Perth’s own Alex Andra releases her long-awaited pop/punk single “Not The Beginning”. Born as Paige Savill, she’s made waves throughout the industry by being apart of several different groups, and has overall received two WAM nominations while also taking part in a female singer/songwriter mentorship program acting as a mentor through ‘Girls Rock!’ WA camps. Alex Andra’s striking single “Not The Beginning” gives us a taste of her authentic and vulnerable songwriting that's translated perfectly through pulsing punk music. With heavy rock instrumentation and unpredictable shifts in tempo and rhythm, Alex Andra has purely crafted a limitless and exciting track.
“Not The Beginning” kicks off with intoxicating electric guitar riffs and heavy drum patterns, establishing the tracks bold and high energy atmosphere. With a slight decrease in the instrumentation volume, we’re left with Alex Andra’s bright and fresh vocals at the forefront belting out her conceptual lyrics. As the track progresses into the pre-chorus, the underlying drums, bass, and guitar play an even more prominent role and effortlessly add relentless enthusiasm. Arriving at the dynamic and hard-hitting chorus, Alex Andra’s introspective lyrics of the importance of mental health and personal growth perfectly round out “Not The Beginning” with a timeless motivating message. Alex Andra is most definitely an artist to keep track of.
Listen to “Not The Beginning” here.
Hey Alex Andra, welcome to BuzzMusic! We’re very excited to feature your groundbreaking single “Not The Beginning”! Could you share what sparked the initial inspiration for writing the song?
Thank you for the feature! I’m going to drive right in… The place I was at when I began writing this was a place of transformation; recognizing growth whilst also acknowledging the healing I’m yet to do. I’m still in a very similar headspace so this song is a very pivotal symbol for me right now. The lyrics in the song use physical wounds as a metaphor, as I think it helps translate psychological trauma to something tangible everyone can relate to. This track, in addition to my next few songs, has been a really cathartic process.
You’ve mentioned that you were a mentor to other female singer/songwriters. What sort of advice would you give, and did it apply to Alex Andra’s songwriting process on your single “Not The Beginning”?
Being involved with Girls Rock! WA was equal parts mentoring others and also learning from the abundance of creatives I was surrounded by. Some of the advice I gave was often within rehearsal spaces and involved performance aspects, and also covered many elements of songwriting. 100% the suggestions I had for the campers are all things I apply to my own writing, for example: sticking to one theme, tapping into what you're feeling to express it, thinking about tone and how you want to convey your message, and blending influences from artists you’re moved by.
We’ve heard that you’ve been in a variety of different groups! Can you speak on what makes Alex Andra’s music and messages different from your other acts?
The most distinctive feature is the fact that this is the first project I’ve been in that’s entirely my own vision. I’ve often shared creative control with others, and that’s not a bad thing, but I wouldn’t have done my other works justice by bringing these characteristics into them, and I wouldn’t have done Alex Andra justice if I didn’t tell these stories this way.
The lyrics on your track “Not The Beginning” serve a quality message of moving on from past love and the importance of personal growth. Could you share what helps channel Alex Andra’s emotions and translate them to written lyrics?
I really want to attribute this awareness of what I’m going through to the therapy I’ve had over the past year. Prior to this, my pain was manifesting in unhealthy ways, often rearing its ugly head within close relationships, and I found it difficult to distinguish how much was due to my own behavior. I’ve been working on vulnerability which is incredibly difficult when you think of someone else, even one person, listening to what you’ve written, and I think that’s going to be something I’ll continue to work on for a while.
What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020?
I have big visions for 2020! I may have just released my debut single, but I have the next several songs in queue and ready to go. I really want to spend this year expressing my artistry as Alex Andra and building a community of empathetic, aspirational and creative folks. It’s a weird time right now and I believe more than anything that the world needs art to get through it. Heck, I know I need art to get through it.