Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: Yes, I’d be happy to!
I grew up in a small Saskatchewan town called Kipling, home of the world’s largest paper clip. Did you ever hear about the guy who traded one red paper clip and continually traded up until he traded his final item for a house? He traded for a house in Kipling! Interesting story. Kipling was and still is a great little town.
I used to sing and make up songs on my way to school. I thought every kid my age did that, but I think I may have been one of the few. Throughout childhood, I always felt that I connected with songs at an earlier age. I remember the song “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye” by George Strait really hitting me hard when I was a kid. I understood the words but never went through the pain like what was in the song.
Along the way, in my early teens, someone caught wind that I could sing and asked me to join their band. I did and it was a thrill to be accepted as I never felt I was a popular kid in school. I also joined another band and we enjoyed some success winning a battle of the bands competition and getting the chance to record in a real studio. It was a great first experience of creating music and working with the band in the studio. It was an eclectic group of guys; playing rock, country, metal and pop. We didn’t have a direction. Eventually, the band found a replacement for me – someone who was better at singing rock and metal music. I was kicked out of the band and was crushed. The rejection hurt. It was pretty cold, as there no lead-up to the change in direction of the band or anything. The new guy just showed up to a rehearsal and that was it.
I took a couple of years off and felt like something was missing. In 2002, I decided to go out on my own and work towards a solo career in country music.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Alex Runions”?
A: This is a tough one. I’ve recently changed my sound somewhat so it’s a bit of a rebranding time for me.
I worked very hard in the past, going out booking shows, connecting with industry professionals and trying to make a name for myself through radio and live performances.
As I shift to more of a singer/songwriter and Americana type of genre, I am hoping that the use of online platforms and perhaps some different avenues like playlists will help the songs and garner some steam. It’s tough to transition from one genre to another when you’re current fanbase is expecting something different. My message, in my music, is all about growth and going through the emotions to get to the other side. The new music is melancholy, it’s meant for people who are going through something and that may need some help getting through.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I really love Donovan Woods lately. I feel like I’ve been one of his OG fans but he doesn’t seem to realize this – haha. I was listening to his first album back in my university years. Since then, he has become very popular in the industry as a great writer. It’s been nice to watch him grow and realize his deserved success. I think I’m trying to emulate the general tone of some of the darker subject matter in his music. I love it. I connect with it. My inspiration in my music comes from real life. I feel like for things to be genuine in music and translate to the listener, it has to come from some place real. You can see right through it otherwise.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “On an Island.”?
A: When I first started writing “On an Island”, I felt that it was my first song that was truly a ‘sad song’. There isn’t meant to be any resolve to it. Maybe some minimal hope throughout or some questions of hope, but ultimately, there is no resolve. The only message from this song is that the couple has created a void between one another. They’ve drifted apart and the singer is asking why and hoping that maybe they could repair the relationship. When setting out to write this song, I had the frame of mind that a sad song is just that. A sad song. No resolve. The idea of it is not to pull you out of being in a sad mood (if you’re connecting with the song), the idea is to keep you there, let you wallow it the grief a bit. When I am sad, a sad song is what I am looking for. Other people out there must feel the same way, I am sure.
How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Melancholy.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “On an Island”?
A: I was nervous to take it to another writer since I believed it was special. I had written a few songs with some trusted writer friends prior to this one and ultimately, they weren’t getting the vibe. Their focus was on more of the marketing potential of the song rather than the content of the lyric itself. I didn’t want to lose the song to vanilla style writing. I wanted to take a risk on it. I took this to my producer, CBG, and he loved it. We wrote the song together. Chris has this knack for making a song great both lyrically and melodically. We were totally on the same wavelength when writing this. In all honesty, I was envisioning this song as more scaled back and slower. Chris presented the song to me the way you’re listening to it today and although it took me a couple of listens, I absolutely love what he did with it!
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: The message of my music and the goal of myself as an artist is all about growth and connection. I believe that the new music will connect with the right audience, and it will find a way to them. My goal is to make music that I am proud of and that people connect with.
Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: I’d love to collaborate with Donovan Woods or my all-time favourite artist, Vince Gill.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: You need to develop thick skin and realize that you’re going to hear “no” a lot, so you can start hearing “yes”. It’s a tough industry and oversaturated with people wanting to be the next best thing. Don’t worry about what they are doing and make sure you’re creating music for the right reasons: because you love music. Create for yourself to express yourself and don’t get caught up in the comparison game we all are so susceptible to.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Love yourself and take care of yourself first. Enjoy the process and stop to appreciate how lucky you are that you can sing and create music that people listen to. Be vulnerable, be yourself and don’t worry about what others think of you.
