DROP OF THE MONTH
‘JUST SO YOU WON’T BE ALONE’ - ALAYNA
Known for blending dazzling contemporary R&B and soul sounds with a modern twist, ‘Just So You Won't Be Alone’ dances eloquently between the two genres as alayna weaves the two worlds together with her soulful voice. With an aptitude for creating divinely mesmerising music with her brilliant entrancing vocals wrapped in vulnerable lyricism, she chats to us about the process of writing the song and what’s to come.
CONGRATS ON YOUR ABSOLUTELY STUNNING NEW TRACK 'JUST SO YOU WON'T BE ALONE'! CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE SONG AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT?
Thank you! The song represents the complicated and imperfect emotions of a connection ending. It rides the waves of sadness, bravado, pointing the blame, insecurity and self reflection. It was quite a different part of me to explore and I was pretty scared to immortalise such difficult feelings in a song because I know these feelings are only brief. Regardless, it was so fun to explore and create a small, sharp and intense moment in time.
WHAT WAS THE WRITING AND PRODUCTION PROCESS LIKE FOR THE TRACK?
I'd literally just walked in the studio and met producer duo Ambian & Sleo (Josh Edmonds and Joseph Corban-Banks) and musician Em Andre, we chatted for a bit and Em started playing the piano hook and it just took off from there. We played around with the lyrics and melodies and went on the journey with wherever the song seemed to want to go. It was so fun, and the guys know how to make such a safe and creative environment which I really appreciated, as I'd been a bit creatively stuck for a while and this session gave me a bit of a boost to keep exploring.
WHAT WERE YOU MAIN HIGHLIGHTS WORKING ON THE SONG?
The biggest highlight was working with Josh, Joe and Em. There's something special about a songwriting room that takes you away from normal life and your own troubles. I love getting lost in a creative world for a few hours, then heading home back to reality that night with a new song in your pocket. It's like nothing else.
PLUS THE VISUALISER IS SO INCREDIBLE FILLED WITH SO MANY BEAUTIFUL SHOTS! HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE VIDEO AND WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT FILMING IT?
I had a photoshoot that day and took my cousin Shan McGuinness along to shoot some behind the scenes videos on a Super8 Camera. We went to a few different locations and ended up at Piha. Shan's known me my whole life and knows how to empower me especially when I need the confidence. The video was then edited by my creative director, Undine Markus who is in LA. I've been working with her for my upcoming music and I am such a fan of everything she creates. She's helping me unfold my creative vision in a way that feels truly me.
WITH THE RELEASE OF THIS TRACK, DOES THIS MEAN YOU HAVE MORE MUSIC ON THE WAY SOON?!
I sure do. 'Just So You Won't Be Alone' has a part 2 - the other half of the story. That song, plus much more, coming this year and I'm excited to keep sharing all these different parts of me and my art.
THANKS SO MUCH ALAYNA! MAKE SURE TO KEEP UP WITH HER ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, SPOTIFY OR APPLE MUSIC.
