With a driving bass guitar line and dreamy guitar textures, Alex Siegel’s ‘False Alarm’ strikes that perfect balance between momentum and bedroom-pop intimacy. Warm beach meets cool snow. Read our discussion below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Ice Water Steam
False Alarm moved from a beach studio in LA to a snowy carriage house in Montreal. Was it intentional for the listener to hear the “warmth” of the beach and the “cool” of the snow competing or even better blending in the final production?
Yes! I didn’t plan it that way but it turned out the blend of Southern California and Canadian winter was just what the track needed to come alive. The thing about Montreal for me is that it’s a magical place. In 2017, I was on tour playing drums in a band called Nine Pound Shadow opening for Electric Guest all across North America. When our shows in Canada were cancelled last minute, I was “stranded” in Montreal for a few days. It was September, the weather was beautiful, and I spent the time wandering around the city by myself. After a couple days of walking and daydreaming I suddenly remembered Leonard Cohen was from Montreal and that added a whole new dimension of meaning to being there. It was a special time.
The artwork comes from a roll of film you shot in Greece, it has that sun-drenched, Mykonos beach bar energy. What was it about reaching back into that specific ‘old’ memory that felt like the right visual anchor for the world of False Alarm?
False Alarm has this feeling of reaching out for someone or something that you can’t quite grasp, that’s already gone. When I found this old film negative and scanned it, the picture gave me that similar feeling – a moment captured in time, slightly out of reach. Where are all the people in the photograph now? I often wonder about that when I see old pictures.
You write, “Oh my heart was undercover.” Does that line speak to a sense of self-protection? Also was the funky infused, playful groove of the track a conscious choice to “mask” the vulnerability of the lyrics?
Yes I think that line speaks to hiding your deepest heart, even from yourself. The words are like all these thoughts in your head, and the groove is the realization of how you really feel, the recognition of what’s going on, and the letting go.
Artists and people that have influenced you
Two French bands I love – Tahiti 80 and Phoenix – influenced me a lot with songwriting and production. Neil Young. Bill Evans. Joao Gilberto. Miles Davis. Chet Baker.
Favorite album of the past year
Cleo Sol’s album Gold – reminds me how uplifting music can feel, how singing songs lifts our burdens
In which place or state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
On a train going home, on a roadtrip adventure, or cooking dinner
If the music of Alex Siegel was a film, which film would that be?
Lost in Translation (just cause it’s one of my favorite movies)
Thank you!
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