ALITA
Singer/songwriter ALITA reveals new single “Too Close”.
The pop ballad was co-written with Jonny Keenan and produced by Keenan and Bryan Lash.
“It’s that moment of fear in a new relationship, when you realize you’re past the point of return - you’re past the moment when this person is just a new face in your life. Now their presence carries weight and meaning, you start wondering when they’re going to call or text, you can’t stop thinking about them. And then, the commitment issues start to show up,” explains ALITA.
Released via Palette Records, “Too Close” follows “Human Nature” unveiled earlier this year. Based in Seattle Washington, the storyteller is continuing to paint heartfelt pop records through captivating melodies.
“Too Close” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Austin Hodaie
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hey! I'm Alita. I'm an artist & songwriter based out of Seattle, Washington. Nice to e-meet you :) I've been a musician and performer my whole (diaper-less) life, and have been pursuing a career in music pretty heavily the past 3 years. I write conversational pop music, and what I mean by that is I try to write songs that make it feel like I'm sitting right there in the room with the listener. I think I've found a feel-good groove the last three singles I've put out, and I'm really excited to keep evolving that sound with upcoming projects. Outside of music, I love animals (I have 3 dogs!), reading, comedy, sunshine. And I'm just really happy to be here. It feels like a privilege to get to chase this dream.
Could you tell us about your childhood a little bit?
Sure, yeah! I grew up in a small family in a suburb right outside of Seattle - Issaquah, WA. I was raised by a single mother and music always filled our home. I was really lucky to grow up with a mom who was so passionate about giving me every avenue to express myself. She put everything she had into helping me explore my personality, my dreams, an my desires. Alongside her, I was raised by my godfather, David. They are long-time best friends and he was like a grandpa/dad/best friend/brother all rolled up into one. I was honestly really lucky to have both of them. When I was 12, my mom had a surgery gone wrong and everything in my life shifted from there. A lot of our energy was spent keeping her alive and functioning quite honestly. I haven't talked about this in an interview before, but it's a key experience from my childhood. I really relied on writing and performing during that time just to keep a sense of sanity. I'm grateful to say she's doing better these days and continues to be the best cheerleader for my career and life.
When did you start feeling connected to music?
Since I can remember. My mom always had headphones on her stomach during her pregnancy, so I imagine the bond started from day one.
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
I started writing songs when I was 5 or 6. I remember the only way I could get through my math homework as a kid was singing out the equations and answers. I would make up a song for anything and everything. I picked up a guitar at age 13 just to learn how to accompany myself, and my writing definitely progressed from there.
When did you know you could sing?
I knew at age 5 or 6 that I could sing. I auditioned to be in the elementary school talent show in kindergarten. Most of the kids who performed were in 4th or 5th grade, I was by far the youngest to go for it. I sang a Mariah Carey song, and a schoolmate of mine started a rumor that I lip-synced the whole thing. I was devastated that people didn't think it was really me! I went home crying and my mom told me that it was a compliment that they thought I sounded remotely like Mariah Carey at my age (or any age) and that all I had to do was "just keep singing." Now, obviously, my tiny little voice didn't stack up to the queen herself, but that moment was pivotal for me. I remember thinking, "Ok, maybe I do have a voice."
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
This is honestly such a good question for me, in particular, because I really didn't have the confidence for a long time. Well, I did growing up, but somewhere along the line I gave it up in the name of practicality. I grew up writing and performing my own music and covers at every open mic night, acoustic night, and talent show I could find. I performed in every musical at school and local theaters. Being on stage, writing music, sharing it with others was what gave me any sense of purpose. When it came time to decide what to do after high school, I decided I wanted to go to school for music (shocker, I know). The weekend I was supposed to fly down to San Francisco to do group auditions, I got really sick and had to stay back. I ended up doing a video audition for the schools that would allow it, and didn't get into the top ones I wanted to go to. I remember convincing myself that that was a "sign" to go to college for something entirely more logical, straight-forward. That maybe I didn't have what it took - I wasn't pretty or skinny enough, I wasn't "music industry material". I was going to let music be a hobby. It was 4 years of pretending I was okay with my decision, and when I graduated university, I had a major breakdown and subsequent wake-up call. Who was I to throw a lifelong dream away like that? Who was I to build up this false story in my mind that I didn't have what it took? So, step by step, I recommitted. I started writing in my little home studio, I met people in the local Seattle music scene, and I eventually started working on my original music in a professional studio. It took 2 years of grinding in the studio and figuring out my own collaboration partners until I felt like I had something worth sharing with the world. And here we are! Confidence is a tricky thing for me. I had it, I lost it, I gave it up. But then I had to fight to get it back, one step at a time.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
I think I already answered this one above unintentionally, but it really had to be my mom and David. Without them, I wouldn't be me. They went to every show, every performance, every rehearsal. Even when my mom was so sick, she came to every single event of mine. When I had my post-college breakdown, they both were the ones telling me that they always knew I would come back to music, and I had no other choice now but to give it my all.
How would you define ALITA, the artist?
I would define ALITA as a genuine, hopeful artist and storyteller who values community, honesty, and a sense of humor above all else. I love making music, and I hope my own personality and drive bleeds into my work and my presence on/offline. It's sometimes challenging for me to try to build out a description of who I am as an artist, because for me, artistry & my personal life are one in the same. I think the description is evolving, but I'm honestly just trying to be real and raw, and have fun doing it.
"Too Close" is your new single - what's the story behind this song?
Too Close was written over a year ago, in response to a love that started to fall apart in the face of what I would call 'commitment issues' (I'm not sure he sees it that way). After a while of being heads down on music, I put myself out there in the dating world again, and met someone pretty special. I was smitten. When things started to steer in the direction of a legitimate relationship, he got cold feet and whatever we shared just sort of... dissipated. While it was all going down, I started writing hook ideas for this concept of being too close for comfort with someone. I did a writing exercise to try to write the story from his perspective, because at the time, I just couldn't make sense of it. I brought the idea into the studio, and the song kinda wrote itself from there. It was one of the first songs where I felt like I started to nail down a sound I was proud of, so it's a special one for me.
Could you describe to us the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
I write most of my songs 6 months to a year (or more) after something in my life has happened. It takes me time to process and move beyond that current moment, so I can write what I really mean but this one was born in the thick of the breakup. During that writing exercise where I tried to writer from his perspective, I finished a demo version of “Too Close” at home. My producer knew I had been seeing someone, and one day in the studio I was feeling particularly bummed about the whole thing. So I shared this Too Close concept, and we cut an initial version of the song that day. We ended up sending it to Jonny Keenan, he's an incredible songwriter and producer, and he added a bunch of new production ideas to it and suggested I rewrite the melody for the chorus to something a lot more "hooky" and mellow. From there, Matt Good ended up mixing the version you hear today, and did a killer job at capturing the laid back, "vibey" feeling I wanted. Mike Kalajian mastered it, and voila! Now it's yours.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I honestly felt sad and disappointed. I'm not sure the song really captures that longing feeling, but I think that's okay. Because after all, the song was written (mostly) from my inspiration's perspective and I don't think he felt that same longing feeling I did.
What do you like the most about this song?
I just love the overall feeling it gives me. It makes me feel like I'm sitting in a convertible, driving down the coast, wind in my hair. It just feels good. I also think it explores an experience a lot of us recognize - that moment when you start to realize someone who once was a stranger has taken on a new meaning in your life. They carry weight, and that brings anxiety and excitement.
What made you want to release "Too Close" as a single?
I've worked on a ton of music these last few years, and I've explored a lot of different sounds and ideas. "Too Close" was a song that I, and a lot of my trusted collaborators and friends, kept coming back to. Jonny once said to me that he felt like the song captured a sound that's new, he can't quite pin the inspiration for it from other artists in the game. It's not that it's this entirely new concept of sound by any means; I'm not that experimental. But there was something that made it stand apart. Once I got a mix I was hyped on, I knew it was going to be a single (thanks Matt!)
What can you tell us about the artwork?
Sure! We took some promo photos a couple months back, and when we started looking through them, none of them stood out as the cover artwork. My manager and I were shooting ideas back and forth and I saw this image on Pinterest of a woman shielding herself from the sun through a pair of blinds. It stood out to me, because it mirrored the feeling the song gave me. When something's new and exciting, it has a bright and shiny feeling in your mind. But sometimes it's almost *too* much, it overwhelms you. You feel protective, like you need to shield yourself from the unknown. When I went back to shoot photos, we played around with the idea and once I saw the image, I knew it was the one!
What are your thoughts on today's global situation? How are you holding up?
My thoughts used to be ones of fear and anxiety. Thankfully, I feel more at peace nowadays. I feel more gratitude than anything else. I'm healthy, my family and friends are healthy. I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay at home for the time being. My heart hurts deeply for both my local and global communities. I've seen a lot of rhetoric around Covid19 being "the great equalizer". I'm not sure that's really the case. It's the most vulnerable populations and communities globally that are suffering the most and will continue to. I know the sentiment is really that anyone could get this disease and be affected by it, but a lot of us have the immense privilege of not being faced with life and death right now. We're watching it from the sidelines, and yet some of us are screaming at those in the game, upset that our plans are cancelled and we can't go to the beach. With any privilege comes responsibility and I'm just doing my best to be responsible to those around me. Listen to the facts, ignore the fear, find some peace and quiet. Keep moving forward.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I'm going to pull out some college textbook knowledge here (haha) but only because I think it's true. Bell Hooks wrote on this theory of "margin to center". I don't want to butcher this because it's much more in-depth than this, but essentially the theory talks about for any society there is a group of people in the center and there is the margin, with the center being the group that has more control and power. Oftentimes, those in the center don't recognize their place and it's often not earned. The world would be a better place if those in the center would move out of the center - if they would see their privilege, their "center-ness", and get out of the way, so the people on our margins can lead the charge for social change. Making decisions from the margins includes both groups, by default. I believe it creates a better world for us all. I know life isn't some textbook theory, and I really don't mean to overanalyze this question. But the heart of what I mean is that I believe when one of us suffers, we all suffer, and it's not the people born into the most power and privilege who should be yielding it. I rest my case!
What message do you want to give to the world?
To find what you love, and go for it. No excuses, no practicalities, no fear-based decisions. That's it. Just go for it.
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