INTERVIEW: sad alex talks latest EP 'crydancing', returning to the stage and gender equality: "It is a slow road to change for women in the industry but I do think it is happening."

LA based sad alex is a multi-faceted performer who can seemingly turn her hand to anything. After signing to Red Bull Records in 2020 she has been steadily gaining attention for her music, which heavily leans towards electronic pop but also riffs on indie, R&B and country. She is also an accomplished producer, artist, illustrator, and dancer with her songwriting skills also in demand, with her name appearing on the credits of songs by other artists including Kelly Rowland, Jordin Sparks, and Condola Rashad.

At the end of last year she released the EP crydancing, which included a number of her singles, including the mellow electronic track 'until’, the piano ballad ‘california queen’ and the wry, humorous ‘ibtc’. Last year also saw her team up with production duo Win and Woo on the clubby ‘Good Catch’ and Wayne Regretzky on ‘Don’t Make Me Miss You’.

With over five million streams to her name, and music that is both relatable and addictive, sad alex is an artist that should be on your playlist now. We recently caught up with her to find out more.

Hey sad alex! It is so great to chat with you today. How are things in your world right now?
Hiiiii things are good! I’m eating a sandwich which is pretty dope

Congratulations on the release of your EP crydancing at the beginning of November, it is such a great collection of music! It is your largest body of work to date, how did it feel to have it out in the world?
Thank you! It felt good to get it out. Like a good sneeze

Can you talk us a little through the creative process for crydancing?
crydancing represents a lot of different writing processes for me. Some were written and produced by myself during covid, some were a viral TikTok moment, some I made with friends in the last couple years, one I wrote four years ago in a very different time. With covid we had to get a more creative with how we get… creative and sometimes that felt a bit all over the place. That is the sentiment for the song “crydancing” and the through line for the EP as well. 

There is a lot of heart in your music, it is honest, sometimes raw and melancholic, but really has the power to connect with us as listeners. What was your desire for the overall feel or message of the EP?
I wanted to showcase a roller coaster of emotions with no filter, because that is how the last couple years have felt for me. It’s up, it’s down, you laugh, you cry, you crydance. I think a lot of people can relate to that. 

We really love the message behind ‘dating myself’, one of the singles from the EP. Can you tell us a little about the story behind this track? 
Thank you! That was a fun one I wrote with my friend Noah Sisk. I had a really goofy idea for the day just making fun of my perpetual singleness…I was pretty sure it was the worst idea ever and we should probably do something else, but Noah was down and we laughed so hard the whole session. There are a lot of funny puns and lines in there, it was kind of my first experience with comedic writing which is an outlet that has opened up a lot for me this year. 

What role did music play in your life when you were growing up?
Music was always a sacred, solo thing growing up. I started writing songs when i was 12 but I would only do it when i was home alone. or sometimes I would think I was home alone and my sisters and parents would quietly listen until they faked coming in the house again and I would stop all embarrassed. It became an outlet and vessel for me to deal with emotions that I didn’t otherwise know how to deal with. In a lot of ways that hasn’t changed.

How did your career progress to where you are now?
It took a lot of years of grinding until i started to get some small windows of opportunity. My Red Bull publishing deal happened after six years of just staying at it, and the record deal came 2 years after that. My journey has always been one of slow but continuous growth and improvement. I have had to work very hard to become good at what I do, it wasn’t necessarily a natural thing. I think I am just now starting to have a grasp of how to tackle my artist and songwriting career but am still learning all the time and often feel like I don’t know what the fuck i’m doing. But I think that’s good!

With lockdowns lifting and live music returning, how has it felt for you to be able to perform live again on stage?
I have loved playing live again. I get super nervous but I always have so much fun and love it while I’m up there. It’s been wild to hear people sing all the words to my songs, especially my first show back when a whole crowd sang every word to ‘ibtc’. It was a shocking emotional incredible moment. I am excited to do it more and itching to go on tour. 

For so long the music industry has been a difficult space for women to exist in mostly because it has been run by older, white, straight men for decades. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
I have had a lot of conversations with people about this recently. It is a slow road to change for women in the industry but I do think it is happening. We have artists normalising being pregnant while having a career, women still making relevant music in their 30s, 40s and beyond, young girls in the new generation starting to produce/engineer and take on jobs traditionally not considered viable for a woman to do. I think things will change a lot in the next 15 to 20 years. My hope is that it allows me to still make music and have longevity with my career because right now it can be very scary for a woman as she gets older in this industry. You see far less 50 year old women in the studio than men. We are still operating in a world where the studio world is a boys club and we can’t expect it to change overnight, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel… i think

What is coming up for sad alex in 2022?
Some of the best music I’ve ever made. That sounds dramatic but I really do believe it. I’m really stoked for y’all to hear. 

crydancing is out now via Red Bull Records. You can download and stream here.

To keep up with all things sad alex you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.