Creative producer Alienna Nova has released a string of eclectic originals in recent years. We were blessed with the chance to dig into that artistic process a little, to talk all things songwriting, production, inspiration, changing careers, social barriers, plans for the future, and plenty more. Here’s how it went.
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Hi Alienna – excited to chat with you, thanks so much for the interview! Just to introduce things – where are you based, and how long have you been making music?
Hello! Thank you, it’s so special to be interviewed by Stereo Stickman! I am based in a little village in North Lancashire – UK. It’s a lovely close knit community and everyone is so friendly and happy, we have lots of great nature.
I actually have only been creating music for about 3 years, though I’ve always been a music and creative arts lover.
“Life is a precious gift & so are our hopes & dreams. We can often get restricted by our own minds or what we are led to believe.”
You were a care and support worker previously – what prompted you to shift gears, and how do the two worlds connect; is there an emotional weight carried with you that’s relieved or expressed via music?
Ah I can talk about this for ages! Creativity is definitely an outlet, I have always been deeply connected to music. The first shift in gear was when I discovered that music can be just as life changing for others as it has been for me. I would sing to my patients at work and they would feel so many emotions and start remembering those precious memories they would have through a song, and sometimes dance! Some elderly patients suffered so badly with dementia the only way to calm them down or have them smile was to sing their old favourites, usually Dean Martin, Etta James, Judy Garland or of course Elvis.
Music can be a type of therapy in many ways, either through memories or hope. It’s funny how there is a song for everything, if you need ambition, joy, adrenaline, sadness, honesty, or motivation, it can all be found in music. I connect to that strongly and always channel what I feel into my music.
And yes, exactly, there will always be that weight of my work with me, I did end of life care for a while, I remember when my first patient passed away, I felt sooooo much emotion I grabbed pen and paper, and just sat there and wrote a song, I think it was on this ledge by the beach in Garstang, near Liverpool, just sat there writing with tears streaming down my face. I was so upset that such a kind beautiful soul wasn’t with us any more, the world seemed darker without her. She had passed on my day off and I didn’t get to say goodbye. I never got to tell her how amazing and inspiring she was. So I wrote her a powerful song.
Music has always been a way to express my emotions. It’s not all sad, when someone recovered I would write about that too. Hope, dreams, and miracles. Now I kind of see things so differently. Life is a precious gift, you only have one and so are our hopes and dreams. We can often get restricted by our own minds or what we are led to believe.
People always laughed when I said I wanted to be a musician or actor, or film producer/director, I am an imaginative creative person and it made sense to me to go down that route. I created music anyway despite the funny looks or advice to get a “real job”- took a dive and created an album- I made a choice to refuse to care what people thought, then produced the music videos to match -just shocked everyone, myself included!
I’m grateful for so much I have, for those that support me and even what I don’t have, and those who don’t. I often feel things, have memories and have experienced life in a way I can’t explain in words, so I try to push that into my music.
“I find it amazing what creativity can be like when stripped back from the routine stresses of life.”
Let’s talk about Space Angels – a stunning euphoric dance track, rightfully amassing tens of thousands of streams. How did this release come to be, and what do you think makes it stand out?
Thank you, that’s beautifully put. My music can be a direct representation of my jumbled chaotic mind sometimes so it’s nice when it’s described this way.
Space Angels came naturally, it just flowed, strangely almost subconsciously. I had actually caught COVID and was stuck in it for 10 days. I couldn’t move much, no work, no college, no stress. I accepted that’s the way it had to be, and the silver lining was I was left alone with just me and my creativity. So I just went with it.
I took all the ideas and thoughts I’d been sitting on for months (I tend to procrastinate or overthink and that really takes the art out of music if you don’t get the balance right) and pushed it into my music. I find it amazing what creativity can be like when stripped back from the routine stresses of life.
I didn’t expect it to be so popular, I think the album has hit over 50,000 on all platforms already 16 days since it came out, Space Angels being the most streamed.
I should mention I’ve always loved NASA and I have always loved choir (2 random things to mix right?!) so it was kind of an inspiration from them. I am overwhelmed that it erupted all over the world. I donate 10% of profits to Vouchers 4 Veggies through the artist for change program so I’m super happy every stream someone benefits from it directly too.
What about Dance with the Galaxy – how did the rhythmic stomp and industrial vibe emerge, and what’s your creative process when producing that allows you to deliver such varied, unpredictable sounds?
So Dance with the Galaxy I knew I wanted something different, I wanted it versatile, I pictured it played at parties, gyms, at sports events, school discos, dance clubs, upbeat places, but I also wanted an innocent aspect to it, nothing too heavy so all ages could enjoy it.
I didn’t want people to get bored. You can hear I changed up the drums many times to suit the mood of the track and it has melodies that, even though there’s no lyrics, they get stuck in your head. And it’s so damn happy. I love how happy it is – as usual it has a unique dark undertone like most of my stuff, but the happiness just takes over, again a lot like my mind!
Before I released it I tested it on others. Every time I’ve played it (I never reveal it’s my music, I play it to see people’s natural reaction) every single person ended up doing a little jig or dancing and humming along – that’s how I knew I had gotten it right.
There’s a touch of organic musicianship to You, me, sand and sea – do you always start at the desk, or is there an unplugged aspect to your compositions? Are you musically trained?
Oh this was one of the first tracks I ever started playing around with. I sat on it for so long and finally finished it while I was stuck in it for 10 days. I put it on the album because of my journey with it, it reminds me how far I’ve come, grown. Where I want to be.
I actually started reading and writing my own music without any knowledge of music theory, more like poems I’d turn into songs with melodies. Despite being dyslexic I used to write poems, really imaginative things – dyslexia is kind of a superpower as it’s almost impossible for me to think inside a box. I then decided to take a year to study music at college, which was a big step for me. I was terrified of sitting in a classroom again but now I love it! It was the best decision I ever made and I met some really amazing friends.
In my studies I have learnt more piano, I’m no expert but I do often get lost in playing. I also play a little electric guitar. In my next album you will hear a lot of piano and electric guitar. When I made You,me sand and sea I was picturing myself, slightly older, walking peacefully along the beach with a loved one, watching the sun come up, with the waves crashing and the world waking up too, something I love to do, I hope you get that vibe.
There’s a strong sense of other-worldly inspiration to your music and artistic image – what inspired this, and what is it about the universe and music that allows them to work so fluidly together?
Oh so many things inspired me – I love nature, the small things like the rainbow colours of a dragonfly’s wings just blow me away, I’m a big believer in higher consciousness, listening to the universe, that kind of thing. I never ever dreamed I’d ever be able to do music, I always thought it was for a different type of person, not me, but through steps it all came together so beautifully over this last year.
I had read over the years a lot about how you take actions towards your dreams, make intentions, how it will open doors and manifest and it certainly did! I believe most things are connected and we live in an absurdly amazing world and we are so lucky, it’s so beautiful. We need to take care of it so much more. That’s my main inspiration. I am in the process of donating some of the royalties to earthday.org because taking care of the planet is important to me.
I think sometimes we can get so pulled down by everyday things, or social media which isn’t always reality, and it can be depressing-especially with the minority of hateful people in the world we see in the news and media at the moment, with so much awful things around we forget we exist in some goodness in this vast space and galaxy, and how special that is. So when I did this album I guess I was kind of pretty much saying that. It probably sounds crazy! I wanted people to connect with the feeling, earth, the galaxy, with the music and as one. To really be lost in it. I wanted to remind them they are powerful, and special.
“I had read over the years a lot about how you take actions towards your dreams, make intentions, how it will open doors & manifest and it certainly did!”
What’s your plan creatively for the next twelve months, and is there a particular ambition you’re working towards?
Yesss for sure, I’m finishing the final track of this album – One with the Galaxy, and I’m also working on my 2nd album, which has songs I have written, composed and will be singing.
I’m kind of nervous for this one as it’s very close to my heart. It’s almost the complete opposite vibe of One with the Galaxy album. I write about things closer to home, but damn I’ve just loved the challenge. I address things we find it difficult to understand, but I think the world needs it at the moment.
Don’t get me wrong it’s not awfully heavy, but it’s there, I cover it all -racism,corruption, domestic violence, global warming, the lot. And it’s been tough as it’s like baring my soul, it’s kind of scary putting it out there. But it isn’t done miserably, or in a daunting way – not at all. I hope you can connect with it.
I’ll be donating portions of it to charity’s and things associated with the songs which will help raise awareness, as well as help the much needed charities.
Is there anything else we should know?
I am grateful to anyone that’s supported, contributed, listened, followed and dispersed my music and through that it helps me keep going. I want to say a big thank you and thank you for having me on the Stereo Stickman.
For those taking Exams in UK – me too, I’m with you! Whatever the outcome, be proud of yourself that you got here and everything’s going to be fine – we have this!
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Check out the music via Apple or Soundcloud.
