Have you ever loved, only to lose the one you love? If you have, you will be able to understand Alexandra Willett’s new single, "Heartbeat". Beginning slow, with the soft strumming of an acoustic guitar, Alexandra tells the story of how the one you love changes; slowly until you can see that the love which was once there, no longer lives in their eyes. As the chorus approaches, the guitar builds to a marching strum, the perfect accompaniment to the artist's words of enlightenment. She implores the listener not to lose themselves when they’ve lost someone. Instead, they should listen to their own heartbeats and know that they are still alive.
This incredible song is a testament to the talent of this Canadian singer/songwriter. Originally from Quebec, Alexandra began singing and writing at a very young age. Soon after, she picked up the guitar and has not put it down since. The talented musician graduated with a Diploma in jazz and made the decision to change her direction and head west to BC. While in British Columbia, Alexandra earned a degree in Musical Theatre. Her first single "Tip Toe" was played on CBC radio stations across Canada. In November, she completed her very first tour. Alexandra also has big things on the horizon, with her debut EP scheduled for release on February 28th of this year. We look forward to the privilege of listening to more of her poignant storytelling and carefully crafted acoustic-pop style by Alexandra Willett.
Check out "Heartbeat" here.
Hello Alexandra, welcome to Buzz Music and thank you for being here. Your new single "Heartbeat" really pulls at our heartstrings. With such honest storytelling, what events in your life inspired the writing of this song?
Thank you for having me! "Heartbeat" was inspired by the people who are closest to me in my everyday life. The last year was extremely hard on some of those people I love, and it's hard to watch them spiral downwards and not being able to do anything to help. I wrote this song hoping it can reach them and let them know I'm always there. It's also a good reminder for myself that if I keep listening to my heart and not my fear, then I'll make choices that I'll never regret.
You’ve been playing the guitar since you were very young and have made it an identifiable factor in the music you make. How would you describe the effect the instrument has within your songs?
It will obviously depend on the song, but I've been trying to play around with its effect on the lyrics I choose. For example, a repetitive pattern might help elevate the lyrics more than strumming would. I've also been toying with foreshadowing a melody on the guitar first, and then making more of an impact when I sing it. It's such a versatile instrument, and there are so many ways to use it. The real inspiration for "Heartbeat" came from me tapping that rhythm on the guitar to mimic an actual heart. All in all, the guitar is just an integral part of how I've developed my songwriting.
You’ve invested a lot in your music education. What would you say sparked this love for music within you?
The spark of music was most certainly given to me by my mother. She will proudly claim that she could sing harmonies with me when I was 5 years old. She loves music of all kinds and would sing and play guitar throughout my childhood. I even borrowed her guitar - without asking - and self-taught myself from her chord books. What a surprise for her to find out from my music teacher that I'd been playing guitar the entire year! When college rolled around, she's the one who suggested I study both science and music, and needless to say, I ran with music and never looked back. My mum is the base upon which I was able to build my love for music, and I will always be grateful for that.
The last year has been one of tremendous growth for you as an artist. What more do you plan to accomplish in the future? The past year has been absolutely insane! From just starting out, to releasing an EP, going on my first tour, getting nationwide radio play... it's been a whirlwind. Coming up, I'm planning a bigger cross Canadian tour for the end of the summer, starting to look at making a French EP and expanding my audience to Europe. The end goal is to be able to support me entirely through music, so there's a whole lot to be done. My number one joy is being able to share music with people, so I just hope I can keep doing that for a very long time.