platforms. Keep your eyes on our socials for a UK tour announcement which Alexandra said will be coming soon. As soon as it does, we've got ya covered.