An Interview With The Canadian R&B/Pop Newcomer, ALEXA FERR!

Photo Credit- Blair Caldwell

R&B/Pop artist Alexa Ferr is the true definition of a bonafide triple threat with an extraordinary talent in singing, dancing, and acting.  At just 21-years-old, Alexa has already made a name for herself with her own take on popular music, resulting in media outlets globally coining her as the “Rugged Popstar!”  2017 is slated to continue Alexa’s monumental climb as she releases her electrifying single “Room For 2” and her brand new project.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Alexa always loved to perform.   Her first performance was at a local singing contest that she remembers as “terrifying” but something that she immediately took great pride in.  Growing up and continuing to perform, Alexa gained 8 years of experience in jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop and contemporary dance.  In 2009, Alexa flew to LA for a talent convention and was scouted by many producers, which led her to travel back-and-forth to LA often to record her demo album. She proceeded to record her first single, “Fell,” which she released under Universal Music Group/Dauman Music. The single featured Disney star Matthew “Mdot” Finley, who was also featured in Disney Channel’s Camp Rock 2.

After success with her first single, Alexa began working closely with production duo The Invaders and later released an EP entitled “Lipstick on the Glass.” The EP caught the attention of renowned celebrity photographer and director, Walid Azami, who went on to create Alexa’s video for the title EP track. Since then, Alexa has performed in various famous venues in LA such as The Viper Room, Whisky A Go Go, The Tiki Bar in Newport Beach and the famed House of Blues in Hollywood.  Now 21-years-old, Alexa has been invited to attend many red carpet events and network with some of the industries’ biggest acts. Most recently, Alexa released her single “Hit The Switch” alongside production duo, The Penthouse.

Alexa cites artists such as Rihanna, Aaliyah, Brandy, Britney Spears, Madonna, Michael and Janet Jackson as some of her biggest musical influences.  She describes her music as “rugged R&B/Pop” due to the fact that it’s her own unique take on those genres.  All of her music is drawn from her personal experiences, including upcoming single “Room For 2.”

“Room For 2” came about in a session with producer The3ory after he asked Alexa what was going on in her life.  After therapeutically detailing her current situation, “Room For 2” was born.  The song is about being in a relationship and feeling like someone else is trying to get in the way to grab your significant others attention.  Creating the visuals for the music video, Alexa wanted to showcase this scenario in a way that could empower other females.  From that, she created a video that represents self-love and the confidence to not let someone else get in the way of an important romantic bond.

Outside of music, Alexa loves to read, work out, cook and travel.  She aspires to one day have her own clothing and cosmetics lines, as well as her own studio and talent agency.  Dedicated to giving back, Alexa supports charities that deal with topics such as Children, Cancer and Domestic Violence.  She hopes to use her voice to raise awareness on these issues, all which are personal to her.

Gearing up for an exciting year, Alexa is currently working with a variety of producers to finalize her EP due out in February.  Ultimately, Alexa has dreams of touring around the world and inspiring as many people as possible with songs that have real stories and real emotion.  She hopes to encourage others to never give up on their dreams and to always pursue what they love.

Learn more about Alexa in the following All Access interview:

So, now that 2016 is over, what are some words you would use to describe the year for you? 

Now that 2016 is over, I can definitely say that it has been a year filed with many valuable life lessons learned that will definitely be applied for this new year! I had a lot of great experiences and grew into my own as a woman and an artist so I’m definitely excited for what’s to come this year!

What have been some of the highlights for you and your music? 

Some of the highlights have been getting to make my sessions truly become my therapy and over the years I’ve been able to connect with my fans and inspire others to go after their dreams.

What are you most excited about for 2017? Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? 

I’m most excited for everyone to hear my new music that I’m about to release very soon and also I can’t wait to get back into live performances and collaborating with more artists and producers. The only New Year’s Resolutions I made were to work my ass off and don’t give up!

Growing up, did you always want to be a musician? Can you recall your earliest musical memory? If you weren’t a singer today, what other career do you see yourself having? 

Growing up, I’ve always wanted to become a musician. Ever since I was little, I would always love to put on shows at home for my family, and then grew to love being on the stage as I grew up. The studio and the stage always felt like home to me! Yes, I used to stand on top of the speakers in my parent’s living room when I was in diapers and would sing Michael Jackson and Britney Spears songs! If I wasn’t a singer today, I would still most definitely have some sort of career in the music and entertainment industry.

I’m curious what you think of being called a “rugged popstar.” What does that mean to you exactly? Do you think that accurately describes you and your sound? 

I love it! I embrace that title because it resembles how different my music and I as opposed to other artists/genres.

Let’s talk about your upcoming single, “Room For 2.” Where did the inspiration for this track come from? How different or similar is it to your previously released singles? What was it like working with The3ory on the single?

My new single, “Room For 2,” was created in the most natural way in a session I had with Th3ory one day. We usually start out our sessions by having a mini therapy session and talk about what’s going on in my life and/or both of our lives. In this case, I was talking about a situation I experienced in, and how I felt that there were other people trying to get at my man and vice versa… I was feeling so petty when I wrote it with Th3ory but it ended up becoming more of a woman empowerment song to me and I feel that a lot of male and females can relate to this. This song is definitely more mature than any other track I’ve released in the past, and you can definitely hear the difference in my vocals as well as in the lyrical content. Th3ory and I have known each other since I was 17, and has basically watched me grow into the 21 year old woman I am today. We became close friends/work parents over the years so it’s always a great time when we get in the studio to work together!

What was it like putting together the music video for “Room For 2”?  

This was really my first music video where I was able to express my ideas and it was dope that I was able to share my vision with everyone who was a part of the making of the video and helped bring it to life! I wanted to portray the story in a relatable way that people will be able to connect to, but also make sure it gives a real visual that matches the song. I truly feel that we were able to create and capture the storyline of the song and hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did working on it!

Next month, you plan on releasing a new project. Will the songs on it be similar to “Room For 2” or have a completely different sound altogether?

A few of the songs do have a similar sound, but on this project I really wanted to showcase not only my rugged/pop and urban side, but also more of the pop, ballad side to me as well. After all, I grew up on so many genres and artists that this project resembles all of the music that helped shape me into the artist I am today!

What was it like working with the production duo, The Penhouse on your single, “Hit The Switch”?

I loved working with The Penhouse on my single “Hit The Switch.” Once again, I’ve known them for a few years so it’s always a great time working with them! This song came pretty naturally as well, and it was also a personal experience of mine that I wanted to share through my music.

I understand that you hope to one day have your own clothing and cosmetics line, own your own studio and talent agency! That’s a lot of different things! Can you talk about all of these different things and why they are important to you?

Yes! I love a challenge and know that if I set a goal, and put all my energy into my passions, I can achieve them. I grew up with an enormous passion for the arts, including music, dance, film, makeup and fashion, so naturally these are all things I’ve remained interested in throughout the years especially in the field of work I am in. My mom is my biggest inspiration for all of these things to be honest, because ever since I was little, she put me in dance and I loved to dress up and put makeup on and perform. Then I also got into acting and modeling, which enhanced my love for film and makeup even more. Fashion has always been a huge passion of mine.

What’s been the most surprising thing about the music industry to you? What do you think are the biggest challenges?

Being in the industry now for a few years has left me to not feel surprised by anything in the industry anymore but I can say that there’s always have a new experience! The biggest challenges for me personally are to not get too hard on myself if things don’t go as I thought, and that God has a plan and a reason for everything. The more I’ve become in tune with myself and my body and thoughts, I’ve been able to overcome this as I strive to focus on being the best I can be rather than compare myself to anyone.  At the end of the day, I know I’ve always been different and a lot of people respect that.

Who are some of your favorite artists and what bands continue to inspire you and your music? Who would you love to work with in the future?

I absolutely love Rihanna! I grew up listening to her! I also love Britney Spears, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah, Brandy and JoJo. There are too many artists I would love to work with to name 🙂

When you aren’t performing, working in the studio, what do you like to do for fun? How do you unwind from it all? 

My mind is constantly on high speed whether it’s about my music, videos, etc, but I love to take a dance class, work out, read books, and cook!

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs? 

I hope people become inspired from my music to 1) achieve their goals and never let anyone or anything get in the way to make that happen and 2) To know that they’re not alone in certain situations, and that’s where my music comes in to connect with my fans and listeners.  I know others can relate to my personal experiences and hopefully I can help them get through their situations as well.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

I can’t wait to share more tracks and visuals with everyone as the project gets ready to be released and it’ll speak for itself. My music comes from all my personal experiences as well as my visuals, so it’s going to be interesting to see the reaction from everyone!