16 July 2021
What was the inspiration behind the album?
You’re going to hear some of my most positive upbeat songs ever. But it has been just as important for me to talk about some other stuff on this record. Stuff I couldn’t talk about before. Because now there is distance. A different perspective. The songs you are about to listen to have helped shape my life in the last 3 years. My experience of being a part-time dad, of lost friends and troubled relationships, stories my friends have told me, and of the positive people still in my life have cleansed my mind and I feel thankful for every one of those experiences good and bad. They have helped me make the most considered collection of material I have ever written. In writing these songs I now have a better understanding of myself and I feel like I’m on the way to becoming the person I always hoped I could be. And they have helped me finally become truly happy for the first time. So I’m ready to talk. I am, so this is….
H E A L E D
Did the pandemic have an impact when recording the album?
Massively. I moved to Spain in 2019 6 months after starting to write the album. My co-writers and producers were all in the UK but the plan was to fly back 4 times a year to complete the writing and recording during 2020. Then the pandemic hit so I had to set up my own home studio and learn how to record myself for the first time and also collaborate remotely which is very different. It certainly slowed down the process but we were determined it wouldn’t stop us. I’m even more proud of the results because of all the obstacles we have overcome.
How long did the album take to create from start to finish?
2 years in total.
Which track was written first?
Any Way I Can.
Do you have any personal favourite tracks?
I Think That You Know & What You Didn’t Say.
Were any tracks difficult to write?
You Don’t
This one is the darkest lyrically on the album. It’s about distance and separation helping you move on. It’s about being unsure of how to deal with relationships that have been broken but family ties force you to stay in contact. It’s about being reminded of a part of your past when that part of your past is painful. It’s about seeing what you don’t want to see. Because of what might have been? It’s about reminders of mistakes you have made when you are better off forgetting them because what’s done is done…
What do you have coming up in the next 12 months?
Well I’ll be releasing a single “The Chase” to coincide with the album release which I’m shooting a video for very soon. Then 2 more single releases are planned for the next few months one of which we hope to shoot a video for in the beautiful city of Seville! Live performance is still very difficult with the travel restrictions but I hope to play some acoustic shows in 2022.
Genre: Electro Pop
Released: 21st September 2021
You can find out more about Alan on his website or via Apple Music, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Twitter or YouTube.
You can read my Independent Music Monday interview with Alan here, and you can read my interview with him about his earlier album “London E12” here.
UPDATE: As of March 2022, Alan is now back in the UK and living in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
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