We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joseph Alexander a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Joseph thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My parents are both violinists, and their parents were also musicians. They stuck a violin in my hands when I was 4, so music has always been an overwhelming force in my life. What they did right was give me the space to explore music for myself, and not keep me in a box. They always supported me trying new things and experimenting with music (as long as it sounded good!), and that support let me find my true passion in pop music.
Joseph, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I grew up around music and was obsessed with pop culture and pop stars when I was a kid. I used to move our furniture around at home to look like a stage and would play music and pretend to be in a big arena! So I just started making music and eventually decided to take it to a local studio and just make it happen. Whether or not it ever goes anywhere, the point is to make good music. I don’t think I could live without the ability to write songs.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Look, I don’t claim to be famous or have a huge following, even after a few projects. It’s incredibly difficult to “break into the industry” so to speak, and the business aspect of pop music is a cutthroat one. So, I’m aware that you really have to be in it for the music, not the money. Even when it ends up costing me more than it makes, I don’t care. The point is to put those feelings, thoughts, the melodies that pop into my head at 3am into music. No matter what happens, I will always be making pop records.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Seeing your vision come to life, and seeing even just one person genuinely enjoy and love what you do. I think a lot of creatives would say the same thing, there’s something quite magical about having an idea in your head and then putting the work in to a final, tangible piece of art. It still blows my mind sometimes to listen to the most record I finished (coming soon…ish!), thinking about where I was and how I was doing when I wrote it, and how it has become its own being and has wings. I know that sounds melodramatic, but seriously.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/josephalexandermusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/josephalexmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@josephalexander634
Image Credits
Josh D. Flynn Tanner Messer Elsewhere Museum