Fionn Questionnaire: Alanna

Age / Birthday: March 9th 1998 (20 years old)

Where do you live? 

White Rock, BC Canada

Who are your greatest musical idols/influencers?

Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Florence + The Machine, Hozier.

What are your top 5 albums of all time?

Melodrama (Lorde)

Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)

Born To Die (Lana Del Rey)

The Bends (Radiohead)

Hozier (Hozier)

What are 10 songs you’re listening to right now? 

Don`t Delete the Kisses (Wolf Alice)

Solo (Frank Ocean)

Creature Fear (Bon Iver)

Birdland (Patti Smith)

Dress (PJ Harvey)

Drew Barrymore (Sza)

Slip Away (Perfume Genius)

Run For Cover (The Killers)

Is This What you Wanted (Leonard Cohen)

Beside You (Van Morrison)

How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard you?

I would describe our sound as ``Folk Pop``. 

What themes do you explore on this album? What do you hope listeners will take away from your album? 

When we started writing for this record we were emerging into the real world from high school, and basically just wrote about everything we started to notice while becoming adults. I started off writing about how I struggled to disconnect my self-worth from my appearance due to how the media and society raised me. I suddenly began to realize how frustrating it was to be treated like an object and that in some ways I was even treating myself like one. I also wrote about my longing for love, and later on wrote about my first romantic experiences. I hope that our album will be able to make listeners think, and that they will also be able to relate to our feelings and experiences.  

Do you consider this record a feminist one?

Feminism definitely did inspire me to write for this album! Although the whole record isn’t about feminism, it comes through in a few of the songs. I feel like feminism is the cherry on top of this record!     

Can you name a few "aha" moments from your life that set you down the road to music?

My first ``aha`` moment happened when I was in Choir as a child, and we harmonized for the first time as a group. I remember the hair on the back of my neck standing up, and realizing how beautiful music really was. Another moment I remember clearly was busking in Vancouver when we were twelve, and somebody asking us to perform at a Christmas party, giving us our first real gig.  My latest ``aha`` moment happened when we got signed to 604 records! 

What was your first “I got this” moment as an artist?

When I started getting complimented for my song writing, I had a few ``I got this`` moments. Since learning how to song write well took me such a long time, I felt like I had reached the top of a mountain when my songs started getting a good response.

What is a story related to this album do you think you'll still be telling people 10 years from now?

Since Brianne and I were kids we always dreamed of recording in a real studio. Early on in the process of making our album, we spent two days right before Christmas recording a string quartet and vocals in a beautiful Vancouver studio called ``The Armoury``. The Armoury is located in Gas town (one of my favourite places in Vancouver) and we happened to be there on a pristine winter day. I just remember hearing the Quartet adding beautiful string melodies to songs I had written a year before in my bedroom, and feeling so ecstatic!

How has growing up as millennials in this era defined your music/songwriting/identities as artists?

I feel like growing up in this era gave me a lot of access to information because of the internet. Watching videos online of other artists singing and writing songs really inspired me to keep going! It made me feel like I wasn’t alone in wanting to be a musician.

From the music you were hearing to personal anecdotes, what was going on in your life that made its way onto the album, either intentionally or unintentionally?

Early on when I was writing for this album, I was really inspired by Lana Del Rey. Since I had spent most of my pre-teen years trying to write Taylor Swift-esque country songs, listening to Lana Del Rey`s Album ``Ultraviolence`` really made me want to write my music differently. I remember when I started writing `Magazine Face``, I was listening to a song by the 1975 called ``Robbers``, which opens with the line `` She had a face straight outta magazine, God only knows but you'll never leave her..``. I remember wondering why her ``magazine face`` was the only reason stated for him never wanting to leave her. At the time, I was just starting to realize how objectified women are in the media, and how I was so negatively affected by TV shows and magazines growing up. I was a kid with an overbite and a mushroom hair cut who thought that the only way I would ever feel fully good about myself was if I magically grew up to be beautiful. The first time in my life that I was noticed for being pretty was when I was 16. I remember thinking that boys paying attention to me would make me feel better, but in the long run it didn’t. I was riding this wave of inspiration when I wrote ``Skeleton`` and ``Tell Me I`m Pretty``. ``Give in`` was kind of an unintentional foreshadow to ``Close Talking``. When I wrote Give In, I was longing to fall in love. When I met my boyfriend almost a year later, I had my first ever romantic experiences, and finally knew what it felt like to start falling in love with somebody. ``Close Talking`` is the only song I have ever written that is a story completely about my personal experiences. When I wrote Close Talking I was listening Maggie Rogers and Julia Michaels, kind of fell in love with minimalistic pop, and really wanted to give the song that vibe. ``Sad Boys`` was written about my best friend`s first romantic experience, which unfortunately was not as good as mine. It feels pretty cool that this album will always be a way for me to keep in touch with my past self.  

How does being sisters and having so many shared experiences influence your music/creative process?

I think that being twins does make it easier for us to harmonize (I really do believe in twin telepathy), but our creative process is very different. Despite the fact that we share a face, we are very different people.

Do you both sing, play guitar and write songs?

Yes!

What was the first show you ever played?

Our first show as a duo was when we were in grade 4 and performed a song called `Take a Winter Walk with Me`` at our elementary school Christmas concert!

Who is your dream collaboration?

Lorde!!

What was your first musical community? Was there a scene, or set of venues/bands in your hometown or elsewhere that nurtured you?

When we were young teenagers in White Rock, there was an entire young teenaged musician scene. We used to all perform at an open mic at a café called ``The Good Day Sunshine Café``, and used to compete in competitions put on by older musicians in our community.   

As you explore on “Skeleton,” what have your experiences been like as young women in the music industry been like?

We have been extremely lucky, and fortunately have had no skeleton-like experiences at all! We have an amazing team full of men and women who all take us seriously as musicians, and as people.

What are your creative spaces — the places where you created the songs and recordings for this album? Where did you record it, and why there?

My creative space has always been my bedroom. I usually put on my sweatpants, make a cup of tea, and start writing! Our album was recorded at 604`s studio in Vancouver. It is such a beautiful facility, close to home, and was the perfect place to record our first album.   

Are there any childhood stories or memories that find their way into your music?

I think the only piece of my childhood that made it onto this album was in ``Magazine Face.`` when I said `little girls wanna grow up and be wanted` I was remembering how I thought that growing up and being admired for my appearance was everything.

You guys were born in White Rock, British Colombia - what is your relationship like to your home today?

I love White Rock and think it is very beautiful, but can`t wait to leave it!

What is a typical weekend like for you?

On a Typical weekend I spend Saturday night catching up with friends, and Sunday I spend writing and performing at a local Irish pub.

Do you work with any charities or non-profit organizations? What causes are you passionate about?

At the moment I do not work with any charities, but in the future I really would like to help support education for young women in developing countries.

Hobbies? Passions?

I love to read, and I am starting to write poems as well as songs. Writing has always been my passion, and I want to start taking it in different directions.

Do you collect anything?

I`ve never been much of a collector. I prefer to spend money on experiences rather than items!

What are a few things you don't leave the house without?

My headphones, my cell phone, and my book.

How do you describe your style?

I would describe my style as sporty and casual.

What are your favorite clothing/make-up/lifestyle brands?

I never really have cared about brands when it comes to clothes; I just pick whatever speaks to me. For makeup I do definitely prefer MAC products.

What are your favorite brands for equipment/tech/headphones/speakers etc?

Though some have called me ``basic``, I do like to stick to Apple products!

What is your exercise routine like?

I live in an area with a lot of hills, so I usually rotate between walking up hills and going for runs.

Do you have any health or dietary preferences (vegan, vegetarian, etc)?

I just try to be as healthy as I can (though I do have slight foodie tendencies).