BareBones Ent got the chance to sit down with talented jazz singer Alex Baird. Alex is ready to bring her great sound to the world with Lemon Tree. Take a look below at her views on jazz music, drawing inspiration from family, and how she approaches her music.
BBE: How would you best describe your music?
AB: I would describe my music as falling somewhere between jazz and pop, with the spotlight on jazz. My influences were Norah Jones, Stevie Wonder, Kurt Elling, and Veronica Swift, among many others, so if you try to think of them all rolled into one genre, that’s what I would call it. 😉
BBE: You have such a great voice that feels classic while still being modern. Has this always been the music you enjoy making, or has your sound changed over time?
AB: Thank you so much! Honestly, I think it has stayed pretty consistent! As a kid, I always loved singing James Taylor’s “Shed a Little Light” and Stevie Wonder’s “As,” so I think that jazzy pop is what I always come back to. Vocalese is something I became interested in in high school, with Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross and Kurt Elling being my go-to’s for inspiration. I did have to change my vocal technique a lot in high school when I started taking classical lessons to access more of my range, and I think that’s where I developed the sound that would mature and become how I sing now.
BBE: How do you feel that your music connects with fans?
AB: I love that! It feels silly to say ‘fans,’ but there are definitely some people connecting to my songs, which I absolutely love. I feel my most intense feelings of love, grief, or excitement by listening to music, and it’s an honor to have been able to create that for other people.
BBE: Earlier this summer you released “Lemon Tree”. What does that song mean to you?
AB: I wrote that song very intentionally! I am a very food-motivated person (just being honest). I really wanted a visceral connection to the album – lemons are bright, tart, and acidic. Curiosity is spiked just by saying something is lemony (at least for me!). I’ve always loved lemons, and my boyfriend planted me a lemon tree (which sadly, did not survive, and neither did its successor), so I thought it was kind of the perfect story for a song. And as an only child, my mom had to tell me, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” a lot as a kid, probably to stop me complaining. I was able to use my roots and my present to create some fun for a new-age standard.
BBE: How have fans reacted to the song?
AB: A lot of people have thought it was an old song that I covered, or a vocalese, which is extremely flattering! Apart from “All I Needed”, which is kind of the single of the album, and the one that has done the best in playlists, “Lemon Tree” is a crowd-favorite, which I’m so happy about.
BBE: This is part of a larger album. What information can you give us on the album?
AB: I like to think of the album as being my story up to this point in my life. The songs I wrote are spaced out, some being as recent as 2021, and others that were written in 2016. I was almost a different person at these different times in my life – “Never to Be Yours” was written after a breakup in 2016, “All I Needed” is about an old relationship that has less meaning than I thought it did at the time, and the lyrics to “It’s You I Dig” are about my love of jazz and how I found my place and purpose in this world. I would love for people to listen to the lyrics of the album and try to figure out what the situations were – that’s my favorite thing to do when I listen to an album. 😊
BBE: If I understand correctly, this album has some connection with your late grandmother, the “Seattle Darling”, singer Peggi Griffith. What did that mean to you to be able to do that?
AB: Yes, indeed! She was a huge inspiration growing up, especially having lost her ability to sing at such an important point in her career. I have recordings of her on my website, alexbairdmusic.com/peggi, where you can hear the difference in how she sounded as a young woman vs. how she sounded in her later years, and you can hear the original recordings of the two songs of hers that I did. My cousins and I all grew up hearing her songs on the jukebox at my grandparents’ house and playing her songs at home on CD, and I sang her songs in performances growing up. I knew she would be tied in to however I carried out my career – I always felt it was my duty to bring her along with me. I wish she were still alive to be able to share her experiences as a young singer with me, and so I could share our success with her.
BBE: How was it for you to be able to put your spin on the music? How did your family react?
AB: Her songs turned out even better than I thought they would – they’re so different from the original recordings. “You’re in My Arms to Stay” is one of my favorite songs on the record. My mom loves comparing her recordings to mine to see the differences and similarities, and I think (and hope!) my family is glad I’m doing some of her music.
BBE: Before we close up here I do want to ask, what is it that you feel is special about jazz music?
AB: Jazz is the GOAT! It relies on improvisation and collaboration – musicians have to work together to really create magic. You can’t make it the same way by yourself. There’s nothing better than that.
BBE: What is the best way for fans to interact with you?
AB: ‘Fans’ can connect with me on Instagram or Facebook, but I’m most easy to talk to via Instagram. I’d love to hear from anyone who enjoys my music!
BBE: Anything else you would like to add?
AB: Thank you for having me! I really appreciate your interest.
