INTERVIEW WITH ALANA SPRINGSTEEN AS SHE RELEASES I HOPE THIS HELPS

Last Friday (29th May) singer-songwriter, Alana Springsteen released her sophomore album, I Hope This Helps which is made up of 16 tracks with all tracks co-written by Alana.

Alana, Congratulations on your sophomore album, how are you feeling about it being released?

“It feels like a cathartic release in every sense. This album is a diary of the last two years of my life in music form. It's the most terrifyingly personal music I've ever written, but now that it's out, it feels unexpectedly comforting to know that it belongs to everyone else too.”

I Hope This Helps is made up of 16 songs which takes listeners on a journey, how did the selection of the songs came about, Alana commented “The song selection and track list order were all very intentional. I've always said I have my hardest conversations through music, whether it's with my family, friends, God, or myself. These songs were my roadmap through the last two years of my life. the realizations, the breakthroughs in therapy, the questions, insecurities, doubts and fears.” Adding “Every song on this album marks a milestone in my journey back to myself. I wanted the tracklist to reflect that.”

Talking about deciding the title of her sophomore album, Alana added “I must've gone through a hundred potential titles before I landed on this one. When I asked myself what I hoped this music would do once it was out in the world, the answer was pretty obvious. I just hoped it would help anyone who felt the way I had. I hoped it would help the people in my life who have struggled to understand the path I've been on, the person I've always been and am becoming. I hoped it would give them a clearer picture of my heart.” Continuing “And I hoped it would help anyone out there who felt a little broken, misunderstood, or lost. I hoped it would help them find words for feelings they might not understand. I hoped it would remind them that they're allowed to ask hard questions, they're allowed to change their minds, they're allowed to outgrow versions of themselves that once kept them safe. And more than anything, I hoped it would help them feel less alone with their struggles.”

Talking about the songwriting process the album with you having co-write on all the tracks, Alana stated “It was the most brutally honest I've ever been in sessions. Because of that, I had to be very intentional about who I wrote with. Most ended up being people who have known me for a long time, who have been a safe place for me, friends that made it a little easier for me to wear my heart on my sleeve and talk openly about things I was struggling with in real time. The writes felt more like therapy sessions most days. Deep conversations, ah-ha moments, letting emotions lead, prioritizing honesty… with the help of some wine. I'm incredibly grateful to all my co-writers and the inner children they work so hard to keep inspired in this crazy world. This album holds pieces of all of us.”

Speaking about how long the album took to complete, Alana said “This album took a little over two years to make, from writing the first song to mixing and mastering the last. And at no point did I feel completely in control of the process. I felt like my responsibility was to serve the messages of the songs and to let the album materialize at its own pace. Writing some of these songs healed me, but I also had to heal to write others. That's just not a process you can rush.”

Speaking about the emotion that went into I Hope This Helps, and asked about was this the plan all along or was it what she was going through when in the writing process, Alana said “I came out of TWENTY SOMETHING thinking I was ready to step into my “villain era”, so to speak. The color was red, I thought I was ready to step into a chapter marked by confidence and freedom. Then I wrote “love me anyway”. You can imagine what a plot twist that was.”  Before continuing “Writing that song helped me understand that this next chapter of music had a different plan for me than the one I had for it. It wasn't going to let me “chameleon” my way through. It was going to demand surrender, presence, honesty. My most important task was to receive and translate.”

When asked about how to sum up I Hope This Helps in 3 words, Alana stated “Human. Healing. Transformative.”

Photo Credit: Stefan Kohli // Art Credit: Brianne Farquhar

Quick-fire question time...

Favourite song on the album? "Really hard question to answer. They're all my babies and it changes depending on the day, but currently “i loved you then”

Favourite song you wrote on the album? “I co-wrote them all, but for the sake of calling out a different song, I’ll say “same God”

Easiest song you wrote of the album? “black sheep”

Do you mostly write the chorus first or did you write the hook first? “Mostly chorus first. We rarely started with the title. We honed in on the emotion, the message, and wrote our way into the hook.”

Happy or sad songs? “Songs that make you feel both simultaneously.”

What's the one thing you hope fans get out of your album? “I hope it gives them a safe space to ask questions, to fall apart, to be fully themselves, to process emotions they’ve kept buried. I hope it feels like a conversation with a friend who gets it.”

Before I let you go, I have to ask about your UK tour - how excited are you to be coming back here?

Absolutely BUZZIN!!!! Seriously, beyond excited. I've dreamt about headlining the UK since the first show I played there. I've fallen in love with you guys and I know we're going to experience so many transcendent, unforgettable moments together.

Is there anything you can tease about what fans can expect from the shows?

A full range of emotions. We're going to laugh, cry, dance, crash out, heal, take some shots and dance our butts off. I can't wait to make so many new friends.

Thank you very much for your time, Alana. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity! Hopefully I get to see you for the first time in July and meet you fingers crossed!

Thank you! See you soon.

You can follow Alana on Instagram here.