Songwriter has track snapped up by US band

A YOUNG South Wales songwriter has written a song for one of the most popular bands in the world.

The song in question – Start Again, written by 20-year-old Alex Stacey from Pengam in the Rhymney Valley – has been picked up by giant US pop-rock outfit One Republic.

The track, which also features rapper Logic, is included on the soundtrack for the second season of Netflix teen drama 13 Reasons Why.

Alex, who previously wrote songs in his bedroom before signing a deal with Artist Publishing Group (APG) – joining the ranks of songwriters who have written for Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber, said that the song came together after meeting One Republic singer Ryan Tedder in Los Angeles.

“I went to LA to sign my publishing deal and my publisher said Ryan Tedder had heard some of my music and wanted to meet me.

“It was crazy that he had listened to my music, I’ve always been a massive fan of One Republic and especially Ryan as a songwriter. He has written loads of huge songs with Adele, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Beyonce, Ariana Grande.

“I met Ryan at West Lake Studios in Beverly Hills and spent the morning chatting about music. I played him Start Again which he loved and asked me to send it to him as he had a few ideas. Then I left LA and a few months later I heard Ryan had written some verses for the song.

“I went back out to LA to work on it with one of the producers DJ Frank E and then months and months passed and I didn’t hear anything then all of a sudden Logic was on the song and it was coming out. Having him work and sing on a song I wrote is more than I ever dreamed of.”

Alex said he was in London when he heard that the song would be used on the soundtrack to the Netflix show.

“I was actually in London in a hotel and it was really early, I was still asleep and my manager, Simon King, rang me at about 8 o’clock, so I let it go to answer phone thinking nothing of it then he rang again, and then again so I answered it and then that’s when he told me One Republic and Logic were officially going to be releasing the song, so obviously it was one of the best mornings of my life!”

As for what Alex hopes this will lead to, he said: “I have no idea, I’m hoping it’s going to help my career as a songwriter and allow me to work with more great people, but I’d obviously love to work more with Ryan and One Republic.”

An excellent singer himself, Alex reckons that songwriting will now be his main focus.

“I think for the next few years songwriting is definitely going to be my priority, I’m not very good at multi-tasking so I think I’m just going to focus on that for a bit.”

Alex said he owes much of his success to Welsh songwriter Amy Wadge, famed for her Grammy Award-winning collaboration with Ed Sheeran on the song Thinking Out Loud, who mentored him in the early stages of his career.

“Amy is one of the most important people I’ve ever met,” he said. “She’s done so much for me, taught me so much and just showed me that hard work really will pay off. I don’t know anyone who works harder than her.”