- Words Danielle Taylor
- Photography Frank Gorski
- Styling Frankie Noller
- Makeup Nushafarin
Singer-songwriter Alysha isn't afraid to get vulnerable in her music. We caught up about her new music, inspirations, f*ckboys, and much more.
From the age of 10, Cuban/Indian singer-songwriter Alysha found her passion in music. Born in London, she was immersed and inspired by her mother’s record collection that included artists such as Amy Winehouse and Fleetwood Mac.
Later on, she got accepted to the coveted Music College of East London where she found herself collaborating with a multitude of diverse producers such as AKA Block and David Tickle in which she found her progressive sound.
The budding artist has no limits when it comes to her creativity and is known for her hypnotic R&B sound which has garnered fans worldwide.
Alysha’s new track “Florence” hooks listeners with a neo-soul beat and her signature vocals are sure to please the ear. She sure is one to watch.
We chatted with Alysha about her romantic experiences fuelling inspiration, the importance of being your authentic self, and much more. Dive in!
For all our readers unfamiliar with you, tell us a little about yourself and how you got into music?
My name’s Alysha, I’m 19 and I’m a singer-songwriter from London. I fell in love with music because of my mum’s taste, growing up listening to D’Angelo, Nirvana, Amy Winehouse etc.
Where do you draw inspiration from and who influences you musically?
Everyday life inspires me – love, God, a boy I locked eyes with on the train, my mother, my ethnic background. Musically though, I’m inspired by everything I listen to, whether I’m listening to Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu or Rico Nasty and Doja Cat… It just depends on my mood.
What was the inspiration behind your new single “Florence”? Can you dive into the creative process behind it?
The lyrics in “Florence” are pretty self-explanatory, it’s about a boy I liked who had a girlfriend – but still had the nerve to flirt with me. My idiotic self fell for it and it made me despise his girlfriend. When making the song one of the producers played the chord sequence on her guitar, we looped it, I opened my notes page and we started writing.
How has the last year impacted you as an artist? Did you learn anything new about yourself and what do you hope to take with you going forward?
To be honest, I don’t know what stage I’d be at right now if covid didn’t exist; I could be where I was a year ago, I could be where I am right now or I could be where I was meant to be this time next year. Over the last year I’ve learned more about myself, not just musically but in other ways too – I guess that’s just a part of growing up isn’t it?
What advice would you give to someone wanting to jump into the music industry? Whether it’s behind the scenes or as a music artist?
I would tell them that everyone’s route is different, to not compare themselves to others in their position and just to be their true authentic self.
What has been a highlight of your career so far?
There have been so many! Performing at a festival with over 200 people, Mahalia shouting out my song “Bump” on her Instagram, shooting amazing music videos – and working with/meeting lots of talented producers, writers, and artists.
Do you have any dream collaborations?
There’s not any particular person I would love to work with but I’d love to work with anyone I listen to – Sade, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill.
What’s next for you? Do you have an album/EP in the works? What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2021?
There’s no EP/album in the works as of yet… I have a bunch of singles coming out which are all so different and unique from one another that it felt wrong to package them as this one thing. I also hope to gain more listeners between now and 2022!
You’ve recently dropped the song and music video for “Florence” – what was the process like of filming it?
It was amazing! Everyone was so nice and we literally vibed so much, plus I felt super comfortable because the majority of the cast were my friends.
If you can pick any song you’ve written/released so far to introduce yourself to new listeners which would it be and why?
I would choose my song “Honeymoon” and my song “Acid Dreams”, as those are my favourites.
If you weren’t pursuing music, what would you be doing instead?
I love history so maybe become like a history teacher or something! I also really love beauty too so maybe a MUA.
Do you have any shows on the horizon? Any dream venues you’d love to play?
I have been asked to play at some upcoming festivals but I’m trying not to get my hopes up, who knows with Covid and restrictions!
What are the main messages you would like listeners to take away from your music?
I just want people to listen to my songs and be like “damn, I’m in that same exact situation right now” and just relate. I also want to be a voice for young Latino and South Asian kids that never get to see people that look like them doing something big or be themselves.