What can you share with readers about your new project?
This is our debut song from our debut album! We are really excited to share courage and crime, our first single from our album the arc. Though we have taken up a few different constellations, what has become Alex coley and Afterlove have been working on this album for a few years now and we are so excited to share it. The songs were written during the pandemic after a heartbreak and I think the music really speaks to the challenges of those times. This is an album about isolation and despair and sadness, but also hope and healing and movement.
How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?
This is my first project. I always wanted to pursue music but allowed myself to prioritize other things. This has been a long time coming for me so I wanted it to be ambitious and reflective of who I am, who we are. As for the band, different members of the band have been a part of different projects for years – sleepy kicks and steel cut oats in particular which are other great Halifax based bands – and it’s a real honour to play with them. I feel really privelaged to have such a talented group of people bringing this music to life.
I’ve been told that we don’t sound like other projects and I take a lot of pride in that. As someone who hasn’t really done this before I think it’s allowed me to approach this with a nativity or innocence that I think comes through in our music. I’ll have to ask the band this question, I’d be curious how they would compare this project to others they are or have been a part of.
What about this single makes you most proud?
As my debut song, it’s a moment where all of the hard work is starting to pay off. It’s surreal and exciting. I’m just really proud of it and that it’s happening full stop. Speaking more to the song, I think courage and crime is the song that best captures the work of the group. The song feels full and I can hear how each member of the band shaped the sound. In particular, I love the way our voices blend during the harmonies at the chorus. That the moment of frisson for me.
I am so proud to be making all of this happen. Im proud of the of the music, and the album, and everything we’ve done to realize this project, and we’re working hard to keep that in our focus as we confront expectations and disappointment and all the other challenges of sharing our music with the world.
Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?
Our simplest goal was to make a great song and put it into the universe so that people could hear it, but we obviously have bigger dreams of what this might achieve or make possible for us. Being my first release, I am feeling very naive and overwhelmed, and it feels like my goals or my ideas of what success are is constantly changing. I see friends having success with their music and sometimes I hope we can achieve what they have and at other times I want to do better. We want people to hear the song, we want people to connect the song, and we want our music to mean something to people. It’s not clear to me whether that being true for one person will be a success or if there is some arbitrary number of listeners I am hoping for that will make this feel like a success. I suppose the simple answer is that we’d like this song to be successful enough that we feel encouraged enough to make another album.
What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
I’ve spent the last ten years doing systems change work – focusing on climate change and now on public health. And in spite of all of the awful things going on around us people keep making beautiful music, and no evil can undo a beautiful song. As I poured my heart and soul into my work, I found myself asking what I was creating. In all my work to fight the bad in the world I’d lost sight of making things that were good. Music is what keeps me going. It always has and I wanted to be a part of it.
In a more direct answer to the question, I am inspired by big feelings. I find myself drawn to writing when I am at my most sensitive and introspective. Music is my outlet and my journal and my way of making sense of the world.
Sometimes I hear a song that changes the chemistry of my body. It stirs something in me and wakes my spirit up. I write songs in hopes that my music might do that for other people and that’s what keeps me motivated to continue doing it. If someone could find myself in a moment of heartache and feel something, maybe it makes them feel seen or understood or not alone or hopeful. The idea of that being possible through my music motivates me.
If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.
I love this question, but I can only answer it in a pretend world where I wouldn’t be totally overcome with anxiety by the idea of collaborating with my musical heros. It would have to be Joni Mitchell. She builds such beautiful, thought provoking, and interesting songs. Her decision making is so unpredictable, but it’s never at the expense of the beauty of her music. She is my favourite songwriter and I’d be so happy to just be a fly on the wall watching her create something let alone collaborate with her. My other thought was collaborating with my dad. He had a few bands when he was growing up in London and I think he always imagined another life in music. The idea of collaborating with my dad almost makes me more anxious than of collaborating with Joni.
What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?
I listened to Bonny Light Horseman’s self titled album back to front today. It was my salvation during the pandemic and something in me felt compelled to listen to it today. Deep in love is a perfect song. It transports me and makes me feel a new different beautiful thing every time I hear it.
As I said before, Joni Mitchell. Fleet foxes, tallest man on earth, and Tim baker come to mind – and I think you can hear their influences on my music.
I also can’t get enough of Oliver mtukudzi, his music is the most joyful and I lean on him a lot to balance out all of the melancholy indie music I listen to the rest of the time.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
I’m most active on instagram @alexcoleyandafter and will be releasing two more singles before releasing our LP in February – so you can find us on your favourite streaming service as well.
I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?
This project has been such a labour of love, and now we are tossing it into the wind and hoping people hear it. We are feeling very grateful to all of our listeners and hope the people who need to hear it can find it.
