A few weeks ago I did a feature on Alina Smith which you can read here Alina was kind of enough to do an email interview with me about her career.
FRS: What five words would you use to describe your music and why?
AS: Imagine Gretchen Wilson, Jay Z, Michael Jackson & Shania Twain all going to a tailgate party at a Georgia mudhole. That’s what my music sounds like! It’s fun, rap-inspired, attitude-y country/pop!
FRS: What has been the biggest adjustment you have had to make musically and career wise when you moved to the US?
AS: When I moved to the States, I was coming off of a 6 year stint with a popular European kids group, called “Aurora”. They were an acapella group, that sang popular music of all genres, so when I got the States, I was confused as to what I wanted to do as a solo artist. I tried the teen pop idol route in LA, the R&B/rap path in NYC and the traditional country singer/songwriter thing in Nashville, before I arrived at a crazy mixture of all of them!
FRS: What keeps you going each day?
AS: GREAT MUSIC! I can’t go one day without listening to, writing or producing music. I have a small studio on Music Row in Nashville and I sometimes hang there for three days straight, napping in between recording/writing sessions. I love it!
FRS: What do you dislike about the music business?
AS: I usually try to focus on the positives, like the insanely talented people I get to work with, but yeah, the music business is as tough as it gets. There are a TON of people out there, taking advantage of the “young hopefuls”, as the media puts it. I can’t tell you how many shady deals I’ve seen. Or how many subpar producers promise you fame and fortune if you just pay their crazy-high fees. And I’m not even gonna get into the straightjacket-like limitations of country radio, publishers that don’t pitch your songs and labels that deny you creative control.
There’s a lot of bad out there. But there’s also good. Nothing compares to the joy of hearing that tiny little idea, born in your head, develop into a fully-recorded song, that people are enjoying and sharing! Or that feeling of being on stage, the connection with the audience!
FRS: What could someone expect if they were to see your show?
AS: Whether I’m solo or with a band, expect a crazy-fun, hip-shaking, guitar-banging, boot-stomping extravaganza! I love to have a great time on stage and the audience does the same, whether it’s a group of drunk college kids or people in their 60’s, having dinner! You’re gonna have fun, whether you want to or not haha!
FRS: Who do you admire?
AS: Gee, that’s a tough one. Producers Dr. Luke, Will.i.Am, Jay Joyce, Frank Lidell & Paul Worley blow my mind. My own production style is a mix of all of them. Artists: Michael Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Katy Perry, Daft Punk, Black Eyed Peas, Loretta Lynn and a thousand more. I also admire great marketers, since without them great art or products would be a tree falling in the forest. Steve Jobs, Scott Borchetta & Scooter Braun are some of my favs.
FRS: Any new albums in the works? Release date?
AS: I’m working hard on getting together the perfect album! I’ll probably end up writing close to a hundred songs and recording a good 30 of them, before there’s a single and a release date. It’ll be some time next year, so stay tuned!
I want to thank Alina for taking the time to do the interview, answer my questions. You can find out more about her by visiting her website at www.alinasmith.net I will be airing the song “Bad at Being Good” this Sunday on Front range Radio 9 pm eastern on http://www.party934.com
Muses from the front range of the Rocky Mountains
FrontRangeScribbles 
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