Alessia Cara joined us at the Hard Rock Hotel in NYC for an #AudacyCheckIn to celebrate her new album, 'Love & Hyperbole' 💘
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00I can't believe here is 10 years old.
00:04If you were at that party today,
00:06would the situation play out differently?
00:08I think maybe a little bit.
00:09I think I'd still feel that level of discomfort
00:13and a little bit of fear,
00:14but I think I'd just fake it till I make it now.
00:20This is your Odyssey New York Soundspace
00:22at the Hard Rock Hotel New York here
00:24check in with Alessia Cara.
00:26Congratulations on all the things.
00:29Thank you so much.
00:30I got to listen to your song Fire.
00:32I played it a gazillion times
00:34and I think it's so beautiful.
00:36You just sound amazing on there.
00:38And how proud are you of this new material?
00:42I'm very proud.
00:43Honestly, I say this for every album that I release,
00:46but I promise it's true every time.
00:48This is my favorite project that I've ever made
00:51and this music is just like
00:52some of my favorite songs I've ever made ever.
00:55I don't know why.
00:56I think it's just because I feel most like myself.
00:58I feel like I've grown so much
01:00and this music is just like a reflection
01:03of all the music that I love
01:05and that I've loved growing up.
01:06So it's really exciting.
01:07It feels nice.
01:08You took a little breather in between albums
01:11just stepping away from writing a little bit.
01:14Did you still feel like creative
01:17even when you weren't creating?
01:19I did and I didn't.
01:21I think like maybe not so much as an artist,
01:24but I felt creative in other ways.
01:26I think I just like for a moment
01:27needed to take time away from writing and playing music
01:31just to kind of like come back
01:32with like a fresh start in a way.
01:34But I was creative in other ways.
01:35Like I learned so many new recipes to cook.
01:39I like really got my cooking game up a little bit.
01:42And yeah, I stayed creative in like a bunch of other ways
01:44that just weren't music for a little bit
01:46and then got back into it a few months in.
01:48Is there a pressure from other people or yourself
01:52to constantly be writing and creating?
01:56I mean, yes.
01:58It's so funny because I was talking to someone
02:00the other day about this and they're like,
02:01you don't write like very often.
02:04Like it's like if you saw you just like
02:07spent a day with you at home,
02:08like you would never know that you do this for a living
02:10because like I just really like compartmentalize
02:13and when I'm home, I just really like to savor it.
02:15So, but I guess there is like a pressure a little bit
02:18because people just expect you to be like this like
02:20artist who's always writing.
02:21And I am always kind of like singing
02:23around the house and stuff,
02:24but I really do like to put it away when I'm home
02:29and try not to feel too much pressure
02:30because I like to save that creative energy
02:32for when it comes rather than feeling like,
02:34okay, I got to sit down and do it, you know?
02:35Like I'd rather it be an intuitive process
02:38rather than like an analytical one, you know?
02:40Yeah, so there still are those moments
02:42when it hits you and you're like,
02:43I got to run and write this.
02:44For sure, yeah, but it's not like every day.
02:46I know artists who write like a song a day
02:48or write every single day or they can't live without it
02:51and I just can't do that.
02:54I don't know if I have enough ideas to do that.
02:55I feel like I'd run out after like day five.
02:57I'd be like, I don't know what to do.
02:59I think I've run out of my creative flow,
03:01but yeah, I don't know.
03:03I just don't, I try to just like put it away
03:05when I have that time to be with friends and family
03:08and on my own, I just like to like be a person a little bit
03:10and if it hits, it hits and I'll always follow it,
03:12but I don't feel too much pressure.
03:14There's this book I read, it's called Big Magic
03:17and the gist of it is ideas are living things
03:20that like float above us and they pick a person
03:24that they think will bring the idea to life the best,
03:28but if you don't act on it soon enough,
03:30it goes to another person.
03:31Has that ever happened to you?
03:33Like where you had an idea and you just didn't act on it
03:36and you saw something similar and you're like.
03:37Yeah, honestly, yeah, for sure, for sure.
03:43And I'm like such a believer in that.
03:45I really do think that that's true
03:47because even, you know, there've been times
03:48where I will just like get an idea
03:50or like an inkling to write something and I'll ignore it
03:53and then I push forward and just do it anyway
03:55and then it ends up being like this song
03:57that I love so much that just flowed out of me
03:59and it does really feel like, you know,
04:01a lot of these songs like exist already.
04:03I do believe that.
04:04I really do.
04:04Like when they feel easy,
04:06it just feels like something is doing it for you.
04:08But yeah, there's so many times where I'm like, oh man.
04:10Yeah, like I.
04:11You're like that popped into my head,
04:13but I just didn't act on it or whatever.
04:14Yeah, for sure.
04:15Or even, you know, maybe multiple people,
04:17maybe I did act on it and someone else did
04:19and like, you know, there's only so many ideas
04:20also in the world, right?
04:21So you're bound to like, if you're a creative mind,
04:23you're bound to like have similar ideas.
04:26I can't believe here is 10 years old.
04:30I know.
04:31I can't believe.
04:32That is wild.
04:33I feel like I was just talking to you about that song,
04:36you know, but it was 10 years ago.
04:38So if you were in, if you were at that party today,
04:43would the situation play out differently?
04:45Oh, that's a good question.
04:47I think maybe a little bit.
04:49I think I'd still feel that level of discomfort
04:52and a little bit of fear,
04:53but I think I'd just fake it till I make it now.
04:56I think I would be able to like shake it off
04:58and just enjoy myself in whatever way I can
05:01because I think I'm just more comfortable in who I am.
05:03So I'm comfortable with being uncomfortable in a room.
05:06Like I can sit with that and be okay.
05:08Whereas before I was just like, I can't, I can't be here.
05:11It was like too much for me.
05:12So I don't think the song would have happened.
05:14Honestly, if it, you know, I guess that was an idea
05:16that needed to be acted on at the time
05:18because I don't know if I would,
05:19yeah, I don't, because I don't feel that way anymore.
05:20I mean, it's like 10 years ago going from like being,
05:23well, actually I wrote that song even,
05:25like we made that song before.
05:26Yeah, it was like I was 16.
05:29So there's even more space and time that has gone by.
05:31So I feel like I'm just like a totally different person now.
05:34So Taylor Swift, obviously going in
05:38and redoing all her albums.
05:40And the thing that is crazy to me
05:43is she's changing very little.
05:45And like, I know myself,
05:46if I were to go back, I would nitpick everything
05:49and try to outdo myself on like things
05:53that I felt I could do better today.
05:57So I was wondering when you look back on your older stuff,
06:01do you view it with love or are you like dissecting it?
06:06I think now 10 years in, I'm able to look at it with love.
06:10I think there was a period of time where I,
06:14you know, when something, it's challenging
06:16because when something that you make
06:18when you're like really young takes off really quickly,
06:21you feel like there's always like the standard
06:23that you're held to by the public or even yourself,
06:26like to kind of live up to that.
06:27But then in my case, I was trying to live up
06:30to a version of myself that was like young
06:32and underdeveloped and it's like weird looking backwards
06:36because you feel like the natural thing is to grow.
06:39And I felt like so much better as a person,
06:41but you're always, people are always trying
06:42to get you to go backwards.
06:43So that can be kind of challenging,
06:46but I do look back on it now
06:48with a sense of love and appreciation.
06:50And I try not to like overanalyze, you know, I was young.
06:52And I also just like creatively too,
06:54I didn't really have much creative control yet.
06:57I didn't even know what that meant.
06:59And I was kind of scared to maybe have opposing ideas
07:02or to try something again or try a vocal take again.
07:04And so I think in the past,
07:06I kind of would cringe at some of the notes
07:08and some of the things that I, you know,
07:09would have changed now.
07:10But I think I'm so removed from it
07:12that I'm able to look back at that version of myself
07:14with love and admiration.
07:16And I really, I'm so happy.
07:18I'm happy that, you know, that music is like still around
07:20and that people still enjoy it, you know?
07:21Can you see a clear difference between the songs
07:24you write just by yourself
07:26and the ones that are a collaborative effort?
07:29I think so for sure.
07:30Yeah, that whole first album was collaborative.
07:33So, and I feel like after that,
07:35I really just like took the reins
07:36and decided to just take as much creative control as I can.
07:40Not because the first process wasn't fun.
07:42I just think that's just who I've always wanted to be.
07:45As an artist, I've always just wanted to, you know,
07:48speak my own mind and tell my own stories
07:51and just train myself to do it better.
07:53It's also fun.
07:54It's like a skill that I love to sharpen.
07:57And so, yeah, I lost the train of thought
07:59of the original question.
08:01I'm talking so much.
08:02What was the original question you asked me?
08:04I'm just rambling like we were before.
08:06Yeah.
08:06No, just the difference when you have people in the studio.
08:10Right.
08:11I think it's different just because you're able to,
08:15I think you're able, or at least me,
08:17I'm able to say a bit more
08:19because there's no one else around
08:20and I don't have to explain to this other person
08:23what the story's about.
08:24Because in order for someone to help you write a song,
08:27you kind of have to give them details
08:29and maybe little secrets and emotions
08:31that are a little bit far in there that are hard to say.
08:34And I think when you're doing it yourself,
08:35you can just be as free as possible
08:36and choose to share what you want.
08:38And it's just way more free.
08:40Before we wrap, I want to compliment you.
08:44You've been able to maintain this level of privacy
08:48throughout your career
08:49that I think is really impressive and awesome.
08:53I feel like you haven't had to sacrifice a lot of things.
08:56And I just wanted to know,
08:57is that as easy as you make it seem?
09:01Or do you have to constantly work at that?
09:04Are there events you choose not to go?
09:06How do you pull it off?
09:08Good question.
09:09My voice is cracked.
09:10Good question.
09:12Honestly, for me, I do think it's fairly easy.
09:16And I think that's just because I'm one of the lucky ones
09:18where I don't know.
09:19I think people have always just looked to me
09:22and have asked me questions about the music.
09:24And I've never had any relationships in the public eye,
09:28which I think helps.
09:30So I do think I kind of made it under the radar
09:33and it's not really any work of my own.
09:35I think it's just the way that the world
09:36has chosen to see me,
09:38which is great and lucky for me.
09:40But I also do think there is a bit of effort.
09:42I don't post anything about any relationships
09:45or things like that or family very much
09:47or what I'm doing.
09:49I kind of just like to keep my social media to the music
09:52and I don't really get out much, honestly.
09:54So that's probably another reason I'm not really-
09:56Do you want to get out more?
09:57You said it like, I need to get out.
10:00I guess so.
10:01I think now I'm ready to, but probably not.
10:03I don't know.
10:04I'm just like, I just like my little bubble, honestly.
10:06So it's a bit of both.
10:07It's easy and also a bit of effort as well
10:10to protect that.
10:11But I think people just don't care about things
10:14in my life other than the music,
10:15which is honestly great.
10:16I'm very happy about that.
10:18I'm glad.
10:18That's healthy.
10:19That's good.
10:20Yeah.
10:20Alessia, thank you so much for taking out the time.
10:22It's always a pleasure seeing you.
10:25Pleasure seeing you too.