Christiana Alaire
Photo credit: Addison Lentz
Singer/songwriter Christiana Alaire has released her new single titled “The Devil’s Pact”.
Co-written with Andre Yoder, the country-soulful single was inspired by the idea of a strong woman encountering a mysterious man that attempts to draw the woman into late-night temptation."The Devil's Pact" is one of my favorite original works thus far. The smokey-vintage feel of the music pairs well with the story of a strong female combating the temptation and manipulation of a mysterious and devilish man she encounters in the late night. I love that the song gives the listener the ability to interpret it in their own way,” explains Alaire.
Currently studying at Belmont University, the Nashville-based artist painted a brilliant story-telling by highlighting her powerful and soulful vocals with “The Devil’s Pact”.
“The Devil’s Pact” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Addison Lentz
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I am Christiana Alaire, an independent, curly haired, free spirit soul singer from Atlanta Georgia. I am 19 years old and currently pursuing my music career in Nashville, TN while also enrolled as a Junior at Belmont University.
Do you remember your early musical memories?
Since I can remember, I have been singing and performing in community musicals, talent shows at school and church, and in show choir performance ensembles!
When did you start singing?
I began singing as soon as I could! The ABC song was my jam! I was “discovered” by my mother and my aunt on a road trip, while singing along to Joss Stone! They were shocked to hear me following along and adding my signature sass in the back seat!
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
I began songwriting around 12 years old, when it called to me. I got my first guitar right around that age and I had been going through some family complications, so I sat down and words started unexpectedly pouring out in song and providing a creative outlet. I continued to co-write and grow my knowledge of songwriting from there!
When did you decide to fully pursue music as a career?
Music has always been my end-game. I knew I wanted to pursue my career as a musician when I was about 8 years old and performed in my first talent show at school! The rush of performing and the amazing feeling I got inside was enough intuition for me to go full throttle towards my dream!
How would you define Christiana Alaire, the artist?
Christiana Alaire is a strong, powerhouse vocalist that incorporates her southern story-telling roots and high energy in all of her work. She lives for performing live and is known for her performance value while doing so, as well as maintaining that in her recorded music. She is very versatile and draws a lot of her vocal style from Soul music while still incorporating her country inspired writing style.
"The Devil's Pact" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
This single was inspired by the idea of a strong woman encountering a mysterious man that attempts to draw the woman into late-night temptation, however she does not fall into his plan.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
“TDP” was co-written with Andre Yoder, a fellow local Nashville songwriter, and very close friend! Both of our songwriting styles are usually “story-teller” based and we wanted to provide a tale of empowerment, as that is a common theme among our work as well. We created this song in a dorm-room at Belmont in about one hour, just as it began to flow! The production is all live musicians and was produced at a local Nashville studio, Omni Sound Studios.
What's your favorite thing about this single?
Personally, my favorite part about this single is the soulful and smokehouse vibe that the entire production holds. I love when songs and music can transport the listener to a new environment and capture a movie-like experience, which came together perfectly for the vision I had in mind for this single!
What made you want to release "The Devil's Pact" as a single?
I chose to release this song as a single, because it is not attached to a larger project, however it still showcases my songwriting style and performance ability in my recorded music therefore fitting on my discography of work.
What is your goal for this new song?
The goal of this single is for listeners to hear a new twist on Soul/Country music. I like to push the envelope when it comes to genre identity, so this single is a great representation of music that fits my personal style very well.
What is the hardest part about being an artist? And what is the best part?
As an artist, you have to be your own biggest cheerleader and support your work more than anyone else, which can be tough to some who are their biggest critics as well. I think the hardest part about being an artist is that you have to spend as much time on your art as you would an everyday job and visualize the “light at the end of the tunnel”, if you will. Being an artist is being yourself and showcasing that to the world, and believing that someone is going to relate and benefit from hearing your story and sound. That also ties into the best part of being an artist which is being able to connect with people via your personal art, and share your stories and life with others that relate. I think it is amazing that we have platforms that are able to assist us in sharing regularly as well!
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
The music industry today is a complex network of moving pieces that has been operating with the same forces for many years. I think if I could change one thing about the industry, it would be overall transparency between artists and labels or management. If this was achieved, I believe that artists and labels/mgmt would be able to accurately represent talent that is the right fit for each of the parties involved and will produce successful relationships throughout.
What major life lesson have you learned so far?
The biggest life lesson I have learned thus far is that you put in what you expect to get out of your work. Regardless of how cliche this might sound, everything happens for a reason and sometimes that door that you might have expected to be open, closes and you're back to square one, but that usually means there is something better fit around the corner! If you maintain a great work ethic, then great things will result from your hard work.
What are your thoughts on today's global situation and on the Black Lives Matter movement?
I am very passionate about inclusion of all people, so this movement has been very heavy on my heart. Our world is extremely divided and I hope to use my platform to continue promoting an accepting, colorblind mindset that can bring listeners together and bridges social gaps.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
In my opinion, I believe the world would be a better place if the mindset of growth was more focused on the wellbeing of our people and our environment. I am very passionate about keeping the earth clean and healthy, so I would like to see growth in environmental improvement and less industrial advancements. I also believe that mental health education should be more prevalent among young people to bring awareness to young minds and educate them on resources available.
What message do you want to give to the world?
One message that I would love to share with the world is: INVEST IN YOUNG PEOPLE! Young minds are the future and if we give them learning and growth opportunities, the possibilities are endless! I had many great mentors in my early years and they provided me with amazing guidance, so I would love to do the same for others in the future.
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