{"id":17650,"date":"2017-09-11T21:47:07","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T04:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=17650"},"modified":"2017-09-11T21:47:38","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T04:47:38","slug":"video-web-exclusive-interview-alex-marie-brinkley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2017\/09\/video-web-exclusive-interview-alex-marie-brinkley\/","title":{"rendered":"Video &#038; Web-Exclusive Interview ALEX MARIE BRINKLEY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<\/strong><br \/>\nMusician: <strong>ALEX MARIE BRINKLEY<\/strong><br \/>\nMusic Video:\u00a0 \u201c<strong>Broken<\/strong>\u201d<br \/>\nFilmed &amp; Edited by:\u00a0 Edge Productions\u2014Nathan Dalton, Jerrod Ford &amp; Cameron Lord<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Alex Marie Brinkley releases debut music video for her single \u2018Broken\u2019<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_M7uqCSBjGI\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Alex Marie Brinkley won the 2016 Wildflower! Arts &amp; Music Festival Singer-Songwriter contest in Dallas, Texas. Since then, she has been lighting up both the Dallas\/Fort Worth and Nashville music scenes. In Nashville, she\u2019s been working with Grammy-winning songwriters and multi-platinum producers, where she recorded her first single and EP. NSAI, The Nashville Songwriters Association International, acknowledged her as \u201cOne to Watch\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>Writing songs since she was fourteen, Brinkley\u2019s original music comes from a place of personal experience and honesty.\u00a0Whether she is at home on her piano or on stage with a ukulele, her music can be anything from sassy to sad, happy to mad, but by the end\u2014she\u2019s got the audience singing. Her songs are being recognized nationally and internationally, and \u201cSincerely, Me.\u201d was a finalist in both the Great American Song Contest and the UK Songwriting Competition.<\/p>\n<p>Brinkley is a Kala Brand Music ukulele artist and appeared last year onstage with Walk Off the Earth, a fellow Kala-endorsed band.\u00a0Even with her busy schedule performing, writing songs, and learning about music production from Berklee College of Music, she still finds time to travel and sing the National Anthem at sporting events for teams like the Boston Red Sox and the Indiana Pacers.<\/p>\n<p>We saw Alex Marie Brinkley at the November 2016 TAXI Road Rally in Los Angeles\u2014where her song was randomly chosen at the final Pitch Panel. We were immediately impressed hearing her song and the unanimous reaction by the panel of music industry all-stars: <strong>Michael Lloyd (100x<\/strong> platinum producer, music supervisor),\u00a0<strong>Pedro Costa<\/strong>\u00a0(music library executive),\u00a0<strong>Rob Chiarelli (100x<\/strong> platinum, Grammy-winning producer, mixer),\u00a0<strong>Ron Harris<\/strong>\u00a0(A&amp;R and multi-platinum producer), <strong>Andrea Torchia <\/strong>(music publishing executive), and\u00a0<strong>Bob Mair<\/strong>\u00a0(music library executive). We talked with Brinkley about her songwriting and unique collaborations, and the big switch from releasing singer-songwriter style acoustic music to pop\/EDM\u2014and how that has been one of her wisest decisions and expanded her musical landscape.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17659\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Playful-Side.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Marie Brinkley Playful Side\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Playful-Side.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Playful-Side-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>ALEX MARIE BRINKLEY Web-Exclusive Interview<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>with\u00a0<em>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/em>\u00a0magazine publisher, Merlin David<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How did the idea of \u201cBroken\u201d come to you?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s actually a funny story. I had just gone through a breakup and I wanted to write by myself\u2014about how I was feeling. But my cowriter kept bugging me to show him what I had come up with. Finally, I gave in and we ended up writing the song via FaceTime\u2014at around 2 AM. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) It was one of the most interesting writing sessions I\u2019ve ever had.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What made you <em>want <\/em>to write songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen I was younger, I always used to write poetry and my parents told me one day I would start writing songs. I never believed them until one day, I wrote a song. I improvised lyrics and a melody over the chords of \u201cLet It Be\u201d by the Beatles, and that\u2019s how my first song was born.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is your creative process?<\/strong><br \/>\nAlthough my songwriting process is extremely random, I usually start with a melody or a lyric idea. I\u2019m best at writing to a track or instrumental, so I usually just sing random lyrics or melodies over the top of the track until something that I like comes out.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17656\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Close-Up.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Marie Brinkley Close Up\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Close-Up.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Close-Up-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/>Tell us one experience where unique moment inspired you to write a song.<\/strong><br \/>\nI recently wrote a song called \u201cMessy.\u201d It started from a conversation I was having with my mom. I went to see a concert with a guy who had just ended things with me\u2014he bought the tickets before we stopped seeing each other. A lot of unresolved feelings came up because we spent time together at the concert. The line \u201cpeople are messy\u201d popped out during our conversation, and I wrote the song later that night.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When did you release your debut EP <em>The Other Side<\/em>?<\/strong><br \/>\nI released it earlier this year, in February 2017, and I couldn\u2019t be more excited. It\u2019s available everywhere music is sold digitally. I also started writing for the next one, and I currently have a ton of new material that I can\u2019t wait for everyone to hear.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us how TAXI has helped you.<\/strong><br \/>\nTAXI has helped a lot. I got a chance to write for a movie last year. One of the songs made the cut. It was so cool that they reached out after they heard my single \u201cBroken\u201d\u2014before it was released. I had submitted that song to their listings, and that\u2019s why I got a chance to write a couple of songs for a movie.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How is TAXI\u2019s yearly November conference helpful?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe TAXI Road Rally was wonderful. You meet so many people. I met a guy, David Frost, who was signed to Songs Music Publishing, and he wanted to make the songs more contemporary. So I picked one of his songs, and put my own spin on it. And that was cool because it\u2019s going to be released through his publisher. And that was just one connection I made at their yearly conference\u2014the TAXI Road Rally.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is it about TAXI that works best for you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI <em>love<\/em> TAXI\u2014just to get feedback on the songs, even if your songs don\u2019t make it through. It\u2019s so helpful to me\u2014as a writer and an artist. And Michael Laskow was super nice when I met him. He was super cool.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What if some people are not ready for the honest feedback?<\/strong><br \/>\nI started with TAXI when I was 16 years old. So, I\u2019ve been using it for four years now. Initially, it was really hard for me to hear the feedback\u2014just because I was a newer writer and every song was a big deal. Songs still are a big deal, but the more I write, the easier it is to take criticism. It has helped me accept that it\u2019s a good way to grow\u2014just getting feedback and criticism. It\u2019s definitely helped me with my writing\u2014being able to be flexible and go with what they\u2019re telling you. On the flip side, it\u2019s one person\u2019s opinion. Just because one person says they don\u2019t like your song, doesn\u2019t mean that other people don\u2019t like it either.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have you heard your songs on the radio?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve had some Internet radio play. And there\u2019s a local Dallas station, KNON, that plays some of my songs. And Spotify. It\u2019s always cool to say, \u201cI\u2019ve had a song on the radio.\u201d The people at KNON are so incredibly nice. Just the fact that they played my music is wonderful. Radio is unique because now everyone has music on their phone.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17655\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Live-Performance.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Marie Brinkley Live Performance\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Live-Performance.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Live-Performance-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong><br \/>\nOne thing I\u2019ve learned is to not be afraid to try new things. I made the switch from releasing singer-songwriter style acoustic music to full-on pop\/EDM, and I couldn\u2019t be happier. If I had never been open to trying a new genre and didn\u2019t make that leap, I definitely wouldn\u2019t be here talking with you right now. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who inspired you to write songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nEd Sheeran and Bebe Rexha are definitely two of my inspirations. They write all their own material, as well as write for other artists, and that\u2019s so cool. It\u2019s something I hope to do in my career.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What can you not live without\u2014that helps you write, record or perform?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m currently endorsed by Kala Brand Music. Nick Hernandez is the guy I mainly talk with and he\u2019s so cool. I love him. Kala has the <em>best<\/em> ukuleles. I use D\u2019Addario capos, and also Gigy Bags (GigyStuff.com). Gigy is a relatively new company. It\u2019s just a lady, Jen, and her daughter making bags\u2014hand-made gig bags. And they\u2019re totally worth it. They\u2019re <em>really <\/em>nice bags. I think they\u2019re located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Then there\u2019s UkeLifeCo\u2014they are all things Ukulele. I did meet Jack at the TAXI Road Rally. They do sell ukuleles but they have a lot of cute merch. I have a t-shirt from them, hat, stickers. I think they also work with a charity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Has your ukulele been integral?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe ukulele has been such an important instrument for me\u2014definitely helps me when I play live. All of these companies are absolutely fantastic, and I would highly recommend them. I love to write to tracks, so I usually start my own instrumentals and tracks in Logic Pro X. Apple, help a girl out. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Performing Rights Organization are you with?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m with ASCAP right now. They collect royalties for writers and artists when your music is played live, online or on the radio. It definitely takes some of the weight off my shoulders and allows me to focus on the creative side of music, rather than the business side.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17654\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Broken-Single-Cover.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Marie Brinkley Broken Single Cover\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Broken-Single-Cover.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Broken-Single-Cover-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Broken-Single-Cover-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/>Top 5 Musicians\u00a0who inspired you to become a musician?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy mom\u2014Pamela Riley, Ed Sheeran, Bebe Rexha, Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson.<\/p>\n<p>My mom was a musician, especially when I was younger. Now she mainly teaches singing and piano. She was a musician before I was born. She did jazz. Our musical styles are very different, but she put the love of music in me and helped me get started. She is so supportive. And that\u2019s the most important thing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your Top 5 favorite albums of all time?<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Red <\/em>(2012) \u2013 Taylor Swift \u2013 this album got me through my senior year of high school.<br \/>\n<em>X<\/em> (2014) \u2013 Ed Sheeran<br \/>\n<em>True Colors<\/em> (2015) \u2013 Zedd \u2013 especially the song \u201cBeautiful Now\u201d<br \/>\n<em>I Don\u2019t Wanna Grow Up<\/em> (2015) \u2013 Bebe Rexha<br \/>\n<em>Pageant Material<\/em> (2015) \u2013 Kacey Musgraves<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the best advice you were given?<\/strong><br \/>\nStay true to myself. Especially when I first started out in music, I wanted to be just like other artists. Being unique is a blessing and something I always try to remember to cherish. Not only does that help me in the music industry, but also in my life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What advice would you like to give other musicians?<\/strong><br \/>\nThere are going to be so many people who try to change you\u2014to fit a certain mold. But at the end of the day, being who <em>you<\/em> want to be is the most important thing. Don\u2019t be afraid to sparkle.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-17652\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-cd-cover.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Marie Brinkley-cd cover\" width=\"330\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-cd-cover.jpg 330w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-cd-cover-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-cd-cover-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/>What\u2019s next?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m currently writing a <em>ton<\/em> for myself and for other people, as well as diving into the world of music production. I\u2019m hoping to self-produce and release new music in the next year, so <em>stay tuned<\/em>. I collaborate with a lot of musicians. Many EDM DJs send me instrumental tracks, and I write a chorus or a hook on top of it. I\u2019m doing a ton of that right now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you get into that?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m that person who will email a ton of people until I hear back from them. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I just emailed a bunch of different musicians, especially EDM artists I found online. I wrote, \u201cHey, my name is Alex. Here are some links to my music. I\u2019d like to write with you. What do you have in mind.\u201d And I got a few responses that way. With the track I\u2019m working on right now, the guy\u2019s manager found me on Instagram and liked the music I posted. It\u2019s kind of random but I\u2019m very persistent if I want to work with someone. I will definitely let them know. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) It expands my writing style\u2014and making connections is always good.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On your \u201cBroken\u201d video, who were the dancers?<\/strong><br \/>\nI actually went to high school with the dancers. The girl is Jordyn Waldo, and the boy is Tucker Heim. And my Mom gave them singing lessons. I love the connections.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When is your next video?<\/strong><br \/>\nThere\u2019s another song from my EP that I want to make into a video: \u201cBoy Problem.\u201d I hope to get that done by the end of the year. Watch for it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where can your new fans get more info and stay updated?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.AlexMarieBrinkley.com\">www.AlexMarieBrinkley.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>You can also visit her on all social media accounts. She says, \u201cPlease come and say \u2018Hi.\u2019\u201d<br \/>\nInstagram: @alexmariebrinkley<br \/>\nTwitter: @alexmbrinkley<br \/>\nFacebook: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/alexmariebrinkley\">www.facebook.com\/alexmariebrinkley<\/a><br \/>\nYouTube: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/alexmariebrinkley\">www.youtube.com\/alexmariebrinkley<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17651\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Instrument.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Marie Brinkley Instrument\" width=\"660\" height=\"825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Instrument.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Instrument-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Alex-Marie-Brinkley-Instrument-300x375.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician: ALEX MARIE BRINKLEY Music Video:\u00a0 \u201cBroken\u201d Filmed &amp; Edited by:\u00a0 Edge Productions\u2014Nathan Dalton, Jerrod Ford &amp; Cameron Lord Alex Marie Brinkley releases debut music video for her single \u2018Broken\u2019 Alex Marie Brinkley won the 2016 Wildflower! Arts &amp; Music Festival Singer-Songwriter contest in Dallas, Texas. Since then, she has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[9558,9557,9559,9560,9561,9562,6271,9563,9259,1762,9564,9565,9566,9567,9569,9570,9568,3308,9571,4671,3990,9572,9573,9574,9575,9576,9577,8155,9579,9578,9580,7361,9581,9582,2959,9583,9584,9585,9586,9587,9588,9589,9590,8289,9591,9592,9593,8478,8479,9594,9595,6296,9596,8724,9597,9599,9598,1172,3818,9600,9601,9602,9603,9604,9605,9606,9607,9608,7511,7982,9609,9610,2949],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17650"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17650"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17660,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17650\/revisions\/17660"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}