By Lea Caffrey, Freelance Writer

 

TRR:  How would you classify your music?

​

Brendan:  That is an interesting question.  I am not a big fan of categorizing music.  I don’t like labels of any kind and I don’t like boundaries, especially in music. If there is anything that’s sacred undisputedly, it’s good music. So, If I had to put our music into a category, or give it a brief description, it would be Alice Loves Alien.  I always loved musicians who have made their own world of music; where the only way to really describe them is by their name, or their band’s name.  No other description needed.  For example, Alice in Chains…. At the end of the day, their name says more than any other description could.  

 

TRR:  Who is the primary songwriter in your duo?

​

Brendan:  I am a more prolific songwriter.  I wrote 8 of the songs on our album.  Gina is a tremendous songwriter herself.  She contributed 4 songs to the album.  We both take great pride in our songwriting.

 

TRR:  Brendan, you pretty much wore every hat in the making of this album.  I can’t imagine how difficult that was.  Can you tell me about your thought process when putting the album together?

​

Brendan:  Madness would surely have to be acknowledged as being a strong part in the making of this album.  Ha ha.  Music, and all true Art, is up to the interpretation of the listener, and that’s the beauty of it.  There were countless obstacles in the making of this album, none of which deterred us from doing what we wanted to do.

 

TRR:  How did the album come to be?

​

Brendan:  That’s an entire book in and of itself.  Basically, Gina and I took 12 of our songs, decided to make an album, and did it our way.  I produced it, and arranged and played most of the instruments myself.  We are very proud of the album and hope everyone out there takes the time to hear it.

 

TRR: Gina, do you have a favorite song from the album?  

​

Gina:  It would be a toss-up between ‘House of Cards’ and "Dare to Dream."  

​

Brendan: ‘Dare to Dream’, I wrote even before I met Gina.  It’s hard for me to pick a favorite song, as I know each of them far too well.  If you want me to pick a theme song for the album, I think "Dare to Dream" is an excellent choice.

 

TRR:  I listen to the album a lot, and every time I do I have a different favorite.

​

Gina:  Ha!  I know!  That happens for me, too!

​

Brendan:  That’s a good thing.

 

TRR: Let’s talk about the album vs. the live show.  I was lucky to first listen to the album, and then have a front row seat to the live show, as David and I shot the Album Release Party.  As soon as the music started, I stood there shocked.  I believe I mentioned this to you.  The album is pristine and a layered, multifaceted perfection.  I had trouble taking pictures during the first song. I was like, "What the ??"  It was so crazy. Raw, strong, dynamic, I was blown away. You said it was going to be different.

​

Brendan: Yeah, well it must be, unless we had 20 people on stage with us.  It’s very different.

​

Gina:  When we play live, we feed off the crowd’s energy, exchanging emotion with them, pumping out everything we’ve got.

​

Brendan:  So, as far as the rawness goes, I was always an advocate that the live show should not be, "Let’s just play the album." I always felt ripped off as a person attending a show, if that’s all we were seeing.  There was no extra there, there was no improvisation.  It should be a live show without a net-to some extent.  I am a fan of The Allman Brothers for example…. They would go off on a 20 minute jam if they so desired.  It would be different every time they played it.  I like the bare bones of it, just everyone having to pick up the slack and fill in - because we have more of a job to do.  I must play rhythm and leads as well as keyboards and vocals… The drummer must do percussion and drums, the bass player must play rhythm guitar and bass.  We all have an extra job to do and it makes us all work harder. Keeps us on our toes, putting everything we have into every note. The audience knows.

 

TRR:  What/Who are some of your music influences?

​

Brendan:  We have so many.  It is nearly impossible to name just a few but we will try.  Well, there is Pete Townsend, Edward Van Halen, Joe Satriani, there is also Leon Russell, Queen, The Allman Brothers, guitar juggernaut Shawn Lane, Eric Johnson, Zakk Wylde, Dimebag Darrel, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jim Croce.  Peter Frampton, Sly Stone, Leslie West, The Beatles, Kings X.  The list continues forever, believe me.  We have a healthy eclectic taste in music, and we think that played a big part in developing our sound and style.

 

 

TRR:  Brendan, you know I am a fan of guitar players, and I certainly have my favorites.  I must say, watching you play live was something to witness.  You are a beast on that thing!  It was as if you were possessed.

​

Brendan:  Yeah, I feel possessed quite often.  On stage I can express it and to show it. In everyday life I must hide that element of myself. Too much intensity can lead to trouble, but in the right context, like a live concert, perfect time to showcase it! Ha ha

 

TRR:  It’s absolutely incredible to see.

​

Brendan:  Why thank you. We did everything we could to put on a good show.  There was something about the room and something about the energy in the room that united the people on stage, and the audience.  That’s what a Rock n’ Roll show is supposed to be, and it is something that is kind of lost these days. It’s supposed to be not so much a worship of the people on the stage, but a unification of the people telling the story, and the people that are there to hear it.  We try to make it like a traveling medicine show.  We want to leave the audience drained, yet yearning for more.

​

TRR:  Well, you certainly grabbed everyone’s attention, because there wasn’t a phone lit.  All eyes were on you guys.  Gina, I never saw you perform before the Release Party.  At one point, in the beginning of the show, I hear one of the members at the “Rockstar table” say "There she is, there’s crazy Alice." I looked up and your entire body / face changed.  Do you think that the Crazy Alice persona takes over when you perform on stage?

​

Gina:  Oh yeah. That is the monster that is underneath all the time.  It’s just that when she is there on stage, that is when she is able to come out.  It’s not like she can come out and scare all the neighbors!  She is always there with me, but on stage…. That’s her home.  All of our lyrics are born from life experience, and they are deep.  It’s a primal exchange of emotion.  That is when I get “That face” …. Crazy Alice.

 

TRR:  That brings us to you Brendan.  With the performance I saw, I must ask, are you an alien?

​

Brendan:  That’s the rumor.

 

TRR: Are there any plans for a second album?

 

Brendan:  We will be recording an EP in the next few months and then pre-production for our next Alice Loves Alien album in the Fall. We’ll be booking shows this summer. 

 

TRR:  Is there anything else you would like us to know about Alice Loves Alien?

 

Brendan:  If you’d be so kind follow us on Instagram @alicelovesalien and @brendanclarkguitar and like us on Facebook: Alice Loves Alien and Brendan Clark Guitar. We have three music videos on my YouTube channel, Brendan Clark Guitar, please check them out and Subscribe!  Our Album Alice Loves Alien Is available everywhere you can stream and download music. Hope to see all of you soon! 

​

​

 

Alice Loves Alien, a musical experience from a dimension unknown. Please check out their music, available everywhere you can stream and download music now. If you get a chance, check out their live shows, you will NOT be disappointed. You can contact Alice Loves Alien via their Instagram account and Facebook account. Now Booking.

​

​