Alla RayShe's the daughter of a professional dancer, and so the world of showbusiness was always one that was going to appeal to Alla Ray.
We got the chance to put some questions to the rising star ahead of her new single release later this month.
Has music always been a passion of yours?
Music has always been my passion – even before I was born I was listening to a lot of music because my Mom was dancing in the theatre despite the pregnancy! As a baby I was always with Mom at rehearsals, trying on huge ballet pointes, tutus, masks, etc., in the theatre wardrobe and dancing in the darkness on stage after the shows. Music has always been a salvation for me from all the hardships and an extra energy when I was feeling good. Music has always been bouncing in my veins. It is the rhythm of my life. It is everything to me.
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I love to experiment in musical styles and in costumes. I used to sing in different genres: Jazz, Rock, Dance, Pop, so during the show you can find all those elements in my voice and performance. It’s very important for me to be absolutely true and honest in what I’m doing. My songs share stories of my life, feelings and emotions, and tell you much more about me than my Twitter or Instagram! I also love writing songs – it always helps to come through a situation, transformed by lyrics and music. And I love having fun on stage, making people happy and excited.
How difficult would you say it is to break out into this industry as a female?
I think nowadays there’s no big difference between male and female artists in show business. It all depends if you are ready to work hard, be punctual and relaxed, having fun at the same time. It’s a lot about the talent. BUT it’s a lot about the character. Artists have to face a lot of difficulties in everyday life – lack of sleep, lack of proper food, lots of travelling and lots of “no’s”. They need to be funky, upbeat and positive no matter what happens. But the main thing to succeed is luck! So “we’re up all night to get lucky”!
What is it about pop music that attracted you?
Pop music unites more people around the artist than any other genre, it’s so accessible. It’s something that is easy to sing along with. For me, one of the most important things is to have a deep connection with the audience and feel their response. That is central to everything I do as an artist.
What have been some of the best experiences of your career so far?
One of the brightest memories was when I was performing at Indigo O2. Curtains were closed but people were already creating an atmosphere, shouting out my name. That was a happy moment! Another is performing at Manchester Evening News (MEN) arena. Though I was a support act, people seeing me for first time in their lives were clapping so much that I could hardly move from one song to another! You can’t beat the buzz of that, believe me!
Meeting fans after a show is also one of my favourite things about performing! I remember after performing at Boston Pride in the US, so many people came backstage to see me and I loved it. I didn’t leave for 3 hours, people just kept coming! They were talking to me, sharing their stories, emotions and making a real connection. That was great!
Your single 'On Fire' is released in February - how was the process of creating that track?
There is a funny story behind it, at least now it’s funny anyway! We booked an amazing studio with some great British producers at Tileyard in the center of London for 10 days. Everyday was so productive; we were on the same wavelength, in the same vibe. ‘On Fire’ was the only track that we all had a head ache about – we wrote it over several days changing the music and then the lyrics, back and forth. We all had flu and it made the process even more exhausting and frankly depressing! But after recording the final version we were so happy that we felt it had to be the first single from the new album. I’m happy to see that people like this track. Fingers crossed for good results!
The music video for that single has also been released, did you enjoy making that?
It was a very hard process for me cause it was shot in a wood where it was really cold and windy. All the crew were in warm coats and I was wearing just sneakers, shorts and a tiny silk blouse! I was running to the car to warm up a little bit between the scenes. But by the end of the day everything was compensated by the extremely hot fire we were all dancing around in the last scene. I really like the result. Though both processes - creating the track and shooting video - were quite extreme, the result makes me very excited!
Where do you hope to be this time next year?
My single has already been played by some national radio stations like Kiss FM, Capital FM, Gaydio FM. So me and my team will continue working and hopefully that this time next year my music will be played at all national Radio stations, TV channels and charts!
What can we expect from you in coming months?
The single ‘On Fire’ comes out on February 9th. (NOTE: Now been pushed back to February 10) I’ll be performing shows and doing interviews to promote it and I’m also working on new material. So be ready to hear something new and hot from Alla Ray soon!
Alla Ray - On Fire
Alla Ray's single 'On Fire' will be released February 10.