ALEXANDRA JOHN TALKS STRUNG OUT
"It’s been a big gift to have each other to lean on"
Daniel John
As siblings you’ve been a duo for quite some time. But how early on was it that music got involved. Was it something you always had and did together, or something you connected to only later on as all with Alexandra John started to get moving?
Liza: We both have been involved with music ever since we were little.
Weston: I have been drumming since I was four years old. I picked up guitar, piano and production along the way.
Liza: I have been singing since I was eight years old and always had an infinity for music. I was always that kid in the backseat of the car with my headphones on. Once we graduated from high school we lived away from each other on opposite sides of the coasts. Then COVID-19 hit, it brought us both together to form Alexandra John. We’ve always wanted to work together but it was the timing and distance that never seemed to line up.
You, Liza, had a brush with acting and dancing as well?
Liza: I grew up taking ballet, dance classes and acting in grade school. I recently have been stepping back into acting and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s definitely been an amazing tool to stay present and in the moment especially while performing.
I would imagine being twins would make one want to “diverse one self” in a lot of ways, at least at some stages in life. To be your own person. Music taste probably being one of the easier ones to set apart. Do you stand on the same influences, or might you in fact differ in some ways, that now only adds to being a duo and the chance to draw from different places?
Liza: Growing up we definitely listened to similar and different music.
Weston: The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Frank Sintra, Tame Impala, Tom Misch, FKJ, Masego, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steely Dan, Allman Brothers.
Liza: Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, H.E.R, Bee Gees, Carole King, Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, John Mayer, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, Adele.
So what does it look like, twins starting to write a song?
Liza: Writing a song for us, starts with a melody. Weston always scopes out a melody idea and then I come in with lyrics and we see what fits. We get the outline of the song and build out from there.
What was it that inspired you to write 'Strung Out', what did this song come out of?
Liza: 'Strung Out' represents those toxic relationships and traits that everyone struggles facing that they can’t get away from. They keep going to the root of the issue expecting different results, but end up right where they left off.
Weston: Whether it be a romantic or substance related, we all have forms of self sabotage and the subconscious desire of self destruction. We run ourselves till we're empty until we realize that the form of comfort that we once had from the person, thing or place wasn't fulfilling after all, but the cause all along.
With both this and 'Demons', I feel like your thing at least so far has been bringing up stuff which we might all know, but not all of us actually speaks loudly of?
Weston: We are both very passionate about mental health and substance abuse. It’s something that is so prevalent in our world. Everyone needs that safe space to confront how they are feeling and know they’re not alone and that their feelings are valid.
Liza: Sharing our music has been very freeing. Lyrics and melodies are so emotionally connected. They speak to what is prevalent in so many of our life's but some may not have acknowledged it. We want people to know that those moments they feel little and small that they are not felt alone. We all have moments of doubt, fear and insecurities. Instead of letting them consume us, we all have the power to overcome them. At the end of the day, we all have the strength to control those demons but it’s whether we are willing to face them and move on.
Being strung out, creatively speaking, and perhaps walking round those circles of not finding a way out or forward, what does it mean to have each other in that regard. Are you able to lean on each other a lot?
Liza: Absolutely. It’s been a big gift to have each other to lean on. Especially being family. We all have our moments of weakness and strength. It’s a lot of growth and patience with ourselves and each other and the moments when you're walking in circles is where your self-discovery comes.
Weston: We all seek for this purpose to arrive at our final job, career and or dream, but the truth is, we never arrive. We are endlessly seeking out our passions and creative desires to be fully fulfilled.
Having, presumably, celebrated a lot of birthdays together, how about this one. Did you get to celebrate this new single release together?
Liza: We have celebrated a lot of birthdays together, especially being twins!
Weston: We have spent a lot apart too.
Liza: For this release of 'Strung Out' we did celebrate at home together hanging with our dogs.
'Demons' and 'Strung Out' will both be part of an EP. An EP which some already has gotten to hear live. When will the rest of us get the opportunity?
Liza: Yes, they are a part of our new EP called 'Healing'. We are hoping to release the full EP before the new year. We are planning to release accordingly. We have played our EP live and look forward to sharing very soon! These songs are all about healing.
Weston: The idea for the EP came about during the pandemic, we were all grieving our old lives and accepting the new. Everyone goes through healing, every day. The EP lyrically breaks down the process of grieving from denial to acceptance. Each song on the EP adds a new layer of acceptance.
Liza: It’s really about the growth we all go through while experiencing this crazy beautiful thing we call life.
